SHANGHAI — Southwest Aluminium (Group) Co., a unit of Aluminium Corp. of China (Chalco), has become China’s first globally recognized supplier of material for automotive applications.

"We can officially mass-produce car-use aluminum alloy plate and win a foothold in (the) car market at home and abroad," Chen Lvyun, an official in charge of research and development at the fabricating unit, said in a statement.

Southwest Aluminium aims to line up three to five automakers this year as the company’s first trial users of its products, general manager Li Fengyi said.

Developing lightweight automotive vehicles has become more pressing under the pressure of emission restraints and passenger safety regulations, Chalco said, noting that China’s domestic demand for automotive-use aluminum is expected to reach more than 100,000 tonnes annually in the next two to three years.

A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Metal Bulletin.