Thirteen aluminum smelters in Henan, accounting for a fifth of aluminum output in China, plan to idle a total of 700,000 tons of primary aluminum annual capacity in the coming month because of low prices and high power costs.

Liu Libin, vice-chairman of the Henan Nonferrous Metals Industry Association said Monday the smelters had been cutting production since the middle of this month.

The move would reduce aluminum production in Henan this year, now estimated below 4 million tons, Liu said. The province produced more than 20 percent of China's production of 6.8 million tons.