LONDON, Sep 22, 2008 (Dow Jones Commodities News via Comtex) -- Total world aluminum output in August rose by 4,000 metric tons to 2.174 million tons, from 2.170 million tons in July, according to figures released Monday by the International Aluminum Institute.

August's figure was up 56,000 tons from the August 2007 production of 2.118 million tons.

The IAI details production as follows, in thousands of tons:

August '08 July '08 August '07 Africa 146 145 154 North America 486 487 482 Latin America 229 229 219 Asia 334 337 316 West Europe 390 386 368 E/Central Europe 394 393 383 Oceania 195 193 196 Total 2.174 2.170 2.118

NOTE: The data included in this IAI Statistical Report have been derived exclusively from returns by the primary aluminum producers themselves. These producers may be either Members of the IAI or Official Correspondents, the latter being enterprises possessing, or which have possessed, effective control over primary aluminum production but which are not Members. Official Correspondents are approved by the Board of the Institute.

Neither sources outside the industry nor estimates are used.

Unwrought aluminum is aluminum in its basic cast form made from primary metal or from scrap and which is unworked in the metallurgical sense.

Total aluminum is unwrought aluminum plus unprocessed scrap, metal in process and finished semi-fabricated (mill) products.

Unwrought and total aluminum inventories are all relevant inventories over which primary aluminum producers have some degree of control, with the exception of metal included in LME or COMEX stock reports.

Further clarification can be found in "A Guide to the IPAI Statistical System - Revised Aluminum Inventory Reporting Guidelines" (dated Oct. 28, 1999) which is available from the IAI.

-By Matthew Walls, Dow Jones Newswires;