China's aluminum and nickel producers have asked the government to buy up surplus metal, sources said, the first coordinated effort since 2009 to revive prices suffering their worst rout since the global financial crisis.

    The State-controlled metals industry body, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, proposed on Monday that the government scoop up aluminum, nickel and minor metals including cobalt and indium, an official at the association and two industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

    The request was made to the State planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

    The NDRC and the metals industry association did not respond to requests for comment.

    While it is not clear if the authorities will agree to the proposal, the approach underlines the extent to which loss-making smelters in the world's top producer and consumer are suffering from prices hovering at or near multiyear lows.

    Major Chinese zinc smelters had already proposed that the sector slash output by 500,000 tons in 2016, or around one month's production, in an attempt to boost prices.

    The country's major nickel producers will meet on Friday to discuss potential output cuts of their own.

    One source familiar with the producers' request said the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association had suggested that the State buy 900,000 tons of aluminum, 30,000 tons of refined nickel, 40 tons of indium and 400,000 tons of zinc.

    Other sources did not specify zinc as being part of the plan.

    All of the sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

    While the proposal does not include copper, it is likely to revive memories of 2009, when the State Reserve Bureau (SRB) in Beijing swooped in to buy more than 700,000 tons of copper on the domestic and international markets.

    The SRB considers copper a strategic metal.

From China Mining