* China's aluminium imports in October rose by 17.4% from the previous month to their highest since July, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Thursday.

* Arrivals of unwrought aluminium and products - which include primary metal and unwrought, alloyed aluminium - totalled 297,043 tonnes last month, up from 252,921 tonnes in September and up 15.8% year-on-year. 

* Imports in the first 10 months of 2021 were up 14.4% from a year earlier at 2.57 million tonnes, on course to set an annual record as restrictions on power usage by domestic smelters keep demand for overseas metal strong.

* China's imports of bauxite, the main source of aluminium ore, were up 19.3% year-on-year at 9.54 million tonnes in October, customs said; that was up 14.4% from September.

(Reporting by Tom Daly) ((tom.daly@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 5669 2119;))