chalking

I am bidding on an exterior job but have run into a situation I've never encountered before. The numerous aluminum window frames all have a white, chalky film on them. They are not pitted at all -- just chalky. From what I can tell the frames are aluminum and were not painted previously...

I just received these photos from one of my former students in Lautoka, Fiji. It seems to me that the paint is chalking but he assured me that it is a latex paint. It is an interior surface and no signs of moisture. Not often you see old latex paint fail like this. I would be interested to...