The aluminium market isn’t just shifting-it’s being pulled in different directions at once. That is the backdrop against which the AICE 2026 SMM Aluminum Industry Conference & Expo will take place from April 8–10 in Suzhou, China, as the industry navigates shifting supply patterns, evolving pricing structures, and changing trade dynamics.

This year’s theme - Global Restructuring of Primary Aluminium: Resource Flows, Low-Carbon Transition, and Market Synergy - comes straight out of what the industry is experiencing on the ground. Multiple disruptions are unfolding at the same time, forcing producers and buyers to rethink how the aluminium value chain will be structured.

Abhimanyu Prakash, CEO of AL Circle, a digital platform for the global aluminium ecosystem, will address this broader shift, focusing on how global developments are shaping aluminium flows and connections between markets.

In the current scenario, some of these pressures are already visible. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has raised fresh concerns about supply continuity, particularly since the Middle East accounts for roughly 8–9 per cent of global primary aluminium production. Meanwhile, in the US, the situation looks different but equally strained-domestic output is declining, while higher tariffs are tightening imports, leaving supply less predictable.

In contrast, the alumina segment is moving in another direction. Even as aluminium prices move past USD 3,500 per tonne, alumina prices on the LME have struggled to cross USD 315 per tonne. The widening gap between the two is pointing to a clear imbalance within the broader value chain.

Policy is also playing a stronger role. China’s decision to cap primary aluminium production at 45 million tonnes is intended to curb emissions - by as much as 65 million tonnes a year-while pushing the sector toward better energy efficiency and aligning with its 2060 carbon-neutrality target.

To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, read our report “Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2026”.

At the same time, the industry is leaning more on recycled aluminium. Scrap is gaining importance because it needs only about 5 per cent of the energy required for primary production. The difference in emissions is equally stark-around 0.6–1.9 kg of CO₂e per kilo for recycled aluminium versus more than 14.8 kg for primary metal.

Trade flows are also being reshaped. Tariffs are influencing how aluminium moves across regions, gradually redirecting export and import routes and adding another layer to the ongoing market transition.

Taken together, these shifts-geopolitical tensions, policy changes, price divergence, and the push for lower-carbon production-are converging and reshaping the market.

The panel brings in perspectives that reflect this complexity. Michelle Leung from Bloomberg will speak on ESG and the green transition, while Ron Knapp of China Hongqiao Group contributes decades of industry experience, including his tenure as Secretary General of the International Aluminium Institute.

In many ways, the discussion in Suzhou is expected to revolve around a simple but pressing question: how do all these changes, happening at the same time, come together to redefine the aluminium market?

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