CME clears first Hong Kong aluminium storage, tightening grip on Asia aluminium trade

The Asian aluminium industry continues to expand as the approval for the first base metal storage facility in Hong Kong has been granted by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group, the US commodities exchange operator. This aims towards expanding the warehousing footprint in Asia.

On Friday, in a statement, CME stated its approval of the application initiated by GKE Metal Logistics for storing aluminium in the Chinese special administrative region, along with the lead deliverables against its Comex aluminium (ALIc1) and lead (LEDc1) futures.

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Within the statement, at the GKE site, 6,500 tonnes of aluminium and lead indoor storage capacity have been approved.

Back in February 2026, the new aluminium warehouse locations on CME were added in Hong Kong and Taiwan, expanding the challenge to the London Metal Exchange (LME) in Asia. 

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The warehouse expansion goes beyond the current footprint in Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea, indicating expanded aluminium trade flows in the Asian market.

In another notice, CME reveals that the UK-based warehousing firm Henry Bath's application for storing aluminium in Hong Kong has been approved. This approval holds an outdoor storage capacity of 4,500 tonnes in that particular location. 

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