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Rio Tinto secures power deal for Bell Bay aluminium smelter with $200m support package
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Rio Tinto secures power deal for Bell Bay aluminium smelter with $200m support package

Rio Tinto has secured a five-year operating arrangement for its Bell Bay aluminium smelter in northern Tasmania, backed by a government support package worth USD 200 million. The agreement includes a commitment to maintain a minimum level of employment at the 71-year-old facility until at least 2031, easing concerns over its future amid uncertainty about electricity costs. Rio Tinto's aluminium chief executive Jérôme Pécresse confirmed the employment commitment but did not disclose the number of jobs covered. The guarantee is understood to cover around 500 positions. Bell Bay currently employs about 550 people and supports a further 1,200 jobs, with its future previously uncertain as the company sought a new power agreement. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of...

Low social inventory of aluminium ingots in China and ex-China persists, leaving limited room for a deep decline in aluminium prices
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Low social inventory of aluminium ingots in China and ex-China persists, leaving limited room for a deep decline in aluminium prices

Futures: SHFE aluminium closed at RMB 22,530 per tonne, rebounding 1.1 per cent. Despite the positive close, prices remained under pressure below all key moving averages (MA5=22,727, MA60=23,633), with the medium-term bearish alignment intact. MACD indicator lines (DIF=-244.16, DEA=-188.68) operated below the zero axis, but the green bars narrowed significantly to -110.96 (previous day -150.62), indicating a marked weakening of bearish momentum and initial signs of a technical bottom divergence repair. Trading volume expanded to 101,500 lots, suggesting capital inflows at the bottom. The recommended core trading range for SHFE aluminium is 22,000-22,800. LME aluminium closed at USD 3,078.5 per tonne, surging 2.02 per cent. Prices rebounded strongly, reclaiming MA5 (3,061.5), MA10...

Russian aluminium makes up 99.98% of LME available stocks in October despite inventories fall
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Russian aluminium makes up 99.98% of LME available stocks in October despite inventories fall

Russia-origin metal made up almost all available aluminium stocks in London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses at the end of October (99.98 per cent), with Indian-origin aluminium accounting for the remaining 50 tonnes, according to exchange data. Total available, or on-warrant, aluminium inventories declined 4 per cent month on month to 216,950 tonnes, their lowest level since March 2025. Russian stocks fell by 9,725 tonnes to 216,900 tonnes during October, but their share of available inventories remained almost unchanged. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook " Although Russian aluminium produced before April 13, 2024, remains eligible for...

LME aluminium cash offer price jumps 2.76% to $3,223.5/t as global supply squeeze tightens market
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LME aluminium cash offer price jumps 2.76% to $3,223.5/t as global supply squeeze tightens market

LME aluminium prices strengthened across cash, three-month and December 27 contracts on November 11, 2026, as declining exchange inventories and constraints on immediate metal availability continued to support the market. The cash offer price rose 2.76 per cent to USD 3,223.5 per tonne , compared with USD 3,137 per tonne on November 10. The cash bid price also increased by 2.81 per cent, reaching USD 3,223 per tonne from USD 3,135 per tonne in the previous session. The LME aluminium three-month bid price advanced 1.22 per cent to USD 3,062 per tonne from USD 3,025 per tonne, while the corresponding offer price climbed 1.22 per cent to USD 3,064 per tonne from USD 3,027 per tonne. Similarly, the December 27 bid price rose 0.96 per cent to USD 2,930 per tonne, compared with USD 2,902 per...

The US-Canada aluminum deal could put European buyers under pressure as imports shift
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The US-Canada aluminum deal could put European buyers under pressure as imports shift

A potential easing of trade tensions between the United States and Canada could reshape the North American aluminum market, with European buyers facing the risk of stronger competition for Canadian metal. Import data from ITC Trade Map shows that US purchases of Canadian unwrought aluminum fell sharply in 2025, while imports from Canada increased across six European markets, highlighting how trade flows have evolved amid tariff uncertainty. The United States imported approximately 2.03 million metric tons of unwrought aluminum from Canada in 2025, down 25.9% from 2.74 million metric tons in 2024. The decline amounted to around 711,494 metric tons over the year. Import value also decreased, falling 22.2% from $7.82 billion to $6.09 billion. The figures come as the possibility of a...

Century Aluminum prepares for next phase of $4B Oklahoma smelter, targets 2030 production
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Century Aluminum prepares for next phase of $4B Oklahoma smelter, targets 2030 production

Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...

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