Global primary aluminium production experienced a sequential recovery in the third quarter of 2026, supported by the gradual restoration of disrupted smelting capacity in the GCC countries, stronger operational performance in Europe and Oceania, and incremental production gains across Asia and China. But beneath this quarterly improvement lies a contrasting reality - global output remained below the corresponding levels of both 2025 and 2024. According to data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), global primary aluminium production reached 18.377 million tonnes in Q3 2026, an increase of 2.1 per cent from 18.003 million tonnes in the preceding quarter. However, compared with Q3 2025, when production totalled 18.683 million tonnes, output declined by 1.64 per cent. Production...
Europe's aluminium industry is facing mounting pressure from rising carbon costs, shifting trade policies and limited willingness among buyers to pay premiums for low-carbon metal. Yet, despite a series of crises since the Covid pandemic, producers remain committed to maintaining their presence in Europe and investing in decarbonisation, said Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. In an exclusive interview with Fastmarkets at Aluminium Düsseldorf, Voss described the European aluminium industry's condition as bruised but resilient. He highlighted concerns over the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the potential inclusion of indirect (Scope 2) emissions under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the treatment of aluminium scrap in carbon accounting. Reflecting on...
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The US dollar weakened against a basket of foreign currencies on Wednesday as better-than-expected economic data in China bolstered risk appetite. LME base metals traded mixed on Wednesday. LME aluminium dipped 0.05% and SHFE aluminium advanced 0.5%. Three-month LME aluminium came off from a week-high of US$1,872.5 per tonne to end marginally lower at US$1,852.5 per tonne on Wednesday. Cash settlement price stood at US$ 1840.50 per tonne at the closing, a slight gain from previous day. LME aluminium has been on a steady downward curve from the beginning of April. With limited support from fundamentals, LME aluminium is expected to trade between US$1,840-1,880 per tonne today. As on April 16, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1840 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands...
The metals trading startup Concord Resources reported double profits in 2018 on account of price volatility in alumina and aluminium market driven by US sanctions on Rusal. “It was a year of exceptional opportunities,” said Chief Executive Officer Mark Hansen. “The sanctions on Rusal created disruptions across the aluminium and alumina supply chain and we were able to execute on those opportunities outstandingly well.” Concord registered a net income of US$43.4 million last year. After the U.S. sanctions on Rusal in April, alumina prices skyrocketed to more than US$700 a ton within a week. Concord has a long-term contract to buy alumina from a refinery in Louisiana. It also bought a stake in the parent company New Day Aluminum Holdings LLC. Operating profit for Concord rose 77 per cent to...
The US dollar index extended its gains above 97 on Tuesday with the weakening of the euro. LME base metals traded lower on Tuesday. LME aluminium fell 0.5% and SHFE aluminium gained 0.5%. The robust greenback pulled down the three-month LME aluminium 0.5% to close at US$1,853.5 per tonne on Tuesday. It is expected to trade between US$1,840-1,880 per tonne today as traders failed to find direction from fundamentals. LME cash settlement price also closed lower on Tuesday from previous closing. As on April 16, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1838 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1839 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1855 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1856 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1985per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price...
A00 aluminium ingot prices registered a jump across all major markets in China on Wednesday, 17 April 2019. Ingot price recorded a rise of RMB160 per tonne or 1.16 per tonne from yesterday. A00 ingot price rose from RMB13810 per tonne to RMB13970 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is expected to be traded at discount of RMB30 per tonne to premium of RMB10 per tonne. The average price is likely to range at RMB13950-13990 per tonne. The ingot price in East Wuxi and East Hangzhou increased RMB130 per tonne and RMB135 per tonne to stand at RMB13960 per tonne and RMB13980 per tonne. Aluminium ingot prices in North market and South market stood at RMB13970 per tonne and RMB13920 per tonne today. The price of Aluminium Alloy (A356) increased RMB100 per tonne to range at RMB14650-14750 per tonne...
According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, US primary aluminium production in January 2019 was 95,000 tonnes. The production registered a 43% increase from January 2018 and 52% more than January 2017. Canada’s production stood at 242,358 tonnes and total North American production (U.S. and Canada) stood at 337,358 tonnes. The Aluminum Association, in cooperation with the Aluminium Association of Canada, reported primary aluminium production in North America (U.S. and Canada) in February was 308,643 tonnes. Canada’s production stood at 219,188 tonnes while production in the US stood at 89,455 tonnes. The US production dropped about 6% month-on-month. While Canadian production dropped about 9.5% month-on-months. However, in March, primary production registered a growth in...
Rio Tinto’s aluminium production for the first quarter of 2019 came in at 796,000 tonnes. Production was in line with the first quarter of 2018. “Excluding production from the non-managed Becancour smelter, which continues to be impacted by a lock-out, production was one per cent higher, reflecting continued productivity creep,” the company said. Aluminium production in the first quarter of 2019 was three per cent lower than the fourth quarter of 2018. At the Kemano hydro-power facility at Kitimat, British Columbia, boring of the tunnel commenced on 9 March 2019. Rio Tinto expects $0.5 billion project to complete by late-2020. 2019 guidance is unchanged. Rio Tinto’s expected share of aluminium production in 2019 is between 3.2 and 3.4 million tonnes. Rio Tinto’s alumina production in Q1...
The US dollar rebounded against a basket of foreign currencies on Monday. LME base metals traded lower on Monday. LME Aluminium edged down 0.05% and SHFE aluminium sank 0.1%. LME aluminium is in a consolidating phase without much fluctuation. LME cash settlement price remained flat from the previous trading day at US$ 1843.50 per tonne. Three-month LME aluminium fluctuated to close marginally lower at US$1,863 per tonne on Monday. In the face of the rebounding dollar, LME aluminium will have limited upward movement and is expected to trade between US$1,840-1,880 per tonne today. As on April 15, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1843 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1843.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1859 per tonne, 3-months offer price is...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, dropped over the weekend ended on April 15, Monday, to come in at 1.622 million tonnes. Compared to last Thursday, April 11, the fall of primary aluminium inventories on Monday was higher, as the stocks last week had plunged by some 5,000 tonnes while today by some 14,000 tonnes. In some cities, the inventories dropped while in others they recorded a hike or continued to remain the same. For instance, in Wuxi, Jiangsu, the inventories plunged from 586,000 tonnes on April 11, to 582,000 tonnes, but in Shanghai, the stocks rose from 290,000 tonnes to 292,000 tonnes. The below chart indicates the status of the current primary aluminium...
The US dollar index slipped on Friday as the euro rose sharply. LME base metals traded higher across the board on Friday April 12. LME aluminium advanced about 0.3% and SHFE aluminium popped 0.1%. LME closed the week lower at 1843.50 per tonne on Friday. As the US dollar weakened, three-month LME aluminium rallied from a month-low of US$1,846 per tonne on Friday, and closed 0.3% higher at US$1,864 per tonne. The trading level of LME aluminium remained below all moving averages. Weak fundamentals are likely to cap upside room in LME aluminium, which is expected to trade at US$1,850-1,880 per tonne today. As on April 12, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1843 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1843.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1864 per tonne,...
According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, US primary aluminium production in January 2019 was 95,000 tonnes. The average daily production in January 2019 was 3,050 tonne, essentially unchanged from that in December 2018. However, the production registered a 43% increase from January 2018 and 52% more than January 2017. At this current rate, US aluminium production is likely to cross one million tonne in 2019. The aluminium sector continued to recover a large volume of scraps. Total aluminium recovered from scrap in January 2019 was 290,000 tonnes, unchanged from the previous month. However, the amount drops 6% YoY, indicating a drop in domestic recycling. Of this, 172,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 118,000 tonne was recovered from old scrap. The...
Social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, decreased some 5,000 tonnes from Thursday April 4 to 1.636 million tonnes as of Thursday April 11, Shanghai Metals Market data showed. In Shanghai and Nanhai, Guangdong, inventories of primary aluminium declined 4,000 tonnes and 11,000 tonnes from Thursday April 4 to stand at 290,000 tonnes and 374,000 tonnes respectively. Stocks in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Gongyi, Henan increased 2,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes from last Thursday to 586,000 tonnes and 145,000 tonnes on Thursday, April 11. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventory across China: A00 aluminium ingot price recorded a growth of RMB20 per tonne on Friday, 12 April 2019. Ingot price increased from...
The US dollar index sharply rose on Thursday, driven by strong producer prices and unemployment claims. Base metals mostly traded lower across the board on Thursday. LME aluminium slipped 0.4% and SHFE aluminium dipped 0.07%. Pressurised by the stronger greenback, three-month LME aluminium fell to a one-month low of US$1,854 per tonne before it recovered some losses to end 0.4% lower at US$1,859 per tonne, below all moving averages, on Thursday. LME aluminium is expected to trade at US$1,850-1,880 per tonne today. As on April 12, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1846.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1847.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1862.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1863.50 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1993...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) has reported improved aluminium production and sales volume in Q1 2019 despite lower aluminium prices. The production jumped 5% YoY to 272,707 tonnes and the sales’ volume topped 257,113 tonnes in Q1 2019, up by 2% Year-over-Year (YoY). Value-Added (VA) Product Sales contributed an average of 52% of total shipments compared with 58% for the same period in 2018. Commenting on Alba’s Sales’ volume and Production for Q1 2019, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “We are very pleased to have kicked-off 2019 strong despite market volatility. As we get closer to fully ramp-up Line 6 within Q3 2019, Alba will be positioned to further improve its operational performance and build upon the progress we made since we started Line 6 Expansion Project.” Alba...
The US dollar stood lower against a basket of currencies on Wednesday to a little below 97. LME base metals traded lower on Wednesday. LME Aluminium dropped 0.7% and SHFE aluminium lost close to 0.3%. Three-month LME aluminium fell to a one-month low of US$1,862 per tonne before it closed 0.67% lower at US$1,866.5 per tonne on Wednesday. LME cash contract also closed lower yesterday in absence of strong market fundementals. It is expected to remain rangebound today with a trading range of US$1,850-1,890 per tonne. As on April 10, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1851 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1852 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1875.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1876 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 2008 per tonne,...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a dip today, on April 11, by RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,810 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,790 per tonne and RMB 13,830 per tonne, with spot discount to settle at RMB 20 per tonne. Through this ongoing week, the A00 aluminium ingot price has shown an oscillating trend starting with a rise on Monday, April 8 from RMB 13,810 per tonne to RMB 13,820 per tonne and then a drop on Tuesday, April 9, to RMB 13780 per tonne followed by a rise again on April 10 to RMB 13,830 per tonne. After today’s drop the ingot price is again back to where it started the week. In Wuxi and Hangzhou of the east market, the ingot price has registered a drop by RMB 10 per tonne each to stand...
China’s production of primary aluminium dropped 1.5 per cent year-on-year to 2.98 million tonnes in Mach 2019. Domestic primary aluminium capacity in operation decreased some 430,000 tonnes per year from a year earlier to an annualised 36 million tonnes by the end of March, as updated by Shanghai Metals Market. Primary aluminium production in China registered year-on-year fall in the first three months of 2019. Production stood at 8.63 million tonnes. The decline of 1.2 per cent was due to the sluggish market and capacity cuts. Consumption of primary aluminium came in at 3.06 million tonnes last month, an increase of 4.9 per cent on a yearly basis, SMM data showed. Primary aluminium production is expected to reach 2.9 million tonnes in April. Actual consumption is estimated to increase...
The US dollar index fell on Tuesday after the International Monetary Fund downgraded its outlook on the global economy. LME base metals traded mixed on Tuesday. LME aluminium rose 0.3% and SHFE aluminium advanced some 0.3%. Three-month LME aluminium fluctuated to end 0.3% higher at US$1,879 per tonne on Tuesday, with its trading level barely changed from the previous day. LME aluminium gained at night after a fall in dollar. However, the contract is expected to perform weakly today, with most transactions at US$1,850-1,890 per tonne. As on April 9, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1850 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1851 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1876 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1876.50 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at...
Shanghai Metals Market data shows that A00 aluminium ingot price had a rise on April 10 to RMB13830 per tonne. This was up RMB50 per tonne from yesterday. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at discount of RMB20 per tonne to premiums of RMB20 per tonne. The average price is expected to range between RMB13810 per tonne and RMB13850 per tonne. On April 10, aluminium ingot prices increased in all other individual markets in China. In East (Wuxi), ingot price increased from RMB13760 per tonne to RMB13815 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in East (Hangzhou) market stood at RMB13840 per tonne on April 10, up from RMB13800 per tonne on April 9. Their average price is expected to range between RMB13810-13820 per tonne and RMB13830-13850 per tonne respectively. Ingot price in South...
