LME aluminium prices gained ground on November 4, with cash and futures contracts moving higher. The Asian Reference Price also edged up, while exchange inventories declined. Alumina Platts prices, however, moved slightly lower. The cash bid rose by USD 53.50 per tonne , or 1.74 per cent, to USD 3,134.50 per tonne from USD 3,081 per tonne. The cash offer increased 1.72 per cent to USD 3,135 per tonne from USD 3,082 per tonne. Three-month aluminium prices also advanced. The bid climbed 1.08 per cent to USD 3,073 per tonne on November 4 from USD 3,040 per tonne, while the offer gained 1.05 per cent to USD 3,074 per tonne. It was previously at USD 3,042 per tonne . Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market...
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...
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The US dollar gained against the euro, boosted by technical factors after the euro met key resistance levels, even as the greenback's outlook remained bleak amid cautious signals from the US Federal Reserve about further rate hikes. LME base metals rose for the most part while SHFE contracts ended mixed last Friday. LME aluminium fell 1% and SHFE aluminium slid 0.52%. LME aluminium closed the trading at US$ 1816 per tonne last Friday. The contract came off after it rose to a high of US$1,865 per tonne overnight as shorts entered the market. It ended at US$1830.5 per tonne with open interests up 3,589 lots to 682,000 lots. We retain the view that weak fundamentals will keep prices at lows in the medium term. LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$1,805-1,845 per tonne today. As on January...
A00 aluminium ingot price stood at RMB13240 per tonne on January 14, down RMB70 per tonne from RMB13310 per tonne as of January 11. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13220 per tonne and RMB 13260 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 30-10 per tonne. Aluminium ingot prices in the East Wuxi and Hangzhou dropped by RMB 70 per tonne and RMB 75 per tonne to stand at RMB 13235 per tonne and RMB 13250 per tonne, respectively. In Wuxi, the price is expected to range between RMB 13230 per tonne and RMB 13240 per tonne; in Hangzhou, the price is expected to range between RMB 13240 per tonne and RMB 13260 per tonne. In the South and North, the price slipped by RMB 80 per tonne and RMB 30 per tonne to stand at RMB 13260 per tonne and RMB 13270 per tonne...
According to a Reuter’s report, Japanese aluminium buyers will pay 17 percent and 19 percent lower imports premiums for January to March, from $103 per tonne in the previous quarter. This marked the second consecutive quarterly drop and the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2016. It is also lower than the initial offers of $91 to $93 a tonne made by producers. The deals were mainly done at premiums of $85 per tonne, with a few deals done at $83 and $84, the sources said. Premiums for aluminium shipments to Japan for the quarter were agreed to at their lowest in more than two years as spot premiums fell amid ample supply. Japan is Asia’s biggest importer of aluminium and the premiums PREM-ALUM-JP for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the benchmark London Metal...
After over week-long ups and downs, the A00 aluminium ingot price has decided to record no change today, January 11, according to Shanghai Metals Market. The price thus continues to hover at RMB 13,310 per tonne. The average prices are expected to remain the same as well between RMB 13,290 per tonne and RMB 13,330 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 30 per tonne to RMB 10 per tonne. The average spot price marks a growth by RMB 10 per tonne from the previous day. But the major markets in China shows a different picture as the ingot prices there have recorded drops today, found Shanghai Metals Market. The prices in the east, Wuxi and Hangzhou, have plunged RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,305 per tonne and RMB 13,325 per tonne, respectively. The price in...
The US dollar rebounded from three-month lows, extending gains against the euro and yen, after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that the US central bank intends to further shrink the balance sheet, suggesting it is not done tightening monetary policy. Base metals dipped across the board last night. LME aluminium slipped and SHFE aluminium dipped 0.45%. Benchmark aluminium price on London Metal Exchange increased to close at US$ 1844 per tonne on Thursday, January 10. LME aluminium consolidated between the five- and 10-day moving average, with a low of US$1,845 per tonne. It is likely to trade at US$1,840-1,875 per tonne today. As on January 9, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1842per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1844 per tonne; 3-months bid...
According to a report, The Australian Workers Union (AWU) has condemned the Fair Work Commission’s (FWC) decision taken at the end of 2018 in favour of Alcoa that it could terminate its enterprise agreement with 1600 workers. On January 4, the union said it would fight against the FWC’s decision. On January 7, Alcoa already terminated it enterprise agreement, putting more than thousands of jobs at risk, per the report. The agreement covered workers in five aluminium smelters and bauxite mines in West Australia. The AWU has been waging a militant campaign to protect their job security and conditions. This includes a 53-day strike which they conducted in August and September last year. The strike ended on September 28 after the union won an agreement that guaranteed no workers could be...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.282 million tonnes as of Thursday January 10, down 20,000 tonnes from Wednesday January 2. For the same period, stocks in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Shanghai decreased by about 15,000 tonnes and 11,000 tonnes to stand at 508,000 tonnes and 305,000 tonnes while stocks in Nanhai, Guangdong and Gongyi, Henan increased by some 6,000 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes to stand at 153,000 tonnes and 113,000 tonnes. The below chart indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China: As the Chinese New Year holiday approached, shipping capacity shrank and downstream consumers stockpiled raw materials, which lowered shipment arrivals...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has shown a little rise today, January 10, from RMB 13,290 per tonne to RMB 13,310 per tonne. This marks a growth of RMB 20 per tonne, compared to the plunge yesterday by RMB 20 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,290 per tonne and RMB 13,330 per tonne, with spot discount to settle at RMB 40 per tonne. The average spot discount is expected to be at RMB 20 per tonne, marking a slight hike by RMB 10 per tonne. As the growth in aluminium ingot price has touched all the major markets in China, the markets in the east (Wuxi and Hangzhou) have recorded a rise by RMB 25 per tonne and RMB 30 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,320 per tonne and RMB 13,335 per tonne, respectively. In the north, the price has...
The US dollar dipped to a three-month low as the latest minutes of US Federal Reserve's policy meeting hinted at less monetary tightening and as hopes grew after US-China trade talks. Base metals ended mostly higher last night. LME aluminium fell 0.3% and SHFE aluminium went up 0.19%. LME aluminium contract closed Wednesday’s trading at US$ 1842 per tonne. The European trading session saw LME aluminium decline to a low of US$1,837.5 per tonne on news that Hydro aims to bring Alunorte alumina refinery back to full capacity within weeks or months. LME aluminium closed lower overnight at US$1,853 per tonne. It is likely to trade at US$1,840-1,875 per tonne today. As on January 9, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1841.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1842...
The US dollar rebounded from a nearly three-month low, as investors focused on the risk of a eurozone recession after data showed more signs of slowing in the region. Weakness in the euro supported the dollar, which rose 0.21% against a basket of currencies to 95.88. Base metals ended mixed last night. LME aluminium lost over 1% and SHFE aluminium dipped 0.26%. LME aluminium contract closed Tuesday’s trading at US$ 1837 per tonne. It is likely to remain its rangebound trend and hover around US$1,850-1,875 per tonne today. Reuters reported aluminium prices fell on Tuesday as bearish speculators kept up selling pressure, while other base metals were lacklustre ahead of the conclusion of U.S.-China trade talks. Ross Strachan, senior commodities economist at Capital Economics in London said:...
China’s primary aluminium production for the month of December 2018 stood at over 2.99 million tonnes, down 0.3% from a year ago, but up 1.1% on the month. This lowered overall production by 0.6% year on year to 36.12 million tonnes in 2018, according to the data shared by Shanghai Metals Market. Source:Shanghai Metals Market By the end of December, domestic primary aluminium capacity under operation stood at 36.06 million tonnes per year, down 1.64 million tonnes per year from a high at the end of June. More aluminium plants cut capacity in December, including high-costs mills in provinces of Shandong, Gansu, Shanxi, Ningxia, and Henan. Aluminium capacity cuts exceeded 3 million tonnes in 2018. Established aluminium capacity stood at 42.12 million tonnes per year by the end of December,...
According to a Reuters report, the London Metal Exchange (LME) confirmed that it would lift its suspension on aluminium produced by Russia’s Rusal once the U.S. lifts the sanctions on the company. The exchange said in a statement that consultation with LME consumers had not raised any objections to the plan about lifting the ban. The LME first proposed removing its block on Rusal metal on Dec. 19, 2018, after the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) struck a deal with Rusal and two other firms controlled by Oleg Deripaska under which they agreed to sever the Russian oligarch’s control over their management. The LME statement also said that sanctions on the company were expected to be removed on or around Jan 18. Rusal is the largest producer of aluminium outside China....
After rising back-to-back last two days, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a plunge once again in China today, on January 8, 2019, Shanghai Metals Market found. The ingot price after rising in last two consecutive days had reached RMB 13,350 per tonne but today it dropped RMB 40 per tonne to RMB 13,310 per tonne. Since the beginning of the year 2019, the ingot price remained sluggish, as there had been a continued weakening of ingot demand and consumption among downstream buyers. Today, the average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,290 per tonne and RMB 13,330 per tonne, with spot discount to settle at RMB 40 per tonne. The average spot discount is estimated to be at RMB 20 per tonne, marking a growth of RMB 10 per tonne. In the east, Wuxi and Hangzhou, the prices have...
The US dollar index dipped to 95.63, the lowest since October 12, 2018, pressured by growing expectations the US Federal Reserve could stop its interest rate hike cycle. Slower-than-expected growth in the US services sector also weighed on the greenback. Base metals increased for the most part as LME aluminium went up 0.54%. SHFE aluminium edged down. LME aluminium contract closed Monday’s trading at US$ 1858 per tonne. Limited upward momentum ended LME aluminium at US$1,878 per tonne, after it rallied to a high of US$1,885 per tonne and consolidated above the daily moving average. It is likely to trade at US$1,855-1,888 per tonne today. As on January 7, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1857.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1858 per tonne; 3-months bid...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.299 million tonnes as of Monday January 7, down 3,000 tonnes from Wednesday January 2. This followed after a week-on-week increase of 6,000 tonnes on Thursday December 27. For the same period, stocks in Shanghai decreased by about 14,000 tonnes at stand at 302,000 tonnes while stocks in Nanhai increased by some 14,000 tonnes to stand at 161,000 tonnes. In Wuxi and Jiangsu, the inventory stood at 516,000 tonnes; in Gongyi, Henan and Hangzhou, Zhejiang, the inventory came in at 115,000 tonnes and 106,000 tonnes respectively.
Shanghai Metals Market found downstream consumers across spot aluminium markets in east and south China held back from purchasing in morning on Monday, January 7, amidst growing futures prices. Spot discounts in Shanghai remained unchanged from Friday morning and thus, were heard at RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne against the SHFE 1901 contract. In Shanghai and Wuxi, most spot transactions were seen at RMB 13,350 per tonne and RMB 13,360 per tonne while that in Hangzhou at RMB 13,360 per tonne to RMB 13,370 per tonne. Prices rose close to RMB 40 per tonne from Friday, which sidelined downstream consumers in the east and south. In Guangdong, on the other hand, transactions occurred at RMB 13,450 per tonne to RMB 13,490 per tonne, with Guangdong-Shanghai spreads of RMB 110 per tonne,...
The US dollar weakened against the euro and lost all gains from a robust report about US jobs. Base metals increased across the board as a result and LME aluminium increased 1.05%. SHFE aluminium and tin grew slightly. LME aluminium registered a gain with dollar’s loss and closed trading at US$ 1879 per tonne on Friday. Then it surged further to a high of US$1,881 per tonne overnight and tested resistance at the 10-day moving average following China’s RRRs cuts. LME aluminium is expected to hover around the 10-day moving average and trading at US$1,855-1,885 per tonne today. As on January 4, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1878.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1879 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1861 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$...
The A00 aluminium ingot price in China has extended its growth today, on January 7, from RMB 13,300 per tonne to RMB 13,350 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. Thus, the price today has marked a jump by RMB 50 per tonne against a growth of RMB 30 per tonne on the previous day, January 4, from RMB 13,270 per tonne to RMB 13,300 per tonne. That was the first price growth of aluminium ingot in China since the beginning of the New Year 2019. However, today the average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,330 per tonne and RMB 13,370 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 10 per tonne. The average spot discount is estimated to be at RMB 30 per tonne, marking a decline by RMB 10 per tonne. In the east, Wuxi and Hangzhou, the ingot prices have climbed RMB...
