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 index rebounded last Friday, after a positive showing for consumer sentiment, and increased 0.46% to close at 94.96. Base metals, except for tin, fell across the board. LME aluminium closed the day’s trading on Friday with US$ 2015.5 per tonne and after some recovery during Friday night trading; the contract was finally dragged to US$2,029.5 per tonne as the US dollar grew on optimistic consumer sentiment data. It closed at US$2,034 per tonne with open interests up 4,071 lot to 688,000 lots. As the US Treasury eased sanctions on Rusal, LME aluminium opened lower at US$2,020 per tonne, and may trade weakly at US$2,005-2,035 per tonne today. As on September 14, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2015 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2015.50 per...
According to the latest update from Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of primary aluminium across eight major consumption areas in China decreased further by some 31,000 tonnes to stand at 1.645 million tonnes as of Monday September 17. On last Thursday, the inventories had lowered 38,000 tonnes to stand at 1.68 tonnes, which means the stocks reduced 2 per cent over the weekend. This plunge in inventories could be attributable to the sluggish arrival to warehouses. However, despite the further plunge in primary aluminium inventories on limited stock arrivals across all the major Chinese markets, the A00 aluminium ingot spot price dropped to RMB 14480 per tonnes. On Friday, September 14, the ingot price had stood at RMB 14510 per tonne, which means the price dipped RMB 30 per tonne over...
According to a press update from Norsk Hydro it has signed and an agreement with Rio Tinto to terminate the acquisition process for Rio Tinto's Icelandic aluminium plant ISAL. The takeover process also included its interests in Dutch anode facility Aluchemie and Swedish aluminium fluoride plant Alufluor. Hydro made a binding offer to acquire Rio Tinto's Icelandic aluminium plant Rio Tinto Iceland Ltd in February 2018 for a value of USD 345 million. The offer also included, Rio’s 53% share in Dutch anode facility Aluminium & Chemie Rotterdam B.V. (Aluchemie), and 50% share in Swedish aluminium fluoride plant Alufluor AB. The Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) was signed on 8 June 2018, after consultations with Rio Tinto employees in France and the Netherlands. The acquisition was subjected...
The first week of September was marked by a rising US dollar index and a falling LME aluminium graph. However, LME aluminium recovered during the second week. LME aluminium rose to a high of US$2,080 per tonne on September 10, after closing flat the previous week driven by the fact that workers extended their strike at Alcoa's alumina operations in Western Australia. The light aluminium contract traded within a range of US$ 2000 to US$ 2035 per tonne over the week. Resumed NAFTA negotiations, falling US dollar, higher alumina prices, expectation around lifting of sanction on Rusal and sign of eased trade tension between China and the US are the factors that continued to drive the LME prices throughout the two weeks. The news that European consumers would avoid signing supply agreements...
China’s aluminium producers cut output by 3 percent in August from the month before, government data showed on Friday, as high raw material costs squeeze their profit margins. China, the world’s biggest aluminium producer, churned out 2.84 million tonnes of the metal last month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). That was down from 2.93 million tonnes in July, which matched the all-time monthly high, but was up 7.8 percent from a year earlier, the NBS said. On a daily basis, China produced around 91,600 tonnes of primary aluminium last month, the lowest since May, according to Reuters calculations based on the data. Aluminium prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed 2.1 percent over August, but spot prices for alumina, the substance used to make the metal, rose...
IBAAS successfully organized 7th International Conference and Exhibition (IBAAS-2018) during September 5 - 7, 2018 India with the theme “Indian Aluminium Industry – Status, Strategies & Way Forward for Accelerated Growth”. This Conference covered complete value chain from bauxite to aluminium downstream products in two and half days of interactive meet. About 220 delegates from all over the world participated in this mega Aluminium event in Mumbai. The conference was followed by visit to Hindalco’s Taloja Aluminium downstream facility and Aditya Birla Science and Technology Company Private Limited (ABSTCPL). Mr. Satish Pai, Managing Director, HINDALCO and Mr. Ron Knapp, Secretary General, International Aluminium Institute inaugurated the conference. The conference was also graced by...
The US dollar fell to low in one and a half months against a basket of currencies after data showed that US consumer prices increased less than expected in August, paring traders' outlook that domestic inflation is accelerating. Signs of eased trade tension between China and the US, with the potential trade negotiations, also pressured the greenback. Base metals closed mixed. The LME aluminium contract closed Thursday at US$ 2014.50per tonne. The lower US dollar index pushed LME aluminium up and the contract rose to the highest overnight at US$2,080 per tonne within 40 minutes. Open interests increased 11,110 lots to 684,000 lots. The price is likely to consolidate at US$2,030-2,070 per tonne today. As on September 13, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2013.50 per tonne, LME...
Shanghai Metals Market senior analyst Liu Xiaolei believes that the production cost of primary aluminium may surge backed on settling down of charges over captive power plants in the Shandong province earlier this week. This whole phenomenon may bolster the domestic prices of primary aluminium as well, apprehends Liu further. Price Bureau of the province set the charges at RMB 0.1016 kWh and gives a winding down period from July 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. The charges stand at RMB 0.05 kWh during that period. This is likely to drive the cost up to RMB 680 with the charges at RMB 0.05 kWh, given the costs RMB 13,600 kWh to produce one tonne of primary aluminium. Liu expects prices of primary aluminium to trade at RMB 14500 per tonne to RMB 15500 per tonne in the fourth quarter of the...
The US dollar index slid against a basket of other currencies as investors cut safe-haven holdings of the greenback, following a report that senior US officials were seeking to jumpstart trade talks with China. The rebound in the euro and pound also weighed on the US dollar. As market fretted over the US relaxing sanctions on Rusal, LME aluminium slumped to a low of US$2,010 per tonne. The day’s trading was closed at US$1981.50 per tonne yesterday from US$ 2035 per tonne the day before. Prospects on potential China-US trade talks then buoyed it to rebound, but heavy pressure was seen from several moving averages above. It closed the night trading at US$2,057.5 per tonne and may trade at US$2,040-2,070 per tonne today. As on September 12, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1981...
Metal Bulletin’s 33rd International Aluminium Conference in the German capital of Berlin that begins today, September 12 will unveil the “mating season” for the aluminium industry, where negotiations are settled on the quantities and premiums paid above the LME aluminium price. Reuters reported that European customers will avoid deals with sanctioned aluminium producer Rusal during the mating season. The industry players were expecting that the sanctions would be lifted in October, but they are still not sure about sealing a deal with Rusal. “We can’t agree a deal with Rusal on the basis that sanctions will be lifted by Oct. 23,” a Rusal customer in Europe said. “Anyone that has a relationship with Rusal will be preparing for the sanctions to remain in place for now.” Aluminum prices...
The state mining holding company Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) has released today, on September 12, its metals output and sales data for the period January-August 2018. Against the expected production of 248,426 tonnes in the entire year of 2018, the company’s output from January to August is standing at 161,217 tonnes, reported Reuters. Out of the total aluminium production of 161,217 tonnes from January-August 2018, Inalum exported around 10,000 tonnes. The company's expected export amount of aluminium in 2018 is 40,000 tonnes in total. The bauxite ore output by the company during January-August stood at 663,455 tonnes, against its expected production volume in the entire year at 1,169,722 tonnes. The export sales of the ore were seen at 583,711 tonnes in the said period of time,...
According to the latest update from Shanghai Metals Market on September 12, the A00 aluminium ingot price has dipped by RMB 120 per tonne to stand at RMB 14500 per tonne. As per the data found by SMM, the average expected price today is likely to range between RMB 14480 per tonne and RMB 14520 per tonne, with spot discounts to settle at RMB 20 per tonne, up by RMB 20 per tonne from the previous day. In the east, the ingot price has registered a slump by RMB 110 per tonne to conclude at RMB 14505 per tonne while in the south and north, the prices are standing at RMB 14640 per tonne and RMB 14530 per tonne after dropping by RMB 130 per tonne and RMB 105 per tonne, respectively. This dip in aluminium ingot price could be attributed to the weakened input cost as the average alumina price has...
The US dollar fell against the Canadian dollar, which was buoyed by a resumed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiation between the two counties on Tuesday. The US dollar inched down 0.08% to settle at 95.07. LME aluminium recovered from Monday’s low run and settled at US$ 2035 per tonne on Tuesday September 12. It started gaining overnight with rising dollar but slumped to a low of US$2,042 per tonne amid falling base metals contracts during the European trading session. It closed at US$2,050 per tonne. Limited downward room is expected as costs of raw materials are high. Its trading range is set at US$2,040-2,065 per t today. As on September 11, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2034 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2035 per tonne; 3-months...
Aluminum Association president & CEO Heidi Brock urged the Trump administration to provide quota-free exemptions on aluminium tariffs for Canada and Mexico as negotiations are concluded on the revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Brock requested to “use this negotiation process to address any national security questions specific to Canada and Mexico raised in the Commerce Department’s Section 232 report” in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer. She requested the trade representative to recommend a full exemption – without quotas – for aluminium imported from Canada and Mexico. Earlier, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross echoed this sentiment while he said, “Our objective is to have them revitalize NAFTA, a NAFTA that helps America. And as part of...
The US dollar weakened against the pound, which was buoyed by hopes that a Brexit deal could be reached in six to eight weeks. Base metals closed mixed. LME aluminium grew 0.68% overnight after closing at US$ 2000 per tonne yesterday. The contract broke resistance at all moving averages and soared to a high of US$2,109 per tonne, on market talk that Rusal is likely to cut production this month. A downbeat macroeconomic sentiment closed LME aluminium around the 20-day moving average, at US$2,077 per tonne. LME aluminium is expected to trade at $2,080-2,110/mt. As on September 10, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1998 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2000 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2036 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2036.50 per...
Russia’s power company Rushydro would reconsider joining a new aluminium smelter project that Rusal plans to build in Siberia. Rushydro’s head Nikolai Shulginov said on Monday that the deal has been complicated by international sanctions. Rusal started working on the Taishet project in 2006. The project was stalled in 2009 due to weak aluminium prices. Rusal announced restarting of the smelter last year after the recovery of aluminium prices. In April, Rushydro’s board approved the move to join the project with an investment of around US$1 billion. The project was designed to produce 428,500 tonnes of aluminium annually. The United States imposed sanctions Rusal and its former president Oleg Deripaska, and the 12 companies they have shares in April. “The thing is that the situation has...
The US dollar rose last Friday against all major currencies and closed 0.33% higher at 95.43. Base metals closed mixed. LME aluminium rose to a high of US$2,080 per tonne after settling flat on Friday as workers extended their strike at Alcoa's alumina operations in Western Australia. With pressure at the five- 40- and 60-day moving averages, it closed at US$2,063 per tonne overnight, and may trade at US$2,055-2,080 per tonne today. As on September 7, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2028 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2030 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2065 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2065.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2103 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2108 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening...
According to the latest update by Shanghai Metals Market, primary aluminium inventories across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, fell by some 31,000 tonnes from last Thursday September 6 to stand at 1.683 million tonnes as of Monday September 10. There were limited deliveries that arrived at social warehouses over the weekend, and this lowered stocks across those consumption areas, SMM found. In Wuxi and Jiangsu, the inventory dropped from 718,000 tonnes, as of September 6, to 708,000 tonnes on September 10; in Shanghai, the inventory dropped from 381,000 tonnes, to 378,000 tonnes; in Nanhai and Guangdong, the inventory dropped from 232,000 tonnes, to 223,000 tonnes; in Hangzhou and Zhejiang, the inventory stood at 98,000 tonnes on September 10, from 105,000...
