WEEKLY: Guinea shipments surge but freight costs keep China bauxite spot split, prices pinned in tight band
China's domestic ore prices held steady last week. In Shanxi, a limited volume of relatively lower-grade domestic ore was concluded under long-term contracts at approximately RMB 530 per tonne. In Henan, the expected increase in domestic ore output has yet to materialise, leaving the supply-demand...
September peak season destocking supports aluminium prices, macro risks still warrant vigilance
Futures: The most-traded SHFE aluminium contract opened at RMB 24,470 per tonne in the night session on September 8, reached a high of RMB 24,660 per tonne and a low of RMB 24,420 per tonne, and closed at RMB 24,645 per tonne, up RMB 185 per tonne or 0.76 per cent from the previous close. Futures...
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China hits 201Mt bauxite imports in 2025 as major shifts seen in African regions like Guyana and Sierra Leone
Is China’s aluminium industry gradually finding itself more dependent on overseas suppliers for a critical raw material? That question becomes difficult to ignore when the 2025 numbers come into focus. During the year, China’s bauxite imports climbed to 201 million tonnes, rising from 159 million...
China alumina inflow hits two-year high amid global disruption
In March 2026, China's import of alumina, which is the essential raw material for aluminium production, reached a two-year high. The surge is mainly owed to the shipments, which were originally planned to reach the Middle East smelters, but changed the route to the world's largest producer. As per...
G7 to accelerate critical minerals supply chain diversification and weaken Chinese hegemony
An agreement has been reached among the Finance Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) nations to increase the pace of critical minerals supply chain diversification in order to break free from the Chinese hegemony over the market. Held on Friday, in Washington, the G7 meeting agenda was to address...
Double blow from the Middle East – aluminium supply disruptions and export challenges for the automobile industry
The ongoing geo-political conflict in West Asia has put many end-user sectors under strain in several parts of the world. From packaging to building and construction, all have been whining over raw material crisis, especially aluminium, since Gulf countries contribute a substantial portion of the...
NBS: China's power output rises 1.4% YoY in March, with hydropower leading growth
The total amount of electricity generated in China in March rose by 1.4 per cent on year to 802.48 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on April 16, with hydropower emerging as the primary growth driver. Hydropower output surged 10.8...
If Vietnam holds the highest bauxite reserves, China leads the output - where is Asia’s supply chain anchored?
Asia sits on vast bauxite wealth, yet much of its story remains beneath the surface. Global reserves are estimated at 29-30 billion tonnes, while annual production stands at just about 480 million tonnes, only 1.6-1.7 per cent of the total. Of this reserve base, Asia accounts for roughly 18 per...
US dollar fell for 9 consecutive days, metals rose nearly across the board, SHFE aluminium up nearly 3%, lithium carbonate up over 4%
As of the daytime close, domestic base metals generally rose, with SHFE tin being the only decliner, down 0.07 per cent. SHFE aluminium led the gains with a 2.89 per cent increase, while the rest of the metals gained less than 1 per cent. The alumina front-month contract rose 1.44 per cent, and the...
Brazil links rare earth access to domestic processing as US-China rivalry intensifies
Leonardo Durans, a top official at the country’s industry ministry, mentioned during a press conference with international media that while Brazil is still welcoming foreign investment, its approach has changed. There’s now a clear expectation that all partners will focus on developing local...
DAILY: China's spot alumina prices continue to soften
Mysteel assessed the national average spot price for metallurgical-grade alumina with a minimum purity of 98.6 per cent at RMB 2,731 per tonne (USD 400.6 per tonne) including 13 per cent VAT on Tuesday, down by another RMB 12 per tonne from Monday. This marked the lowest price level in nearly a...
Aluminum price centre shifted upward, overall market procurement sentiment declined
During the morning session, SHFE aluminium 2604 fluctuated downward, with the price centre rising significantly from the previous day. Influenced by higher aluminium prices, overall willingness to sell in the market was high, while buying sentiment was suppressed by elevated prices. Circulating...
Bauxite supply shifts by 2036 as Guinea rises, China depends and new projects reshape global trade
Alongside the rising output, the main concern for the industry players is that the current scenario of the bauxite and alumina market has become more about better supply expansion via new mining projects and refining capacity, resource security and nationalism, capacity expansion, sustainability...
Vietnam-China partnership aimed to solidify cross-border aluminium value chain
China’s Yunnan Province and Vietnam are joining in an economic collaboration, opening avenues for building an integrated, cross-border aluminium industrial chain. Anchored in the Red River basin’s 7+8 cooperation mechanism, the partnership is increasingly shifting from conventional trade to...
US alumina imports jump 32% in 2025 as Jamaica’s exports double
In 2025, the US alumina story begins with rising imports-but it quickly reveals a system under strain. US alumina imports surged to 1.77 million tonnes in 2025, up 32 per cent from 1.34 million tonnes in 2024, reversing a marginal 1 per cent dip from 1.36 million tonnes in 2023. It reads like a...
China’s Henan Zhongfu plans $2B aluminium plant in Egypt’s SCZone
Henan Zhongfu Industrial is planning to invest about USD 2 billion to build an aluminium production plant in Egypt, according to an official statement. The plan was discussed during a meeting in Cairo between company chairman Cui Hongsong and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Officials from the Suez...
China builds a green energy backbone across industry, AI and fuels
China has become a major driver of renewable energy growth after years of investment and new technology. Even as global oil markets face uncertainty, the country’s green energy sector continues to expand. Renewable energy is no longer just a backup. It is now being used as a main power source in...
Sharp Q2 price hike by China Northern Rare Earth reshapes cost outlook for miners
China Northern Rare Earth Group has raised its benchmark price for rare earth concentrate in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, indicating a notable shift in cost dynamics for upstream producers. The new benchmark stands at RMB 38,804 per tonne (approximately USD 5,390) for the material containing 50...
RUSAL to divert aluminium from China to Japan as premiums surge amid Gulf supply crunch
Russia-based RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, is planning to divert a part of its aluminium shipments originally intended for China to Japan and other Asian customer bases, as reported by Reuters. The update is revealed by the sources amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions that are...
Chinalco invests over $145M to boost stake in Chalco
Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (Chalco) finalised a share purchase plan led by its controlling shareholder, Aluminum Corporation of China, along with parties acting in concert, with a total investment of about RMB 1.015 billion (USD 145 million). Chalco announced the plan in April 2025 to...
