China’s 45Mt aluminium cap pushes producers overseas as global dominance grows
China’s aluminium industry is running close to its limits in 2026. As Shanghai aluminium prices near a three-month high, historically low raw material costs and strong smelter margins encourage producers to operate at maximum capacity. National aluminium output remains above Beijing’s...
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...
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ASI certifies Shandong Innovation Sheet Materials Co., Ltd. against Performance Standard V3.1 and Chain of Custody V2
Shandong Innovation Group Co., Ltd. has achieved ASI Performance Standard V3.1 (2023) and Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V2 (2022) Certification for the manufacture of aluminium and aluminium alloy sheet, strip, and foil at their facility, Shandong Innovation Sheet Materials Co., Ltd. located in...
China’s solar panel industry is shrinking: Impact of overcapacity, price collapse & socioeconomic volatility
China’s solar panel manufacturing sector is facing a serious slowdown despite solar energy becoming the cheapest form of clean power worldwide. Over the past decade, China emerged as the global leader in solar panel production. Strong government support, large-scale industrial expansion, and...
CME Group plans first Rare Earth Futures Contract to reduce western dependence on China
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 The CME Group, an American financial services company based in Chicago, is preparing a plan to introduce the world’s first futures contract for rare earth elements. This initiative would enable governments, companies, and banks to safeguard price risks in the rare earth sector,...
China versus the West: Here’s how China prepares for critical minerals and strategic tussle
China is reinforcing its dominance over rare earth metals as Unites States and its allies of over 50 nations, intensify efforts to reduce dependence on Beijing. Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently visited Ganzhou in Jiangxi province, a major hub for heavy rare earth element production, signalling...
Chinese aluminium industry adjusts production amid high prices and holiday breaks
As the 2026 Chinese New Year break approaches, SMM conducted a special survey on the production arrangements during the holiday period among some domestic aluminium processing enterprises. Currently, high aluminium prices have heightened the wait-and-see sentiment among downstream enterprises....
China’s power goal ’26: Solar and wind energy smash records with 22% surge
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 According to the data shared by the National Energy Administration (NEA), China's newly installed solar and wind energy capacity has hit a record high by exceeding 430 million kilowatts in 2025. Marking a 22 per cent year-on-year surge, this development has provided a massive...
The market has entered holiday mode, with prices remaining stable overall, awaiting recovery post-holiday
Futures: The most-traded aluminium alloy 2604 contract opened at RMB 22,305 per tonne overnight, with a high of RMB 22,385 per tonne, a low of RMB 22,085 per tonne, and closed at RMB 22,140 per tonne, down slightly by 0.54 per cent. Spot-Futures Price Spread Report: According to SMM data, on...
Global aluminium capacity to grow 4.58% with an additional 20.9 Mt coming by end-2026
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 Though a plethora of speed breakers hit the aluminium industry in recent times, global primary aluminium operating capacity is set to rise sharply. SMM, through one of its recently held webinars, projects an increase of about 20.9 million tonnes by the end of 2026, taking total...
China's aluminium scrap prices retreat as sentiment cools
On February 11, for example, Mysteel assessed the average price for domestically-generated #6063 aluminium scrap in South China's Guangdong province at RMB 18,750 per tonne (USD 2,712 per tonne), lower by 3.6 per cent from the end of January. By the same day, China's composite primary aluminium...
97 tonnes in January: Sharp dip in Ukraine’s bauxite imports M-o-M amid geopolitical disruptions
As of January 2026, Ukraine has managed to expand its imports of aluminium ore of bauxite to 97 tonnes from 31 tonnes in the previous year. However, the m-o-m scenario speaks differently. The State Customs Service (SCS) released the import numbers for December on Tuesday, February 10, representing...
A 5-year high production of world alumina tells just the opposite story than primary metal – here’s the insider
The world alumina production in 2025 tells markedly different story thanprimary aluminium. While the primary metal clocked the weakest growth rate in recent years, alumina registered the strongest five-year leap. According to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the world alumina production...
China to lift domestic coal output to offset Indonesian supply crunch?
On February 9, the China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association (CCTDA) revised its forecast for China's coal imports during 2026 to 465 million tonnes, down from 480 million tonnes projected just three weeks earlier. The adjustment was mainly linked to Indonesia's newly-announced plan to...
Inside China’s automotive shift: Aluminium becoming integral to vehicle design with usage nearing 8MT
China’s aluminium sector is often discussed in terms of capacity expansions and production numbers. But another force is shaping the demand, that is the China’s automotive industry. As vehicles evolve, aluminium is becoming harder to replace, not because of policy pressure but because modern...
Macro front generally warmth contests inventory buildup reality, aluminium prices under pressure and fluctuating in the short term
Futures: SHFE aluminium closed at RMB 23,555 per tonne in the night session, down 0.08 per cent, with prices consolidating narrowly. It is currently above the MA5 (23,517) but suppressed by the MA10 (23,633), with short-term moving averages still in a bearish alignment; medium to long-term, it...
Aluminium-clad terminal defines MAD’s newly finished Lishui airport after 17 years
The wait comes to an end after 17 long years. With precise planning and construction, MAD Architects, in eastern China, has finally completed the Lishui Airport project. The project began back in 2008 and is located in a low mountain and foothill valley just southwest of Lishui city. The project...
US gallium strategy: A supply network to weaken China’s critical mineral monopoly
Gallium, an easy-to-melt critical mineral, has been emerging as a strategic resource in defence, semiconductor, and electric vehicle supply chains. At present, with the majority of gallium supply originating from China, the United States is motivated to accelerate efforts to diversify its sourcing....
As the Chinese New Year holiday approaches, market trading sentiment remains sluggish
SHFE aluminium 2602 contract fluctuated with small gains in the morning session, but the price centre edged down slightly compared with the previous trading day. Affected by the approaching Chinese New Year, overall market trading sentiment was weak, with mainstream transaction prices concentrated...
Global EV sales 2025: Volume expansion up 20%, but growth paths diverge sharply by regions
The 2025 global EV sales data point to a newly aligned market than even two years earlier. Growth is no longer limited by consumer acceptance or product availability. Instead, it is being rationed by three quantifiable constraints, such as entry price dispersion of more than EUR 20,000 (USD 23,600)...
