SMM: Alumina price gain halt for the first time in over three months; ingot pricing opens with a mixed trend

After three months of continuous upheaval in alumina's pricing at the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), today, on December 09, the crystalline substance's price ultimately remained unfazed.

Image Courtesy: Flickr (Jorge Sá)

Alumina price trend

Both the average price and the provincial prices remained the same as the previous week's closing prices after a whopping gain of over 46 per cent Q-o-Q. On Friday, December 6, the average price of alumina tended towards maintaining stability without any massive rise. The average price of alumina gained RMB 10 per tonne in SMM and towered at RMB 5,757 per tonne. Whereas on September 9, 2024, the average price of alumina, as listed on the SMM market, was close to 2000 bucks lower at RMB 3938 per tonne.

Prices in the provinces since September have also seen massive changes, especially in two regions — Lianyungang and Bayuquan where the price stands highest among all at RMB 6,200 per tonne with a mammoth gain of over 55 per cent Q-o-Q.

Primary aluminium ingot pricing

The price of a00 primary aluminium ingot, on the other hand, has added some bucks to its previous pricing. The first week of December closed with the metal's average pricing being listed at RMB 20,400 per tonne, and on Monday, as the week commenced, the pricing gained a further RMB 10, finally towering at RMB 20,410 per tonne.

The spot contract is set to be traded on December 9 at premium pricing, with a premium of RMB 0-40 per tonne and an average of RMB 20 per tonne.

The average A00 aluminium ingot pricing had a mix of ups and downs in most of the provinces, with prices depicted as RMB 20,280 per tonne in Gongyi where there was no change, RMB 20,390 per tonne (+20) in Foshan, RMB 20,360 per tonne (-40) in Wuxi, RMB 20,410 per tonne (-10) in Hangzhou, and RMB RMB 20,390 per tonne in Chongqing also without any change to the previous day's price. The a00 aluminium ingot pricing in the provinces of Shenyang, Tianjin and Linyi this time stood at 20,440 per tonne (+90), RMB 20,430 per tonne (+10), and RMB 20,340 per tonne (+20), respectively. The price range in the provinces has varied on Monday between RMB 20,280 per tonne to RMB 20,450 per tonne.

Other pricings

Neither the prices of secondary aluminium ingot nor high purity aluminium ingot prices have seen any further change as compared to the market price listing on December 6. Only low-carbon primary aluminium ingot gained an additional RMB 21 per tonne, reaching a cumulative average of RMB 21,440 per tonne.