Aluminium Supply Chain
Trafigura’s aluminium buying adds to LME supply squeeze as stocks hit 36-year low
Commodity trader Trafigura has built significant long positions in London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium futures, adding to pressure in a market facing its tightest supply conditions in decades. The purchases are understood to aim to secure physical aluminium, as exchange inventories have fallen to their lowest level since 1990. LME aluminium stocks currently stand at 226,350 tonnes. At the same time, the premium for contracts due for delivery in the near term over those with later delivery dates has reached its highest level in decades. Several large long positions are also in place ahead of the November contract's expiry. Although these positions are not at record levels, they are substantial compared with the metal available in LME warehouses. Explore the production, demand and...
Low social inventory of aluminium ingots in China and ex-China persists, leaving limited room for a deep decline in aluminium prices
Futures: SHFE aluminium closed at RMB 22,530 per tonne, rebounding 1.1 per cent. Despite the positive close, prices remained under pressure below all key moving averages (MA5=22,727, MA60=23,633), with the medium-term bearish alignment intact. MACD indicator lines (DIF=-244.16, DEA=-188.68) operated below the zero axis, but the green bars narrowed significantly to -110.96 (previous day -150.62), indicating a marked weakening of bearish momentum and initial signs of a technical bottom divergence repair. Trading volume expanded to 101,500 lots, suggesting capital inflows at the bottom. The recommended core trading range for SHFE aluminium is 22,000-22,800. LME aluminium closed at USD 3,078.5 per tonne, surging 2.02 per cent. Prices rebounded strongly, reclaiming MA5 (3,061.5), MA10...
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
LEARN MOREAL Circle Analysis: Scrap in EU, Thailand, 25%Trimet CO₂ cut, India’s 16.3tCO2 gap draw aluminium supply chain
AL Circle Analysis: 278% China-US FRP rise, $692m Germany-France FRP trade, India’s 300m-can gap draw aluminium map
AL Circle Analysis: Alumina prices fall 22%, Ghana advances bauxite projects & global aluminium production rises 2.1%
Global alumina production remains below 2025 levels despite a Q3 rebound, reaching 114 million tonnes in 9M2026
Germany-France aluminium FRP trade 2026 at $692m: Two-way exchange of coil, sheet, foil and high-value products
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LME aluminium cash offer price jumps 2.76% to $3,223.5/t as global supply squeeze tightens market
LME aluminium prices strengthened across cash, three-month and December 27 contracts on November 11, 2026, as declining exchange inventories and constraints on immediate metal availability continued to support the market. The cash offer price rose 2.76 per cent to USD 3,223.5 per tonne , compared with USD 3,137 per tonne on November 10. The cash bid price also increased by 2.81 per cent, reaching USD 3,223 per tonne from USD 3,135 per tonne in the previous session. The LME aluminium three-month bid price advanced 1.22 per cent to USD 3,062 per tonne from USD 3,025 per tonne, while the corresponding offer price climbed 1.22 per cent to USD 3,064 per tonne from USD 3,027 per tonne. Similarly, the December 27 bid price rose 0.96 per cent to USD 2,930 per tonne, compared with USD 2,902 per...
The US-Canada aluminum deal could put European buyers under pressure as imports shift
A potential easing of trade tensions between the United States and Canada could reshape the North American aluminum market, with European buyers facing the risk of stronger competition for Canadian metal. Import data from ITC Trade Map shows that US purchases of Canadian unwrought aluminum fell sharply in 2025, while imports from Canada increased across six European markets, highlighting how trade flows have evolved amid tariff uncertainty. The United States imported approximately 2.03 million metric tons of unwrought aluminum from Canada in 2025, down 25.9% from 2.74 million metric tons in 2024. The decline amounted to around 711,494 metric tons over the year. Import value also decreased, falling 22.2% from $7.82 billion to $6.09 billion. The figures come as the possibility of a...
India's aluminium market gains momentum as demand reaches 1.735 million tonnes
India's aluminium market is expected to record stronger demand in the second quarter of FY2026-27, with consumption estimated to reach 1.735 million tonnes, a 6 per cent increase from the corresponding period last year, according to Hindalco Industries Ltd. Growth is being driven primarily by demand from the automotive and electrical sectors, highlighting the expanding role of aluminium across key industrial applications. Hindalco's Q2 FY2027 presentation estimates Indian aluminium demand at 1.735 million tonnes, compared with 1.643 million tonnes in Q2 FY2026. The latest estimate also represents a recovery from the 1.427 million tonnes recorded in Q1 FY2027. Domestic aluminium supply and imports increase Domestic primary aluminium supply is estimated at 735,000 tonnes in Q2 FY2027,...
Sampat Aluminium revenue rises to ₹1,250m as one-off gain lifts profit
Sampat Aluminium Limited reported a net profit of INR 47.4 million (USD 502,121) for the half year ended September 30, 2026, supported by a non-recurring gain of INR 57.1 million (USD 604,875) from the sale of old plant and machinery. The company's revenue from operations increased to INR 1,250.9 million (USD 13.25 million) from INR 811.4 million (USD 8.60 million) in the corresponding period last year. However, its profit before exceptional items and tax declined significantly, highlighting the impact of the machinery sale on reported earnings. The company's profit before exceptional items and tax stood at INR 5.887 million (USD 62,363), compared with INR 62.5 million (USD 662,079) in the first half of the previous financial year. After including the exceptional gain, profit before tax...
Macro sentiment in a tug-of-war between longs and shorts, destocking slowdown, aluminium prices consolidate
The most-traded SHFE aluminium 2612 contract closed at RMB 23,280 per tonne, down RMB 85 or 0.36 per cent from the previous trading day's settlement price. It opened at RMB 23,375 per tonne during the day and fluctuated within a range of RMB 23,250-23,445 per tonne. Prices traded below the MA5 (23,386.00), MA10 (23,300.00), MA30 (23,570.00), and MA60 (23,778.00) moving averages, weakening again after a rebound and showing a consolidating-on-a-subdued-note structure, with the moving averages above forming key resistance pressure. The MACD DIF (-121.7235) remained above the DEA (-168.5361), with the MACD red bar at 93.6251, indicating some convergence in bearish momentum. The core trading range for SHFE aluminium is suggested at RMB 23,000-23,600 per tonne. The LME aluminium 3M contract...
India makes the aluminium. So why is it unable to make enough Diet Coke cans?
India's Diet Coke shortage in 2026 exposed an unexpected weakness in the country's aluminium industry. Despite being the world's second-largest primary aluminium producer, India struggled to ensure adequate supplies of aluminium cans when disruptions to Middle Eastern shipping affected imports of specialised can-sheet material. The episode highlighted a structural gap in the domestic aluminium value chain: producing the metal is one thing, but converting it into higher-value finished products is another. The shortage emerged during the summer drinking season, when Diet Coke became increasingly difficult to find on Indian shelves. Quick-commerce platforms reported limited availability as shipping disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict affected aluminium supplies through the Strait...
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