Danantara to Break Ground on Six Downstream Projects, Including Bauxite-to-Alumina in West Kalimantan

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Exlabesa plans a €40M investment in its Soure plant (Coimbra region, Portugal) under "Exlabesa Coimbra 2030". The 2022-opened facility (10,000 m², 16,000 t/year) will triple to 30,000 m² and boost capacity to 45,000 t/year. It adds three new extrusion presses (one 12-inch/45 MN), a modern coating line, and Industry 4.0 tech for advanced aluminum profiles in naval, defense, and mobility sectors. Recycled aluminum use rises from 60% to 90%, cutting carbon footprint via optimization and recovery. The project aims to make Coimbra a European aluminum hub and create 300 jobs.

[SMM Aluminum Morning Meeting Minutes: SHFE Aluminum Fluctuates and Pulls Back to Close Lower in Night Session, Short-Term Aluminum Prices Maintain Consolidation] Overall, the short-term volatility risks in the SHFE aluminum and nonferrous metals markets have intensified significantly. Subsequent prices may still be affected by factors such as the US Fed's policy shift, and the possibility of further amplified fluctuations cannot be ruled out. It is essential to closely monitor market dynamics and changes in regulatory policies, conduct transactions rationally and compliantly, and prudently control positions and risks.

[SMM Cast Aluminum Alloy Morning Comment: SHFE Aluminum Edged Down in Night Session, Erasing Daytime Gains] Spot market-wise, A00 aluminum price rebounded sharply by 470 yuan/mt from the previous trading day to 23,760 yuan/mt, while SMM ADC12 price rose by 150 yuan/mt to 23,800 yuan/mt. Futures showed a notable rebound, but secondary aluminum alloy plants' offers diverged: some enterprises raised their offers by 200 yuan/mt following the market trend, basically recovering the previous day's losses; others, constrained by weak orders, kept their offers stable for now. With aluminum prices rebounding, market procurement sentiment improved slightly compared to earlier, but downstream buyers still mainly made just-in-time procurement. On the supply side, approaching the Chinese New Year holiday, affected by reduced orders and environmental protection-related controls, some secondary aluminum alloy plants have arranged early holidays, with staggered production halts expected to start from the 5th, and the overall holiday duration is longer than the same period in previous years. Overall, downstream demand continues to shrink, and fundamental support for prices is marginally weakening; secondary aluminum alloy prices are expected to hover at highs in the short term.