SHFE Aluminum 2608 Contract Declines, Market Trading Activity Increases

[SMM Aluminum Alloy Flash] This week, China's social inventory of cast aluminum alloy ingots rose to 25,500 mt, up 1,500 mt WoW, ending ten consecutive weeks of destocking and turning to inventory buildup. The market was still in the high-temperature off-season, with weak downstream demand and sluggish shipments; meanwhile, the spot-futures price spread weakened during the week and futures remained at a premium, boosting spot-futures traders' willingness to buy on dips and driving warehouse inflows higher. Given that demand has yet to recover visibly and spot-futures buying has increased only temporarily, social inventory is still expected to face some inventory buildup pressure in the near term, with inventory likely to continue edging up thereafter.

India-based Jaya Hind Industries (JHI) plans to invest INR 6 billion (INR 600 crore) over FY2026-27 to FY2027-28 to expand its High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) and Gravity Die Casting (GDC) capabilities. The investment will cover its Akurdi and Urse facilities in Pune and Chennai, including a new manufacturing facility in Chennai and more than 12 new HPDC machines ranging from 1,200 to 3,500 tonnes. JHI will also expand precision machining, heat treatment, impregnation and powder-coating capabilities as demand for larger and more complex aluminium castings continues to grow.