SHANGHAI, Jun. 7 (SMM) – Prices for aluminum fluoride, supplementary material in aluminum smelting, fell for the first time since September 2016 as the off-season is nearing, and prices for cryolite, another supplementary material, also dropped, SMM learned. 

Aluminum fluoride prices inched down from 9,200-9,400 yuan/tonne in May to 9,000-9,200 yuan/tonne in June, while cryolite prices also slid from 6,300-6,500 yuan/tonne to 6,000-6,200 yuan/tonne. 

The traditional off-season for aluminum fluoride and cryolite usually arrives in July. Demand softened only slightly for now. 

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Prices for fluorite, raw material for both aluminum fluoride and cryolite, by contrast, gained 100 yuan/tonne in June thanks to still strong demand. 

Most fluorine chemical producers believe aluminum fluoride prices could hold onto 9,000 yuan/tonne level in June and will not fall below this mark until July. 

Demand from aluminum smelters is weakening. Fluorite prices are expected to lose upward momentum due to growing supply from production restarts at fluorite plants in north China. These will put downward pressure on aluminum fluoride and cryolite prices, SMM expects. 

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