According to SMM data, the weighted average full cost of alumina refineries in China was 2,604 yuan/mt at the end of Q4 2021, a drop of 407 yuan/mt or 13.5% from the end of Q3 2021, but up 14.7% from the same period of 2020.

As of December 13, the bauxite prices with an alumina to silica ratio of 5.0 and an alumina content of 58% in Jinbei county of Shanxi stood at 400-450 yuan/mt (including value-added tax (VAT), excluding resource tax) on a delivery to factory basis.

The daily fluctuations of spot aluminium prices were less than 200 yuan/mt last week, while aluminium scrap prices climbed 200 yuan/mt due to falling supply. Aluminium recycling from waste end products declined in H2 due to poor consumption.

SMM believes that the supply of aluminium scrap will turn to surplus, and the import of unwrought aluminium alloy will decline in 2022.

Recently, the market has begun to discuss the impact of aluminium scrap on primary aluminium consumption next year. However, the impact of aluminium scrap on primary aluminium will not be as significant as imagined. It also has many limitations.

Shanghai base metal fell across the board on Thursday morning amid the sluggish transaction on the last trading day before the National Day long holiday. Meanwhile, their counterparts on LME trended mixed.

Power rationing has been staying in the spotlight of the market for quite some time, but the current massive power rationing policy does not come out of nowhere. Nonetheless, the policy has brought great influences, temporary or far-reaching, to the whole metals industry. Here is a brief and comprehensive summary of the policy and its impacts on individual metals.

Shanghai base metals mostly fell after Fed’s hawkish statements and amid the weakened demand before the China’s National Day holiday. Meanwhile, their counterparts on LME basically fell as well.

Shanghai base metals mostly trended higher on Friday morning amid slumping US dollar and eased market concerns about the default of Evergrande. Meanwhile, their counterparts on LME performed similarly.

SMM data showed that China's social inventories of aluminium across eight consumption areas rose 23,000 mt on the week to 789,000 mt as of September 23.