According to reports by foreign media on April 21, five sources directly involved in pricing negotiations said that some Japanese aluminium buyers have agreed to pay premiums of $125/mt and $130/mt for primary aluminium shipped from April to June to global producers, up 45-53% from the previous quarter.
This was higher than the premium of $85-86/mt in the January-March quarter and the first quarterly premium rise in six years, but was still on par with or lower than the $125-145/mt that producers initially offered.
Japan, Asia's biggest importer of aluminium, agrees to pay a quarterly premium for primary aluminium above spot prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME), a pricing benchmark for the region.
