SHFE Aluminum Fluctuated at Highs, Spot Premiums Were Flat on the Last Trading Day [SMM Spot Aluminum Midday Commentary]

Published: Aug 17, 2026 14:32 (GMT+8)

Save

SMM News on August 17:

In the morning session, the SHFE aluminum 2608 contract continued to trade at elevated levels. Today was the last trading day for the SHFE aluminum 2608 contract, and the price spread between near-month contracts was contango 20-contango 50 yuan/mt. Today, spot premiums for SHFE aluminum were mainly transacted in the range of 09-10 yuan/mt to 09+10 yuan/mt. Today, the east China market’s shipment sentiment index was 3.15, up 0.01 WoW; the procurement sentiment index was 3.4, up 0.06 WoW.

Today, aluminum futures rebounded slightly again. As it was also the first day of the week, downstream processing enterprises in the central China market showed low stockpiling sentiment, and overall procurement sentiment fell WoW from last Friday, with the market’s overall trading atmosphere remaining sluggish. Ultimately, the actual transaction price range in the central China market hovered around a discount of 90-110 yuan/mt against the SHFE aluminum 09 contract. Today, the central China market’s shipment sentiment index was 3.09, unchanged WoW; the procurement sentiment index was 2.9, down 0.07 WoW.

Inventory side, today aluminum ingot inventory in major consumption areas decreased by 500 mt WoW, with only Gongyi showing an inventory buildup.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

9 hours ago

Domestic Aluminum Ingot Accumulation After National Day Holiday Expected to Be Moderate and Controllable

head of the National Day holiday, domestic aluminum ingot inventories continued to set fresh year-to-date lows. According to SMM statistics, as of September 30, electrolytic aluminum ingot inventories in China's major consuming regions stood at 638,000 mt, down 36,000 mt from Monday and 40,000 mt from last Thursday. The pace of pre-holiday destocking was relatively fast overall, leaving ample buffer for inventory accumulation during the holiday...

9 hours ago

China's Petroleum Coke Imports Surge in August 2026, US Dominates Market

Looking ahead, the boost to imports from stockpiling in advance for the September-October peak season has already materialized, and with rising freight costs and recovering domestic supply, imports are expected to pull back in September-October.

9 hours ago

South China A00 Aluminum Ingot Premium Expected to Ease from Highs After National Day Holiday

In the final three trading days before the National Day holiday, the South China spot market stayed soft: aluminum prices continued to edge lower, the SHFE aluminum backwardation structure strengthened, and premiums over the next-month and far-month contracts were actually elevated. Ahead of the holiday, the willingness to cash out at the high basis was strong, and amid ongoing destocking, discount-priced cargoes still dominated spot circulation;...

9 hours ago