Concentrated east China arrivals, slow rebound in SHFE aluminum spot premiums [SMM Aluminum Spot Midday Review]

Published: Aug 19, 2026 17:55 (GMT+8)

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SMM, August 19:

The center of SHFE aluminum 2609 contract futures moved lower today compared with the same period yesterday. Continued arrivals in east China fueled active selling sentiment, making it difficult for spot discounts in the region to narrow significantly. Today, spot premiums for A00 aluminum ingot were transacted at discounts of 40 yuan/mt to parity.

SHFE aluminum futures pulled back, but trading sentiment in the central China market remained sluggish. With the deepening off-season, buying sentiment among downstream processing enterprises stayed low. Against the backdrop of falling aluminum prices, suppliers showed a strong willingness to hold prices firm, but overall trading volume was low. Ultimately, the actual transaction price range in the central China market centered around discounts of 90-120 yuan/mt against the SHFE aluminum 09 contract.

On the inventory side, aluminum ingot inventory in major consumption areas increased by 1,000 mt MoM today, with only Wuxi showing an inventory buildup.

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