China, US Begin Sixth Round of Economic and Trade Talks in Paris

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, held a bilateral meeting with Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ryosei Akazawa, on the sidelines of the Indo Pacific Energy Security Ministerial and Business Forum (IPEM) in Tokyo, Japan, March 15, 2026. A key outcome was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in two strategic areas: 1. Critical minerals (focusing on secure, sustainable supply chains for nickel, bauxite, lithium, rare earths, and others essential for batteries, EVs, and green tech). 2. Nuclear energy (covering technology transfer, human resource development, safety standards, regulatory alignment, and potential collaboration on small modular reactors or other advanced nuclear solutions).

[SMM Flash] Today, inventory of secondary aluminum alloy ingots in China’s major consumption hubs increased by 677 mt WoW from last Monday, with the inventory buildup mainly concentrated in Foshan and Ningbo.

In early March 2026, Qatalum—the 648,000-tonne-per-year primary aluminum smelter in Qatar, a 50/50 joint venture between Norsk Hydro and Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing Company initiated a controlled shutdown of production. The decision, effective from March 3, followed a warning from gas supplier QatarEnergy that natural gas deliveries would be fully suspended due to disruptions linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, including attacks on regional energy infrastructure.