AMU Community Chat: Meir on the Midwest premium, tariffs, and the 2026 outlook

The Midwest premium has surged since June, reaching record highs this year after President Trump enacted 50% tariffs on the metal.

Now hovering in the mid-to-upper 80¢ per pound range, Edward Meir, a commodities analyst and contributor to AMU, said the rise has been “quite a shock.” While imports of aluminum have slowed, they haven’t stopped. The import tax makes up about 60¢ of the premium.