Tag: Midwest premium

Despite our concern that last weekend's doomed US-Canada trade talks would unsettle sentiment, most markets shrugged off the impasse and instead held up fairly well.

And there certainly was no shortage of things to talk about. Tariffs, geopolitics, domestic production trends, data center construction, and scrap availability were just some of the topics getting the spotlight.

The breakdown in the US-Canada talks underscores one of the least talked about problems with tariffs. Imposing them is relatively easy (provided they are not overturned by the courts). But when it comes to removing them? A number of industries have grown accustomed to the protection tariffs afford. They will fight tooth and nail to keep them in place. Politicians usually buckle under this backlash, and we suspect this is what happened here.

Century Aluminum completed its Mt. Holly restart in Q2, but shipments remained nearly flat as added production moves into the second half.

The first half of 2026 has been turbulent for the aluminum market, with the Iran war sparking the largest supply shock in the history of the industry, CRU Group said.

Aluminum prices retreated as markets priced a return to Middle East stability, but shipping attacks, military strikes and LME indicators suggest that assumption may have outpaced events.

LME aluminum prices, prompt premiums and the US Midwest Premium have moved lower in June, while exchange inventories continue to decline and remain near five-year lows.

AMU's May survey results showed higher obsolete scrap availability as respondents continued reporting elevated freight costs and UBC price expectations moderated.

Global shipping volatility is tightening its grip on metal supply chains. And the risks are not easing; in fact, they’re escalating, according to Anton Posner, CEO of Mercury Resources.

The LME price for aluminum spiked at the start of the US/Israel war on Iran and has lately hovered around $3,400-$3,600 per ton, not yet breaching $4,000.