Tag: Primary aluminum

December survey data showed lead times rising across aluminum products even as respondents reported steadier conditions.

The Midwest premium has risen beyond replacement economics, driven by thin liquidity, depleted US inventories, slow import response, and limited near-term substitutes - raising questions about sustainability and forward risk.

An explainer on how aluminum options function as price insurance, outlining common strategies and practical use cases for producers and consumers.

As aluminum markets head into 2026, LME prices appear structurally supported while the Midwest premium looks increasingly risky and politically distorted, forcing buyers and sellers to hedge very differently.

“The global economy as we knew it for many years has gone and we have this sort of selective global economy – markets into markets.”

Recent swings in aluminum supply-demand balances reveal the practical gap between accuracy and precision, showing how real smelter disruptions can upend even the most carefully constructed forecasts.

Massimo Grifone, commercial director of Cauvin Metals, will be the featured speaker on the next Aluminum Market Update (AMU) Community Chat webinar.

November's AMU survey shows broad easing in aluminum lead times across sheet and extrusion products, contrasted by a modest uptick in P1020 that illustrates the split between contract-anchored primary markets and the more dynamic semi-fabricated segment.

Massimo Grifone, director of Cauvin Metals, will be the featured speaker on the next Aluminum Market Update Community Chat on Thursday, Dec. 4. The live webinar is free for anyone to attend.

This piece examines how U.S. and EU tariff structures are encouraging new forms of arbitrage and potential circumvention.