Weekly US aluminum scrap export prices moved up on Thursday in tandem with LME Aluminium prices and stronger domestic demand.
Congestion at ports as well as the containers shortage continues to hamper sales and demand from Southeast Asia is subdued due to building inventories and a quiet secondary ingot market. Still, Mexico has matched pace with domestic prices for its share of US scrap, mostly sold across the Texas border. Some sellers noted that freight costs, which have gone up by 40-50pc since January are also impacting the market.
The official LME Aluminium cash price settled Thursday at $2,192/mt (99.4¢/lb), up by $52.50/mt from Mar 11.
The weekly Davis Index for zorba 95/2 rose by 1.8¢/lb to 74.3¢/lb fas US port while zorba 99/3 increased by a cent to 74.5¢/lb fas.
Taint/Tabor rose by 1.8¢/lb to 71.3¢/lb fas US port while Tense settled up by 2.2¢/lb at 68¢/lb fas. The LME-sensitive 6063 new, bare scrap jumped 3¢/lb to 86.5¢/lb fas while A356 wheels increased by 1.6¢/lb to 84.8¢/lb fas US ports.