US secondary aluminum alloys prices delivered US consumers increased further on Friday for all grades as secondary smelters continue to benefit from better global automotive demand and Chinese smelters’ absence.
The weekly Davis Index for A380.1 increased by 1.6¢/lb to 78.1¢/lb delivered US consumer on Friday while A360.1 trended up by 0.8¢/lb to 87.6¢/lb delivered. A413.1 moved up by a penny to 88.7¢/lb delivered US consumers.
The three-month LME aluminum contract closed Friday at $1,740/mt, down $6/mt from $1,746/mt on Sep 25.
The prices for secondary aluminum alloys have also benefited from the support of the LME over the week. Strong sales in the spot market continue to support the increase in the index for secondary alloys. Smelters though are concerned about some of the dormant Chinese smelter capacity coming online after the Asian nation released scrap import quotas, allowing for more aluminum into the country. However, suppliers are currently unwilling to risk shipments into China when scrap markets are robust in other Asian nations.