US aluminum export prices continue to diverge based on destination and global supply chain factors. The market has lost some of its nimbleness, taking longer to react to changes in such uncertain times.
Pricing for segregated alloy peeled back slightly this week on lower demand from Japan. However, standard ISRI packages of Taint/Tabor, and Tense inched up on tighter supply, while the Zorba grades lost ground over the week.
The weekly Davis Index for 95/2 Zorba ticked down by 1.8¢/lb to 37.3¢/lb fas US ports and decreased by 0.3¢/lb for 99/3 Zorba to 41.5¢/lb fas US port on Thursday.
The index for Taint/Tabor increased by 1.8¢/lb to 41.8¢/lb fas US ports and was higher for Tense at 43.2¢/lb fas US port, better by 1.9¢/lb.
The index for aluminum-copper radiators decreased by 0.3¢/lb, to $1.202/lb on recent drops in the Comex market from its peak in June.
The official three-month LME aluminum contract increased by $2/mt to close Thursday at $1,608/mt from $1,606/mt on June 11.
Rumors continue to swirl around the release of China’s reclassification for scrap into reusable raw material. However, an official announcement is still pending despite the impending deadline of July 1.
Some market participants who move material into China under the current CCIC protocols believe the date to launch the new classification will be postponed to September 1 because of the fear in China of further disruptions to the supply chain and the country’s ability to procure the material they need in a short supply environment.