ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 05/06: Base metals rise, tin defies trend; global solution needed to solve aluminium overcapacity after 232; Québec vows to help Canadian aluminium sector maintain employment levels

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday June 5.

Base metals on the London Metal Exchange ended trading mostly higher on Monday June 4, with tin the only metal to trade negatively amid strong performances in three-month copper, lead and nickel prices. Read more in our live futures report.

Here are how prices looked at the close of trading:

global solution is needed to combat global aluminium overcapacity in the wake of the Section 232 tariffs instituted by US President Donald Trump, according to trade experts who gathered in Montreal for a pre-G7 conference.

During the same conference, the deputy premier of Quebec said that the region will support the Canadian aluminium industry in efforts to preserve jobs following the implementation of tariffs by the US.

The North American division of the China National Certification and Inspection Group (CCIC) will resume inspections of scrap shipments following the end of a one-month suspension, CCIC said on June 1.

CME Group aluminium premium futures saw an uptick in volume in May in reaction to the US sanctions on Russian companies owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska – which includes UC Rusal Plc.

Russian flat-rolled steel prices have slipped due to poor demand, following repeated rises since January.

Cobalt prices continued to fall during the second half of last week, and prices for high- and low-grade material converging amid continuing profit-taking and slower demand from consumers.

What to read next
There has been a freefall in copper concentrates treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) this year amid tighter supply in the market. In 2025, supply tightness is projected to keep copper concentrates TC/RCs low on average for the whole year, sources told Fastmarkets.
The publication of Fastmarkets’ Shanghai copper premiums on Monday December 23 were delayed because of a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of the publication of several US base metal price assessments to a monthly basis, including MB-PB-0006 lead 99.97% ingot premium, ddp Midwest US; MB-SN-0036 tin 99.85% premium, in-whs Baltimore; MB-SN-0011 tin 99.85% premium, ddp Midwest US; MB-NI-0240 nickel 4x4 cathode premium, delivered Midwest US and MB-NI-0241 nickel briquette premium, delivered Midwest US.
The news that President-elect Donald Trump is considering additional tariffs on goods from China as well as on all products from US trading partners Canada and Mexico has spurred alarm in the US aluminium market at a time that is usually known to be calm.
Unlike most other commodities, cobalt is primarily a by-product – with 60% derived from copper and 38% from nickel – so how will changes in those markets change the picture for cobalt in the coming months following a year of price weakness and oversupply in 2024?
Copper recycling will become increasingly critical as the world transitions to cleaner energy systems, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a special report published early this week.