ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 14/09: Ali execs advocate for dialogue on Chinese overcapacity; Analysts bullish on ali for 2019, with or without Rusal; Assurance review of MB benchmark prices completed

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday September 14.

Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange held steady at the close of trading on Thursday September 13, with the complex maintaining its midweek price gains amid a continued downturn in the United States dollar index. Read more in our live futures report.

Here are how prices looked at the close of trading:

A global dialogue will do more to resolve Chinese aluminium overcapacity than tariffs, industry executives said at Metal Bulletin’s 33rd International Aluminium conference in Berlin.  

Meanwhile, analysts who spoke at the conference have a bullish outlook for aluminium prices in 2019, regardless of whether the US Department of the Treasury’s sanctions against UC Rusal Plc are resolved before the October 23 deadline.

An external assurance review of some of Metal Bulletin’s benchmark prices has been competed by independent professional services company PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Sales of Chinese automobiles declined for a second month in a row in August, dampening expectations for hot- and cold-rolled coil steel demand. 

Shanghai copper premiums have jumped 13% in two weeks amid the continuing US-China trade war.

Triland Metals has appointed Vaseem Karbhari as head of ferrous sales and marketing. He will join the company’s London office in mid-September.

What to read next
The publication of Fastmarkets’ assessments for nickel 4x4 cathode, nickel briquette and nickel uncut cathode premiums in-whs Rotterdam was delayed on Tuesday July 16 because of a reporter error.
Fastmarkets has corrected its alumina index inferred prices, which were published incorrectly on Tuesday July 15.
The United States' copper recycling industry is ramping up pressure on policymakers to impose some form of export controls on high-purity copper scrap, arguing that current trade dynamics – particularly with China – are distorting prices, weakening domestic capacity and undermining national security goals.
Fastmarkets launched two new price assessments for Indonesia’s domestic trade in nickel ore on Tuesday July 15. The two price assessments are for domestic trades of Indonesian laterite ores with 1.6% and 1.2% nickel content. Indonesia now accounts for 60% of the global nickel supplies and while there is an official government reference price, known […]
US copper scrap market participants are shifting from COMEX to LME pricing in response to extreme price volatility and a new 50% copper import tariff. The change is influencing discount formulas, export strategies and long-term trading dynamics across the sector.
The proposal follows preliminary discussions with the market and internal analysis of price usage, which suggests low market liquidity and a lack of demand. Specifically, Fastmarkets is proposing to discontinue: MB-CU-0410 Copper rod premium, ddp Midwest US, US cents/lbQuality: Purity of 99.95-99.99%. Thicknesses of 8 millimeters or 0.3125 inchesQuantity: Min 25,000 poundsLocation: Delivered US MidwestUnit: US […]