ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 25/04: Copper up while other base metals fall; alumina prices hit fresh high; Freeport’s Indonesian unit faces permitting issue

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were broadly lower at the close of trading on Tuesday April 24, with aluminium and nickel continuing to drop while copper bucked the trend. Read more in our live futures report.

Here are how prices looked at Tuesday’s close:

Alumina prices set a fresh multiyear high on April 24, consolidating above $700 per tonne with no immediate respite in supply restrictions in the cards.

A new permitting issue has emerged at Freeport-McMoRan’s Indonesian unit following the introduction of new environmental requirements in April, the copper producer said on Tuesday.

Here are 10 key takeaways from Metal Bulletin’s and Industrial Minerals’ first Battery Materials conference in Shanghai on April 18-19.

Russian steelmaker Evraz has appointed Denis Novozhenov as vice president and head of the company’s Urals division.

Russia’s largest steelmaker, Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), recorded a 31% year-on-year increase in first-quarter earnings due to favorable pricing conditions and higher export volumes.