An ongoing disruption to trade via the Red Sea and recent strength in some Asian markets are providing support to aluminium premiums across Europe, despite a continued period of low regional demand, participants have told Fastmarkets

Aluminium and nickel appear to have once again escaped inclusion in the latest list of sanctions imposed by western governments on Russia, ending days of speculation that increased both the prices and the traded volumes of the metals.

Fastmarkets’ 2024 outlook for key raw materials and ingredients used in the production and distribution of fast-moving consumer goods

Weak demand continues to stem profitability and prevent capacity return in the European aluminium market, Norsk Hydro’s chief executives told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview on Wednesday February 14.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ rand fixing prices for LME trade for Monday February 12 were delayed due to a technical issue.

The copper concentrate market was already tight, but the addition of major new smelting capacity this year – starting with the expansion of Freeport’s Gresik smelter in Indonesia — will likely mean maintenance breaks, capacity curtailments and potentially even closures while operating costs start to become untenable, Fastmarkets understands.

Major aluminium producers Alcoa, Rio Tinto and Century Aluminum have been accused of pocketing vast sums of money from the sale of aluminium products to the beverage industry in the US at inflated prices – and of potentially colluding to do so

A US Congressman has alleged that aluminium producers including Alcoa, Century Aluminum and Rio Tinto have engaged in anti-competitive price collusion by not offering duty-free aluminium to buyers in the country’s beverage industry

Global primary aluminium premiums were mixed during the week to Tuesday February 7, mostly affected by weak spot demand and low activity in parts of Asia and in Brazil, while some markets remained supported amid growing tightness

China's aluminium industry has increased the development pace of green-power aluminium in recent years, by using more green power for electrolytic aluminium production to reduce carbon emission and also by actively pushing forward differentiation of the metal from its non-green-power counterpart