LME WEEK 2016: Commodities trading firm Levmet sets up London office

Privately-owned commodities trading firm Levmet has opened a new London office to help facilitate its growing trading activities.

The office marks the next stage of Levmet’s growth as it continues to expand into other complimentary products while recognising the vast pool of trading talent that exists in London, a spokesman for the company said.

“One area we are looking to focus on is forming partnerships with individual proprietary traders and niche commodities businesses who wish to accelerate their growth,” the spokesman added.

Non-ferrous and bulk commodities trader Levmet was formed in 2012 and is owned by management and a group of senior employees. The company actively trades on the London Metal Exchange with over $100 billion notional value of trading annually.

Levmet is led by Ashley Levett, who worked with Drexel Burnham Lambert before setting up his own trading company in the late 1980s. He also has worked with Holco Trading, a subsidiary of ED+F Man, where he was director responsible for all non-ferrous trading.

The Monaco-based company is both a futures and physical trader, primarily focused on metals and hard commodities including copper, iron ore, coal, steel, aluminium, zinc, nickel and other minor metals.

What to read next
The US aluminium industry is experiencing challenges related to tariffs, which have contributed to higher prices and premiums, raising questions about potential impacts on demand. Alcoa's CEO has noted that sustained high prices could affect the domestic market. While trade agreements might provide some relief, analysts expect premiums to remain elevated in the near term. However, aluminum demand is projected to grow over the long term, supported by the energy transition and clean energy projects. To meet this demand, the industry will need to increase production, restart idle smelters and address factors such as electricity costs and global competition.
Read Fastmarkets' monthly base metals market for May 2025 focusing on raw materials including copper, nickel aluminium, lead, zinc and tin.
The Mexico Metals Outlook 2025 conference explored challenges and opportunities in the steel, aluminum and scrap markets, focusing on tariffs, nearshoring, capacity growth and global trends.
China has launched a coordinated crackdown on the illegal export of strategic minerals under export control, such as antimony, gallium, germanium, tungsten and rare earths, the country’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday May 9.
Fastmarkets proposes to amend the frequency of Taiwan base metals prices from biweekly to monthly, and the delivery timing for the tin 99.99% ingot premium from two weeks to four weeks.
The US-China trade truce announced on May 12 has brought cautious optimism to China’s non-ferrous metals markets, signaling a possible shift in global trade. Starting May 14, the removal of additional tariffs has impacted sectors like battery raw materials, minor metals and base metals such as zinc and nickel, with mixed reactions. While the improved sentiment has lifted futures prices and trade activity, the long-term effects remain unclear due to challenges like supply-demand pressures and export controls.