Aluminum Falls to Year-to-Date Low
2026-10-14 10:44
By
Andre Joaquim
1 min. read
Aluminum futures in the UK fell to $3,020 per tonne in October, the lowest level year-to-date, fully erasing the rally since the start of the war between Iran and the US amid a stronger dollar and ample supply outside the Middle East.
Aluminum smelting infrastructure in the Middle East was restarted at a faster pace than previously signaled following damage to facilities and operational halts caused by disruptions to natural gas production chains in the region.
Emirates Global Aluminium said that a quarter of its Al Taweelah smelter in Abu Dhabi had resumed operations.
In addition, Rio Tinto secured an agreement to keep its Bell Bay Aluminium smelter in Tasmania operational through the end of 2031, further boosting supply prospects.
Also, China's exports have increased sharply in the period despite the 30% export duty faced by primary aluminum smelters, which drives secondary producers to focus on foreign markets.
Alloy export volumes doubled y-o-y to 4.46 million tons through August.