LME price plunges further below $… per mton; US extruders shifting tactics as demand contraction extends

1. LME price down 2.4% amid fresh evidence of demand contraction in the US and China; a medium-term bearish trend remains in place targeting $… per mton.

2. SHFE aluminum prices hover around the low end of their trading range.

3. ALERT! – US BILLET. CONTRACTION BITES: Most US extruders shift tactics as contraction in extrusion demand extends.

4. UPDATE! – WORLD SMELTING PRODUCTION COST. World’s median aluminum smelting costs stabilize amid rising key Chinese input prices.

For more details on world aluminum smelting cost trends and figures, subscribe to HARBOR’s “Aluminum Smelting Cost” report.

5. LME Cash-3M contango yield rises above… % (annualized), as metal availability increases further.