[Weekly Review of Aluminum Scrap and Secondary Aluminum]Pre-Holiday Stockpiling Fell Through, Supply and Demand in Secondary Aluminum Market Both Remained Weak

[SMM Aluminum Weekly Review: Geopolitical Premium Recedes, Coupled with Hawkish US Fed, Aluminum Prices Fall Under Pressure Both at Home and Abroad]

[Destocking Logic Continues to Materialize, Macro Pressure Caps Aluminum Price Upside] SMM maintains its forecast that inventory will fall to around 1.28 million mt by late June, and is expected to further approach 1.2 million mt by end‑June/early July, providing some support for aluminum prices. However, China’s high inventory pressure remains relatively evident, and with the current bearish macro sentiment dominating the market, domestic aluminum prices will mainly fluctuate in consolidation in the short term.

[Geopolitical Risk Premium Exits Market, Aluminum Prices Under Short-Term Pressure and Volatility] On the macro front, the US and Iran have completed signing an electronic MOU. Expectations of geopolitical easing continue to materialize, market panic over the Middle East conflict continues to fade, and the geopolitical risk premium for commodities has weakened significantly. US May CPI rose 4.2% YoY, hitting a three-year high, while core CPI also strengthened. The market continues to bet on the Fed restarting rate hikes within the year, and expectations of tightening liquidity continue to suppress metal valuations. On the fundamentals side, the Middle East conflict caused involuntary production cuts in overseas aluminum capacity. Expectations of a global supply deficit continue to widen, and coupled with expectations of rising energy costs, this provides strong bottom support for LME aluminum. China’s inventory destocking trend has been established, and the destocking logic continues to be realized. The rebound in the proportion of liquid aluminum, support from export demand, and supply normalization compressing aluminum ingot formation—these three fundamental factors jointly drive the continuation of destocking. SMM maintains its forecast that inventory will fall to around 1.28 million mt by late June, and may further approach 1.2 million mt by end-June/early July, bringing some support to aluminum prices. However, the pressure from high domestic inventory remains relatively pronounced. Coupled with the currently bearish macro sentiment dominating the market, short-term domestic aluminum prices are mainly in the doldrums, with volatile adjustments.

[SMM Aluminum Alloy Daily Review] The SMM ADC12 average price was reported at 24,100 yuan/mt today, down 100 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. During the day, both aluminum futures and aluminum prices weakened, dragging on the ADC12 price to some extent. However, structural issues such as tight tax invoices and difficulties in purchasing compliant aluminum scrap have not eased, keeping enterprises' production costs under continuous pressure and providing some support to spot ADC12 prices. Overall, the current ADC12 market presents a pattern of "strong cost support, weak demand follow-up". In the short term, the downside room for prices is limited, but there is also a lack of sufficient driving force for an upward breakout. Prices are expected to move sideways.

[Geopolitical easing combined with manufacturing slowdown exert dual suppression, SHFE and LME aluminum prices plunge significantly] SMM maintains its forecast that inventory will drop to around 1.28 million mt by late June, and may further approach 1.2 million mt by the end of June or early July, providing some support for aluminum prices. However, the pressure from high domestic inventory remains relatively evident, and coupled with the currently dominant bearish macro sentiment in the market, domestic aluminum prices are expected to mainly be in the doldrums with adjustments in the short term.