Among them, the Gulf region was an important consumer market for China in the Middle East: China’s exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip to Saudi Arabia reached 42,500 mt, and aluminum foil 58,000 mt; exports of aluminum plate/sheet and strip to the UAE reached 103,500 mt, and aluminum foil 93,800 mt; the other four countries (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman) accounted for combined exports of about 22,000 mt of aluminum plate/sheet and strip and about 11,000 mt of aluminum foil.

[SMM Analysis: An Overview of the Resumption of Work for Aluminum Plate/Sheet, Strip and Foil Enterprises After the 2026 Chinese New Year] Looking ahead, as the industry moves past the holiday impact following the Lantern Festival, coupled with the approaching peak season of "Golden March and Silver April" and the "rush to export" window brought about by adjustments in battery export tax rebate policies, the operating rate of the industry is expected to steadily rebound in late March.

June marks the traditional off-season for copper plate/sheet and strip consumption, with sluggish market demand, high copper prices, demand overdraft from the previous rush to export, and cautious sentiment due to uncertain tariff policies. Overall market demand remained weak, with new orders experiencing a significant MoM decline and the operating rate weakening in tandem. According to SMM data, the operating rate of SMM copper plate/sheet and strip enterprises in June 2025 was 67.44%, down 2.68 percentage points MoM and 0.12 percentage points YoY. Looking ahead to July, most copper plate/sheet and strip enterprises expressed a lack of confidence in orders, continuing to cut production and reduce loads at the beginning of the month. SMM expects the operating rate of the copper plate/sheet, strip and foil industry to decline by 3.99 percentage points MoM in July to 63.44%, a significant drop of 4.33 percentage points compared to the same period last year, suggesting that the market downturn may persist.

》Check SMM aluminum product quotes, data, and market analysis 》Subscribe to view SMM metal spot historical prices SMM, June 11, 2025: According to SMM statistics, in May 2025, China's aluminum plate/sheet and strip production reached 1.151 million mt, with an industry operating rate of 66.37%, down 0.86 percentage points MoM. Aluminum foil production was 441,000 mt, with an industry operating rate of 69.50%, down 1.02 percentage points MoM. [May Review] In May, the aluminum plate/sheet, strip and foil industry maintained an overall "weak balance" situation, with the supply-demand imbalance continuing to deepen. The operating rate in the aluminum plate/sheet sector stabilized after minor fluctuations, mainly driven by the phase-wise cooling of the Sino-US trade war, which spurred rush to export by end-users in home appliances, electronics, and other sectors. However, weak domestic demand posed a significant drag: construction demand, a traditional off-season highlight, was short-lived, while automotive and electronics orders remained relatively stable but could not offset the overall decline. Meanwhile, downstream price collection triggered risks of processing fee discounts, intensifying market competition. The aluminum foil sector fluctuated downward, with notable demand differentiation—orders for new energy-related products such as battery foil and brazing foil weakened, reflecting inventory pressure across the industry chain. Meanwhile, household foil and container foil were mired in price wars, with processing fees plummeting, suppressing production. Despite the window of opportunity for exports provided by the easing of Sino-US tariffs, the industry still faced three major pressures (demand differentiation, deepening off-season, and high inventory), and the overall contraction trend remained unchanged. [June Outlook] In June, the aluminum plate/sheet, strip and foil industry is expected to continue its weak and volatile pattern, with the operating rate likely to face slight pressure. For aluminum plate/sheet, the easing of Sino-US trade tensions may continue to provide an export buffer, coupled with domestic 618 sales promotions stimulating stockpiling demand from end-users in automotive, electronics, and other sectors. However, weak domestic demand during the traditional off-season remains unresolved, and contradictions of overcapacity and export sustainability are in question. If destocking falls short of expectations, it will inversely suppress procurement. The aluminum foil sector presents opportunities for a phased rebound: 618 sales promotions and summer high temperatures may boost demand for air-conditioner foil and container foil, while the easing of Sino-US tariffs also benefits home appliance and electronics exports. However, weak new energy support, ongoing price wars in low value-added categories, and unsustainable growth in overseas orders mean the industry remains constrained by trade uncertainties and inventory pressure. Subsequent focus will be on policy stimuli (such as consumption subsidies) and global economic signals for their potential impact on H2 demand. 》Click to view SMM aluminum industry chain database

[SMM Analysis: Copper Foil Market Shows Stable Supply and Demand, Tariff Impact Not Yet Significantly Transmitted to the Industry] According to SMM, the operating rate of copper foil enterprises was 71.51% in April 2025, up 0.31 percentage point MoM and 0.60 percentage point YoY...

On April 18, the AICE 2025 SMM (20th) Aluminum Industry Conference & Expo, hosted by SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM), co-organized by Zhongyifeng Jinyi Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. and Lezhi County Qianrun Investment Promotion Service Co., Ltd., and sponsored by Shangli County Keyuan Metallurgical Materials Co., Ltd., Press Metal International Ltd., Delta Metal (Holdings) Limited, Jinqiao Light Alloy Technology (Jiangmen) Co., Ltd., and other entities as forum title sponsors, Sunstone Development Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Jialang Industrial Co., Ltd. as forum co-organizers, and supported by various specially invited supporters, conference supporters, conference acknowledgment units, and media partners, successfully concluded at the Suzhou International Expo Center in Jiangsu!