Market reports indicate that China is further regulating the operation of primary aluminum capacity, leading to a reduction in excess production in parts of Guangxi. Market Performance: In the afternoon session, the SHFE aluminum contract closed up 0.53% at 24,570 yuan/ton, having earlier touched a high of 24,710 yuan/ton. Among listed companies, Chalco (China Aluminum) hit the daily price limit with a 10.01% gain, Nanshan Aluminum rose 8.81%, Yunnan Aluminum Co. gained 7.39%, and Hongqiao Holdings climbed 8.14%.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco) will invest approximately US$1 billion to build a 1.2 Mtpa alumina refinery in Guinea, strengthening upstream bauxite-to-alumina integration amid tightening global aluminum supply chains. The project includes supporting port infrastructure, while the Guinean government retains the option to acquire up to a 35% equity stake in the development.

In Guinea, in the capital Conakry, Chalco Hong Kong—the project investment entity of Chalco, a publicly listed firm under Chinalco Group—signed an agreement related to the alumina project with the Guinean government. The local time in Guinea was May 21. The Chalco Guinea alumina project is another major international project invested and constructed by Chinalco Group in Guinea, following the Simandou iron ore project. Leveraging Guinea's high-quality resources, the project plans to invest approximately $1 billion to build a production line with an annual output of 1.2 million mt of alumina.

Recently, the industrial park of Aluminum Corporation of China (CHALCO) Qinghai Branch received the "Demonstration Zero-Carbon Industrial Park" evaluation certificate issued by the China Industrial Energy Conservation and Cleaner Production Association, becoming the first industrial park in China's electrolytic aluminum industry to pass this evaluation. This provides a replicable and scalable practical solution and typical experience for the zero-carbon transformation of China's energy-intensive industries, fully demonstrating the leading role and responsibility of central enterprises in the green development of industry.

On April 21, a delegation from SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM), comprising Ye Jianhua, Director and Supervisor of SMM's Industry Research Department, Feng Chundi, Expert of SMM's Industry Research Institute, and Wu Tao, SMM's Overseas Marketing Manager for Copper and Tin, visited Lualaba Copper Smelter S.A. (LCS) for a field trip and exchange. The delegation received a warm and thoughtful reception from the leadership of LCS. During the exchange, relevant heads of LCS provided a detailed introduction to the project's construction history, smelting process routes, current capacity operations, and overall business planning. SMM, drawing on global non-ferrous market trends, shared insights on copper-cobalt raw material supply and demand, the smelting and processing landscape, price fluctuation trends, and industry policy developments. Both parties engaged in in-depth discussions on practical topics including pyrometallurgy production management outside China, raw material supply assurance, environmental protection operations and maintenance, cost control, and industry outlook assessment. They also exchanged experiences and ideas on overseas smelter operations management, risk prevention, and medium and long-term development planning. This field trip and exchange was pragmatic and efficient, effectively enhancing mutual understanding and laying a solid foundation for ongoing industry information sharing and long-term exchange and cooperation. Introduction to Lualaba Copper Smelter S.A. (LCS) Lualaba Copper Smelter S.A. (LCS) is a modern non-ferrous metal smelting enterprise jointly invested and constructed by China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. and Chalco Yunnan Copper Group, located in Kolwezi, Lualaba Province, DRC. Construction commenced in March 2018, and Phase I was completed and successfully put into operation in October 2019. It is the first large-scale pyrometallurgy copper-cobalt smelter in the DRC and serves as a key strategic pillar of China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group's resource development and industrial deployment in Africa. With copper concentrates smelting as its core business, LCS's main products include blister copper, sulphuric acid, and liquid sulfur dioxide, with an annual capacity of 150,000 mt of blister copper and 300,000 mt of sulphuric acid. As an important participant in the Belt and Road Initiative, LCS has consistently upheld the development philosophy of "serving the nation through resources and pursuing win-win cooperation," actively fulfilling its social responsibilities, promoting local employment and industrial development, and striving to build an internationally competitive copper smelter while continuously enhancing the influence of Chinese mining enterprises in the global non-ferrous metals industry. The conference is scheduled to be held on September 15–16, 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia. You are cordially invited to participate! Contact Person : Wu Tao: 18270916376 jennywu@smm.cn

On April 20, Chalco Chairman He Wenjiang stated at the 2025 annual results briefing held in the afternoon that, affected by price structures at home and abroad as well as tariffs and other factors, the export window for China's primary aluminum and primary aluminum alloys had long remained closed. Recently, due to the impact of the Middle East conflict, overseas price increases exceeded those in China, and combined with fluctuations in the US dollar exchange rate and other factors, exports of domestic primary aluminum and primary aluminum alloys may see some recovery.

China Aluminum released its annual report on March 27, reporting operating revenue of RMB 241.125 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 1.69%; net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was RMB 12.674 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.25%. The company plans to distribute a final dividend of RMB 0.147 per share (inclusive of tax) in cash for 2025, totaling approximately RMB 2.522 billion (inclusive of tax).

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan recently announced the successful development of a copper gallium selenide (CuGaSe₂) solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 12.28%, setting a world record for indium-free wide-bandgap chalcogenide solar cells in the same frequency band. The research team enhanced the open-circuit voltage and cell performance by incorporating aluminum to form a back-surface field and optimizing the buffer layer. This achievement provides a new approach for the development of high-efficiency tandem solar cells.

Recently, Chalco Aluminum Foil (Yunnan) Co., Ltd. underwent an industrial and commercial registration change, with its registered capital increasing from 800 million yuan to approximately 1.15 billion yuan, an increase of about 44%. The company was established in March 1996. Its legal representative is Xu Tao, and its business scope includes the production and sales of aluminum cast-rolled coil, aluminum plate/sheet and strip, aluminum foil products, and packaging for food and pharmaceuticals, as well as aluminum foil for electronics and power applications, foreign trade, and more. Shareholder information shows that the company is jointly held by Aluminum Corporation of China Group High-end Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Northwest Aluminum Co., Ltd., and others.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Guinea Bauxite & Alumina Exports in January 2026. Ministry of Mines and Geology reports: Total bauxite 20.26 million tons; alumina 46,764 tons. Bauxite Highlights (top contributors): 1. SMB: 6.57 Mt (32 vessels) – leading exporter 2. Chalco: 2.64 Mt (14 vessels) 3. CBG: 1.64 Mt (28 vessels) 4. Zhicheng Guinee Mining/GBT: 0.94 Mt (5 vessels) 5. CDM China: 0.94 Mt (5 vessels) Other key volumes: 6. Cobad: 0.82 Mt 7. AMC: 0.79 Mt 8. BAM: 0.63 Mt 9. KBM: 0.58 Mt Alumina: 1. Friguia: 46,764 tons (2 vessels) – sole reported exporter