In July, Shanxi Zhongrun achieved a historic breakthrough in monthly sales of casting alloy ingots, reaching over 2,200 mt, crossing the 2,000 mt sales mark for the first time. This sales leap not only demonstrates the market competitiveness and brand influence of the company's casting alloy products but also represents an important achievement in the company's focus on the aluminum-based main business, deep cultivation of the downstream industry chain, filling industrial gaps, and extending value chains, laying a solid foundation for the company to successfully complete its annual operating goals and promote high-quality transformation and upgrading of the aluminum industry.

Zhejiang Lanwei Environmental Protection Technology Equipment Co., Ltd. adheres to serving clients with high-tech, and wins unanimous praise from clients with reliable technical strength, superior product quality, and perfect after-sales service.

With the official approval of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the New Energy Metal Materials Shanxi Laboratory was jointly established by Chalco Shanxi New Material Co., Ltd., as one of the co-establishing units, together with key universities and magnesium industry leaders, aiming to accelerate the transformation of Shanxi's aluminum-magnesium industry into the high-end track of new energy. As the highest-level innovation platform in the province, the laboratory focuses closely on the demands for lightweight development in NEVs and energy storage, laying out four core research directions: low-carbon smelting, high-performance alloys, precision forming, and solid waste recycling, and striving to build an entire aluminum-magnesium R&D chain system. Leveraging the most comprehensive resource advantages of the province's entire aluminum industry chain, Chalco Shanxi New Material will fully unleash its industrial strengths in pilot-scale production and mass manufacturing. Joining hands with partner universities and industry leaders, it will concentrate on tackling "bottleneck" technologies in battery substrate materials, lightweight alloys and other fields, drastically shortening the cycle for translating research outcomes into practical applications, and promoting the integrated development of basic research, technological breakthroughs, and industrial implementation.

It was recently learned from the Hejin Municipal Bureau of Industry, Information Technology and Science that the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology has officially approved the establishment of the Shanxi Provincial Laboratory for New Energy Metal Materials, a joint project between Chalco Shanxi New Materials Co., Ltd., three key universities, and two leading magnesium enterprises. This collaboration aims to accelerate the transformation of Shanxi's aluminum and magnesium industry towards the high-end new energy sector. The Shanxi Provincial Laboratory for New Energy Metal Materials is the highest-level innovation platform in the province, focusing on the development needs of new energy vehicles and lightweight energy storage. It will focus on four core research directions: low-carbon smelting, high-performance alloys, precision forming, and solid waste recycling, addressing industry technical pain points and building a complete aluminum-magnesium R&D system. Leveraging the province's most complete aluminum industry chain resources, Chalco Shanxi New Materials will fully utilize its pilot-scale production advantages, collaborating with universities and leading enterprises to focus on tackling "bottleneck" technologies in areas such as battery substrates and lightweight alloys. This will significantly shorten the research and development cycle and achieve integrated development of basic research, technological breakthroughs, and industrial application.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Jamaica and Ghana are negotiating a potential US$60 million bauxite-to-alumina supply arrangement that would revive a trading relationship first proposed more than two decades ago. Under the proposed structure, Jamaican bauxite would be shipped to the Atlantic Alumina Company (ATALCO) refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana, for processing into alumina, before the alumina is exported to Ghana for use in its aluminum industry. The discussions involve Jamaica’s state-owned Jamaica Bauxite Mining (JBM) and Ghana’s integrated aluminum development efforts.

SMM tracking feedback: The 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Flores Island, Indonesia, had a relatively small impact on the aluminum industry chain. In terms of capacity distribution, bauxite, alumina, and the vast majority of aluminum capacity are concentrated in western Indonesia, generally more than 1,400 km from the epicenter; even the closest aluminum smelter—Sulawesi Morowali Huachin Aluminum—was approximately 624 km away, still outside the 300 km damage radius. Coupled with a tsunami wave height of less than 0.4 meters, the actual supply shock was virtually zero. On the pricing front, it may at most show a short-term sentiment pulse of 0–1%, which is expected to be unwound within 1–3 days, without changing the medium-term trend.

August 13, 2026: This week, the operating rate of China's leading downstream aluminum processing enterprises was 59.9%, down 0.2 percentage points WoW. The industry remained in the traditional consumption off-season; with high temperatures and weak end-use demand weighing on activity, most sectors were broadly under pressure. The primary aluminum alloy operating rate edged down 0.2 percentage points to 58%; weakening automobile production and higher aluminum prices curbed downstream purchases, new spot orders were extremely limited, and the sector remained in the doldrums. The aluminum plate/sheet and strip operating rate was unchanged at 69.0%; construction sheets & plates stockpiling expectations were not realized, can stock and automotive sheet orders were stable, and after concentrated export deliveries the market returned to real demand, leaving little upward driver in the short term. The aluminum wire and cable operating rate rose 0.4 percentage points to 62.4%; improved domestic-to-overseas price ratios slightly opened the export window, but limited new orders and slow State Grid cargo pick-up provided only mild support. The aluminum extrusion operating rate fell 0.8 percentage points to 50.8%; high temperatures shortened working hours and higher aluminum prices raised costs. Both construction and industrial extrusion weakened, and afternoon suspensions in south-west China further dragged output. The aluminum foil operating rate was unchanged at 70.1%; demand was weak during the air-conditioner end-user maintenance period, mid-month inventory built up, and enterprises mainly controlled production schedules and destocked; an inflection point in operating rates remains to be seen. The secondary aluminum operating rate edged down 0.3 percentage points to 49.1%, a low for the same period in recent years; tight compliant aluminum scrap, tax invoice uncertainty, and disruptions from high temperatures and typhoons made near-term improvement difficult. Overall, with the off-season constraint persisting and high-temperature disruptions, industry operating rates remained at low levels. In the short term, each segment is expected to stay mostly weak but stable, while aluminum wire and cable may move sideways due to the phased opening of the export window. Primary aluminum alloy: This week, the operating rate of China's leading primary aluminum alloy enterprises was 58%, down 0.2 percentage points WoW, continuing the weak operating trend. At present, the market was still in the traditional consumption off-season. According to CAAM data, China's automobile production in June was 2.37 million units, down 240,000 units MoM, and overall production in July and August is still expected to remain at low levels. Automobile consumption demand continued to weaken, clearly dragging on the primary aluminum alloy market. At the industry level, enterprise production schedules were still dominated by annual long-term contracts; new spot orders were extremely limited, overall orders edged down slightly from earlier, and overall operating rate fluctuations were relatively small. Meanwhile, the aluminum price center shifted somewhat higher during the week, further denting downstream purchasing sentiment; inquiry and spot transaction activity cooled noticeably, the trading atmosphere was subdued, and this placed some restraint on operating rates. Overall, the market lacked clear positive drivers in the short term; enterprises mostly stayed on the sidelines with limited willingness to ramp up production on their own initiative. Leading enterprises' operating rates are expected to hold at current levels next week, continuing the weak operating pattern. Aluminum plate/sheet and strip: This week, the operating rate of leading aluminum plate/sheet and strip enterprises was unchanged WoW at 69.0%. In terms of orders by product, the construction sheets & plates industry had not yet warmed up; as of this week, there was no concentrated stockpiling, and the industry lacked confidence that the August off-season to peak-season transition period would lift consumption. Orders on hand for hot-rolling downstream products such as can stock, automotive sheet, and 3C materials were relatively stable. The aluminum plate/sheet and strip operating rate is expected to recover in late August. In exports, after concentrated delivery of export orders received in Q2, the market gradually returned to real demand levels. In the short term, August stockpiling expectations have not yet been realized, and the demand side lacks drivers for substantive improvement; operating rates are expected to remain low and stable. Aluminum wire and cable: This week, the operating rate of China's aluminum wire and cable industry was 62.4%, up 0.4 percentage points WoW. During the week, thanks to improved domestic-to-overseas price ratios, the export window for aluminum stranded wire opened slightly, and some enterprises received a small number of new orders again, providing some support to operating rates. However, profit margins in this window were limited, overall new order sizes were small, and it was difficult to return to the previous high export prosperity level; the boost was mild. Domestically, State Grid cargo pick-up remained slow, and with the industry in the consumption off-season, domestic demand was generally weak and lacked strong support. Overall, neither domestic nor external demand showed clear improvement. The aluminum wire and cable industry is likely to mainly move sideways in the short term, with limited room for operating rates to rise or fall. Aluminum extrusion: This week, the weekly operating rate of China's aluminum extrusion industry was 50.8%, down 0.8 percentage points WoW. This week, the weak demand pattern in construction extrusion did not improve. Under persistently high temperatures, downstream construction site working hours were shortened, and purchase demand for construction extrusion declined further. Recently, aluminum prices drifted higher, raising raw material costs; downstream processing producers turned more cautious in procurement and maintained a purchase-as-needed strategy. On the supply side, some enterprises actively controlled the volume of engineering construction extrusion orders to optimize cash flow and took a prudent approach to new project orders. As multiple bearish factors compounded, the operating rate of the construction extrusion segment continued to move lower this week. In industrial extrusion, new orders for industrial motor housings, machinery equipment parts, and general industrial extrusion products declined, dragging the industrial extrusion operating rate slightly lower. In addition, some enterprises in south-west China reported that recent high temperatures were severe, workshop temperatures in the afternoon were too high, and work had to be suspended in the afternoon for rest, so overall output in August will decline. Overall, the short-term fundamentals of high-temperature disruptions and weak end-use demand in the off-season have not yet improved. Under the combined pressure of these two factors, operating rates in the aluminum extrusion industry will continue to weaken in the near term. Aluminum foil: This week, the operating rate of leading aluminum foil enterprises was unchanged WoW at 70.1%. At the enterprise operation level, the market was in the traditional off-season stage of consolidating at lows. Some aluminum foil producers reported that August sales completion rates were low, mid-month inventory build-up pressure was relatively large, and controlling production schedules and prioritizing destocking remained their primary strategy. In terms of order structure, air-conditioner end-users were in a period of large-scale summer equipment maintenance, providing little additional support to overall operating rates in the short term. Overall, deep weakness in air-conditioner foil and the packaging off-season effect remained the dominant factors, and as operating rates had already fallen to a relatively low level, the inflection point in operating rates remains to be seen. Secondary aluminum: This week, the operating rate of leading enterprises in the secondary aluminum industry edged down 0.3 percentage points WoW to 49.1%, still at a low level for the same period in recent years. On the raw material side, compliant aluminum scrap supply was tight, enterprise procurement cost pressure was relatively large, and tax invoice policy uncertainty continued to constrain raw material purchases and production. On the demand side, the market was still in the end-use consumption off-season, downstream order release was insufficient and mainly rigid demand, and enterprises showed weak willingness to schedule production. In addition, high temperatures and typhoon-related rainstorms disrupted production in some regions, further limiting production release. Under the combined impact of raw material constraints, off-season demand, and weather disruptions, the operating rate is expected to remain low in the short term. Going forward, attention will focus on the recovery of end-use orders and changes in tax invoice policy.

SMM, August 13: This week, trading sentiment among domestic aluminum fluoride enterprises was moderate, and aluminum fluoride prices remained stable. As of this report, SMM mainstream aluminum fluoride quotations stood at 11,200-11,800 yuan/mt; cryolite spot prices held steady, and SMM cryolite quotations were 7,500-9,000 yuan/mt. Raw material side: This week, aluminum fluoride raw material prices diverged. The upstream 97% fluorite wet powder market consolidated on a strong note, with mainstream delivered prices at 3,300-3,750 yuan/mt. Supply side, domestic mine safety supervision tightened, standardized mining management and control was implemented, and mine technological transformation and rectification cycles lengthened, constraining the release of effective industry capacity over the long term. Some mines in Inner Mongolia stopped production for rectification, most mines in the main producing areas of south China had not yet resumed production, spot cargo circulation in the market was tight, and although imported cargo from Mongolia could ease some supply pressure, the extent was limited. Demand side, downstream hydrogen fluoride enterprises maintained moderate rigid-demand restocking, but wait-and-see sentiment gradually emerged in the terminal fluorochemical market. Combined with steady consumption from the aluminum sector providing a floor, fluorite prices maintained a stable-to-rising pattern amid the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers. Other raw materials, the domestic aluminum hydroxide market drifted lower, with a weighted average price of 1,660 yuan/mt, down 0.60% WoW; the sulphuric acid market loosened from high levels, with transaction centers shifting slightly lower. After the gains and losses among raw materials offset each other, overall aluminum fluoride production costs stayed high. Supply side: The industry remained caught in a negative loop of high costs, production losses, and low operating rates. Rising fluorite prices further intensified enterprises' losses. Although product negotiation prices picked up somewhat in August, industry profitability was not meaningfully repaired. Most enterprises stepped up equipment maintenance and flexible production cuts, and overall operating rates continued to decline. At this stage, most enterprises in the market were adopting a contractionary operating strategy, prioritizing delivery of long-term contract orders. Incremental effective supply in the market was limited, and spot cargoes were tight overall. Demand side: Downstream aluminum industry operating capacity remained high, providing rigid demand support for aluminum fluoride and underpinning the market bottom. However, aluminum smelters were cautious and conservative in overall purchasing sentiment, mostly making sporadic restocking purchases for rigid demand. Sentiment for pushing for lower prices and waiting on the sidelines was strong, and there were no concentrated restocking or incremental procurement activities, making it difficult to drive market prices upward. Comment: This week, aluminum fluoride raw material trends continued to diverge. Fluorite prices rose sharply, raising the cost floor, while aluminum hydroxide and sulphuric acid prices pulled back slightly, partly offsetting cost pressure. The industry's overall production costs remained high, profit margins were difficult to repair, and production enthusiasm stayed weak. In August, the aluminum fluoride tender price of the benchmark aluminum enterprise was raised by 250 yuan/mt MoM. Upstream and downstream enterprises followed suit with price increases. Market prices stabilized for now, lacking one-sided trend drivers. Transactions were mostly small rigid-demand restocking orders. Aluminum fluoride prices are expected to remain in a stable stalemate pattern in the short term, with limited price movement. Going forward, close attention should be paid to raw material cost-side dynamics and marginal adjustments in downstream aluminum enterprises' procurement pace.

[SMM Analysis]Raw Material Constraints Combined with Weakening Marginal Demand Kept the Operating Rate of Secondary Aluminum Producers at a Low Level in July

[SMM Analysis: Raw Material Constraints Combined with Weakening Marginal Demand Keep July Secondary Aluminum Operating Rate Low ] According to the SMM survey, the operating rate of secondary aluminum producers in July 2026 rebounded slightly by 1.4 percentage points MoM from June to 34.6%, but fell 7.0 percentage points YoY.