DAILY: Chinese spot alumina prices stay flat amid subdued trading

According to Mysteel's assessment, the national average spot price for metallurgical-grade alumina with a purity exceeding 98.6% was unchanged on day at Yuan 2,849/tonne ($403/t) including the 13% VAT on Wednesday.

The price stability in the spot market came amid limited trading activity across China's five major alumina production bases. The assessed prices in Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Guizhou provinces and in the Guangxi autonomous region all stayed flat on day, averaging between Yuan 2,765/t and Yuan 2,905/t.

In contrast, alumina futures on the Shanghai Futures Exchange edged lower the same day, with the most-traded January 2026 contract losing 1.53% during Wednesday's daytime trading session and slipping further by 0.53% to end nighttime trading at Yuan 2,632/t, marking its lowest level since late June 2023.

On the demand side, few primary aluminum smelters made price inquiries or finalized new spot trades, as most maintained ample inventories secured through long-term supply contracts. Only a handful engaged in routine raw material procurement via open tenders.

Mysteel heard of one deal concluded yesterday in Gansu province, where a primary aluminum smelter purchased 10,000 tonnes of North China-origin spot alumina via tender at a delivered price of Yuan 2,920/t including freight and VAT.

Written by Iris Pang, pangjunyu@mysteel.com