DAILY: Chinese spot alumina prices track higher, futures retreat

Chinese prices for spot alumina tracked higher on March 19, with the national average reaching a three-month high. In contrast, prices of domestic alumina futures retreated clearly the same day, snapping a weeklong gaining streak.

Mysteel assessed the national average spot price for smelter-grade alumina with a minimum purity of 98.6% at Yuan 2,747/tonne ($398.6/t) including the 13% VAT on Thursday, up by a further Yuan 16/t from Wednesday. This marked the highest average price level since December 19, 2025. Meanwhile, Mysteel's regional price assessments for