RUSAL to divert aluminum from China to Japan as premiums surge amid Gulf supply crunch

Russia-based RUSAL, a leading global aluminum producer, is planning to divert a part of its aluminum shipments originally intended for China to Japan and other Asian customer bases, as reported by Reuters. The update is revealed by the sources amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions that are actively redrawing the trade supply chain map and injecting to the skyrocketing premiums.

Aluminum premiums surge and outlook revision by eminent organisations like Goldman Sachs, indicate massive supply crunch and shifting trade flows due to the Middle East conflict which led to the closure of a key global trade corridor, i.e., the Strait of Hormuz. The criticalities further aggravated by the Iranian strikes