January 6, 2022

Japanese aluminum premiums fall as demand stalls. 

According to Reuters, the premium for aluminum imports to Japanese buyers for January to March was set at $177/mt, down from $220/mt the previous quarter.  This is the premium over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price that Japanese importers agree to for primary aluminum shipments.  In 2021, the country had imported approximately 2.06 million mt of aluminum as of November 30.  Total annual imports in 2020 were approximately 2.28 million mt. Japanese aluminum demand has stalled in recent months as automotive production has slowed. (1/6/2022)

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