Column: LME aluminum stocks battle comes with a Russian twist

The European Commission's focus on future-looking metals seems to have blind-sided it to the older metals that are also required to decarbonize, writes Andy Home.

Zinc, aluminum and silicon production cuts have already left consumers in the Europe's steel, auto and construction industries facing severe shortages.

For aluminum, in particular, Europe is usually a key market.

The giant price fluctuations that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine roiled markets for everything from natural gas to crude oil and metals.

China's southwestern province has ordered producers of electrolytic aluminum to reduce their power usage this week.

Year to date copper imports are up 8.1% but Shanghai inventories drop to 7-month low.

The price of the metal has lost 20% this year.

EU and US imports of Russia's main base metal products aluminum and nickel during March-June increased by as much as 70%.

The lower premium offers reflected weak demand from automakers amid a global supply chain crunch.