LME inventories and non-commercial futures positioning are the primary drivers of metals short squeezes.

Regular operations in at least three Chinese warehouses have been suspended to check on-site metal inventories.

At least three companies lent a total of more than 500 million yuan ($75 million) against stockpiles of the metal stored in a warehouse in the southern province of Guangdong that turned out to be worth significantly less than that.

Industrial commodities in China mostly rose as the number of covid-19 cases fell and the government began to loosen the restrictions.

Overall stocks in LME warehouses have fallen below 900,000 tonnes from levels above two million tonnes in January 2021.

The Chinese aluminum juggernaut has run out of momentum and smelters in Europe are powering down, writes Andy Home.

The workers at COBAD are demanding better working conditions and a salary increase.

Europe's primary aluminum smelters are continuing to curtail production in the face of soaring energy costs.