Among the provinces, Lianyungang and Bayuquan have witnessed a sharp fall of RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 6,000 per tonne, and the prices in Shanxi and Henan have registered declines of RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to average RMB 5,710 per tonne and RMB 5,670 per tonne, respectively. However, alumina prices have remained restrained in other provinces like Shandong, Guizhou, and Guangxi. The imported alumina price from Australia has also continued at US$670 per tonne.
The back-to-back declines in the average alumina spot price reflect an ongoing subdued demand in the domestic market due to the shutdown of many smelters for environmental protection in the winter heating season. On account of the traditional off-season causing demand lean demand from the downstream market, China's domestic A00 aluminium ingot price has decreased by RMB 30 per tonne, following a downfall of RMB 90 per tonne on December 27. Therefore, the SMM A00 aluminium ingot price has come in at RMB 19,700 per tonne, with average prices ranging between RMB 19,680-19,720 per tonne. The provincial prices have also dwindled over the weekend by RMB 80 to 40 per tonne, hovering below RMB 20,000 per tonne.
Only the domestic low-carbon aluminium price is standing above RMB 20,000 per tonne, despite a fall of RMB 31 per tonne over the weekend.