India’s imported aluminium scrap market remained strong due to tight supplies and volatility in LME prices. Middle East Tense (8-9 %) and other grades such as UK-origin Zorba and US-origin Tense all posted week-on-week gains despite the slight dip in LME aluminium. Domestic scrap shortages, especially for key grades like Tense, continued to push prices higher in major Indian regions.

Summary :

At close of trading on 19 January 2026, LME aluminium three-month prices declined by 0.8% w-o-w to $3,152/t from $3,177/t on 12 January 2026. Meanwhile, LME aluminium inventories fell by 2.2%, dropping 10,825 t from 495,825 t to 485,000 t, indicating continued drawdowns in visible stocks despite the price correction.

Aluminium prices rose w-o-w as supply-side tightness outweighed mixed demand signals. Market sentiment was underpinned by China’s strict enforcement of its 45-mnt smelting capacity cap, which constrained incremental supply even as domestic consumption showed signs of improvement. A sharp y-o-y decline in Chinese exports further tightened global availability, while delays and rising costs in overseas capacity additions–particularly in Indonesia–added to supply-side concerns.

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