China's alumina import trade remained slow-moving this week, with prices indicated unchanged as industry players waited for the close of the latest Nalco tender due later Wednesday, local sources told Platts.
"The market is very quiet. There is no clear direction for prices, which have been generally stable in recent weeks," an official from China Minmetals said. "The latest Nalco tender will close later today, so people are just waiting now," he added.
A Beijing Antaike analyst agreed: "The Nalco tenders always have a strong impact on our prices nowadays, so it is normal that people will look out for it. But it is also a fact that the alumina trade has been slow for quite a while."
Alumina import prices were indicated at about $410-420/mt CIF China, unchanged from a week ago, with port prices for imported material also steady at around Yuan 4,100/mt ($538). Domestic non-Chalco alumina continued to be heard at Yuan 3,700-3,800/mt ex-plant, with Chalco offers remaining at a higher Yuan 3,900/mt ex-plant.
"But these are all just indications, as we've not heard of any spot offers or trades done this week," the Antaike analyst said.
Indian aluminium major Nalco on June 11 floated a spot alumina tender for 30,000 mt July shipment, which is due to close on June 20. The company's last spot alumina tender was done at $423/mt FOB Visakhapatnam for 25,000 mt May shipment. That tender closed on April 25.
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