September Aluminum Stocks At Japan Ports Down 2.7%

Aluminum stocks at major Japanese ports fell 2.7% on month in September, although the drop does not reflect any significant pickup in demand, a trader at a large Japanese trading firm said. Aluminum stocks totaled 221,900 metric tons at the end of September. Inventories are down less than 2% from a year ago. "It's a small drop," the trader said. "In September we didn't see any change in the supply-demand balance." The trader said that demand from Japan's rolling mill sector remains steady, while consumption in the housing sector has weakened a touch. Demand and supply remain in balance, he said. "The market is very healthy at the moment."