AMU
March 12, 2026
Written by Stephanie Ritenbaugh
It’s been just two weeks since the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran. And markets are still in flux as we wade through conflicting messages from the administration on what the goals are when it could be over.
While oil is grabbing the headlines (with good reason — it hits us in the wallet), aluminum hasn’t been getting as much real estate in the mainstream news cycle.
Kibar Americas said production has started at its aluminum plant in Fairmont, W.Va., where it will manufacture products for the HVAC, packaging, automotive and industrial sectors.
China is bumping up against its official primary production capacity limit of 45.3 million metric tons/year, but production can still increase through “capacity creep.”
Automotive aluminum demand is rising as extrusions, sheet, and castings gain ground across vehicle applications and powertrains.
Recycler demand increased while fewer respondents reported sufficient obsolete scrap, even as inventory drawdowns remained widespread.
On July 9, Aluminum Market Update published “Did aluminum markets price in peace too soon?” The article used data and events through July 8 to test whether falling prices and light financial participation had moved ahead of conditions around the Strait of Hormuz. A month later, LME aluminum positioning offers a useful checkpoint on how that trade played out.