Page 74 from: Recycling International – March/April issue 2023
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LME Non-Ferrous Prices & Stocks Reference date: March 15, 2023
/ Aluminium / Copper
– LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)
– LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)
– LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)
– LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)
/ Lead / Zinc
– LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)
– LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)
– LME prices (in U.S. dollars/MT)
– LME stocks (x 1000 metric tonnes)
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
3984 3090 2900 2500 2458 2305 2102 2237 2315 2361 2630 2300 2288
584 584 381 381 309 309 577 577 415 415 415 554 554
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
10420 9910 9500 8500 7710 7702 7353 7510 7966 8345 9345 8749 8809
137 137 125 125 103 103 93 93 73 73 73 73 73
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
0
100
200
300
400
500
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
2400 2363 2200 2000 2013 1890 1753 1986 2163 2281 2198 2101 2088
40 40 39,6 39,6 37 37 27 27 20 20 20 24 24
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
0
70
140
210
280
350
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
4054 4218 3800 3400 3115 3144 2810 2714 2974 3025 3508 3006 2971
1017 1017 815 815 773 773 441 441 176 176 176 390 390
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
100
500
900
1300
1700
2100
2500
2900
M A M J J A S O N D J F M
74
MARKET ANALYSIS
scrap brokerage Zeb Metals to open
an aluminium scrap operation in the
US later this year. The plant, at
Charleston in South Carolina, is
expected to have two rotary furnaces
to recycle aluminium scrap for region-
al consumption. ‘While Glencore
already has exposure to copper
scrap and precious metal scrap recy-
cling at facilities in the US, Canada,
Italy and Chile, the plant will mark
the company’s first foray into alumini-
um scrap recycling at a time when
industry investment is at its highest
in decades,’ the agency said.
Meanwhile, Rio Tinto and BMW have
signed a memorandum of understand-
ing to work together to integrate low-
carbon solutions for metals used in
BMW’s supply chain. As a start, Rio
Tinto will supply aluminium to the car
maker’s production facility in
Spartanburg, South Carolina, for incor-
poration into body components from
2024. Low-carbon primary aluminium
from Rio Tinto’s hydroelectric facilities
in Canada, in combination with recy-
cled content, could reduce CO2 emis-
sions by up to 70% compared to
BMW’s benchmark for the metal.
The North American partnership
includes the use of aluminium pro-
duced with Rio Tinto’s Elysis technolo-
gy. This is said to be the world’s first
carbon-free aluminium smelting tech-
nology, by which metal is produced
without direct carbon dioxide emis-
sions during the smelting process.
Instead, pure oxygen is emitted. BMW
also has an agreement with aluminium
producer EGA to provide ‘green’
metal in Germany.
Rio Tinto’s chief commercial officer,
Alf Barrios, says: ‘Automakers are
increasingly looking to partner
with suppliers who share their com-
mitment to traceability and sustain-
ability.’
ALUMINIUM
Prices are noticeably lower than 12
months ago when prices were above
US$ 3 000 on the London Metal
Exchange. At the time of writing, high
grade was listed at US$ 2 360. Alloy is
quoted around US$ 2 145. LME ware-
house stocks were 557 925 tonnes of
high grade and 1 920 tonnes of alloy.
Alloys in Europe fetch around US$ 3
710 for alloy 226, US$ 3 700 for 231
and US$ 3 800 for 233.
Scrap prices, based on LME listings,
show extrusion scrap around US$ 2
300. Mixed cast scrap with iron
attachments was around US$ 1 450.
Mixed turnings sold for around US$ 1
000.
COPPER
The red metal has continued to hover
around the US$ 9 000 mark in recent
weeks with no clear trend in either
direction. Most recently, three-month
copper was quoted in London around
72-73-74-75_manon-ferrous.indd 74 15-03-2023 11:50
