Prices for US secondary aluminum scrap varied by grade on Wednesday as scrap flows improved.
The weekly Davis Index for old cast rose by 2.1¢/lb to 72.8¢/lb delivered US consumer and old sheet increased by 1.5¢/lb to 71.5¢/lb delivered.
The official LME Aluminium cash price settled Wednesday at $2,220.50/mt up $18/mt from Mar 17.
Demand for secondary alloys remains strong despite the second round of production cuts by major automotive manufacturers such as GM, Ford, Honda, and Nissan, leading to buyers bidding higher for grades such as cast and twitch. However, participants note that reduced automotive production could pull prices down in the near term.
Zorba prices fell by a penny to 65.5¢/lb delivered US consumer while Tweak prices also declined by 1.5¢/lb to 72.5¢/lb delivered. The weekly index for twitch increased by a cent to settle at 80.5¢/lb delivered.
The index for high-grade turnings slipped by 0.2¢/lb to 68.5¢/lb delivered while mixed 2000/7000 series turnings fell by 0.5¢/lb to 64.7¢/lb delivered.