US secondary aluminum smelter scrap prices were mixed this week amid concerns over possible supply chain disruptions. Secondary smelters are working to fill inventory positions on raw materials to max out capacity.
The Davis Index for 1-1-3 sows increased by a penny to 41¢/lb, Wednesday, while the Indices for old sheet and old cast increased by a penny to 40¢/lb and 39¢/lb, respectively. The Index for mixed 2000/7000 series solids was flat at 40¢/lb and decreased by 2¢ to 43¢/lb for secondary MLC.
Tweak, Twitch, and Zorba prices dropped by roughly two pennies on each grade on Wednesday, as consumers started to max out their inventory levels, leaving the Davis index price for Tweak, Twitch, and Zorba at 41¢/lb, 42¢/lb, and 43¢/lb, respectively.
Suppliers pushed back and asked for higher pricing, but ultimately gave in to lower bids as the three-month LME aluminum contract lost more ground, slipping to 78.25¢/lb on Wednesday from 79.17¢/lb on Jan 29.
With the deals made and inventories filling up, smelters are looking to lower prices on those grades that increased since last week’s index once they buy what they need.