China Aluminum Price Today
Live China aluminum price from the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), shown in US dollars and Chinese yuan per tonne.
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China Aluminum Price (SHFE)
Shanghai Futures Exchange settlement in US dollars ($/tonne)
How China prices aluminum
China is by far the world's largest aluminum producer and consumer, and the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) aluminum contract is its domestic benchmark. SHFE quotes aluminum in Chinese yuan per tonne; we convert it to US dollars so you can compare China's aluminum price with the LME.
Why China's aluminum price matters
Aluminum demand in China spans construction, packaging, power transmission, and a fast-growing share from electric vehicles and solar mounting. Because China's smelting capacity is effectively capped by policy, SHFE aluminum is sensitive to power costs and supply-side reform.
Reading the chart in yuan and dollars
SHFE quotes aluminum in Chinese yuan per tonne (¥/t). Use the currency toggle above the chart to switch between the native yuan price and the US-dollar equivalent, which we compute from the live USD/CNY exchange rate. Viewing both makes it easy to separate a real move in the aluminum price from a move that is really just the yuan strengthening or weakening against the dollar. For warehouse inventory and settlement detail, see our SHFE aluminum page.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How is the China aluminum price set?
- China's aluminum benchmark is the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) aluminum contract, settled daily in Chinese yuan per tonne. We convert it to US dollars per tonne with the live USD/CNY rate for a like-for-like comparison with the LME.
- Why is China so central to the aluminum price?
- China produces and consumes more aluminum than the rest of the world combined. Its government caps national smelting capacity at around 45 million tonnes a year, so the SHFE aluminum price reacts sharply to power costs, hydro availability in Yunnan, and supply-side policy.
- What drives China's aluminum demand?
- Construction and property, packaging, power transmission cable, transport, and a rapidly rising share from electric vehicles and solar-panel framing. Lightweighting in autos and the energy transition are the key long-run demand drivers.
- How does the China aluminum price compare with the LME?
- SHFE aluminum and the LME three-month price usually move together, but differ on the SHFE-LME arbitrage, import VAT, and freight. A wide premium on SHFE signals tight domestic supply or strong demand relative to imports.