Global aluminium producers have offered Japanese buyers premiums of $98-$103 per metric ton for October-December primary metal shipments, down 5-9% from the current quarter, two sources directly involved in quarterly pricing talks said.

Japan is a major Asia importer of the metal and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price (CMAL0) set the benchmark for the region.

For the July-September quarter, Japanese buyers agreed to pay a premium of $108 per ton (PREM-ALUM-JP), down 41% from the prior quarter, reflecting sluggish demand.
Source: Reuters