Zhongyuan Aluminum Price

Zhongyuan aluminum price refers to the daily spot benchmark for A00 aluminum ingots in North China's Central Plains region (Henan, Shanxi, Shandong), published by the Henan Nonferrous Metals Exchange. It serves as the primary reference for physical trading in China's traditional aluminum production cluster, reflecting regional supply-demand dynamics influenced by local policies and logistics costs.

Zhongyuan prices typically trade at a ¥80-150/ton discount to SHFE futures due to: 1) Proximity to Shanxi alumina refineries (supplying 40% of national output), 2) Higher concentration of smelting capacity increasing local supply, 3) Lower logistics costs for inland distribution. As of June 2025, the discount averaged ¥110/ton.

Key factors include: 1) Shanxi alumina price fluctuations (¥2850/ton as of June 2025), 2) Henan power rationing policies (2024 Q3 output dropped 8%), 3) SHFE futures arbitrage activities, 4) Construction demand cycles (consuming 45% of regional supply).

70% of North China processors adopt 'Base Price + Alloy Premium' model: Base price = Day's Zhongyuan A00 spot, alloy premium = ¥500-1800/ton based on product specifications. This allows cost-pass-through during raw material volatility while maintaining profit margins for high-value products like automotive aluminum.

Official sources updated at 10:10 AM CST daily: 1) Henan Nonferrous Metals Exchange spot platform, 2) Zhongyuan Commodity Market reports, 3) Weekly warehouse data from Zhengzhou (published Thursdays). Third-party platforms like SMM and Mysteel typically delay by 30-120 minutes.