Aluminium sheet price, week 44/2026: SMM A00 edges up to 23,780

In week 44/2026 (26 October to 1 November), the Chinese aluminium ingot price opened with a sharp rise and then moved sideways. In the last session of the week, Friday 30 October, the SMM A00 aluminium ingot price closed at 23,780 CNY/t, up 110 CNY/t (about 0.5%) from 23 October, the last session of week 43. The weekly high was 23,970 CNY/t on 26 October and the low was 23,740 CNY/t on 29 October.

SMM A00 aluminium ingot price chart, week 44/2026, closing at 23,780 CNY/t on 30 October

SMM A00 over the last seven sessions, LME 3-month and Vietcombank USD rate (compiled by H&D Steel)

Aluminium sheet price, week 44/2026: key figures

Indicator	Date	Price
SMM A00 aluminium ingot (benchmark)	30/10/2026	23,780 CNY/t
LME aluminium 3-month (reference)	30/10/2026	3,080 USD/t
Vietcombank USD selling rate	02/11/2026	25,990 VND

The SMM A00 price is the price of A00-grade aluminium ingot in warehouse in Shanghai or Wuxi and includes China's 13% value-added tax. The price of sheet and coil landed in Vietnam equals the ingot price plus rolling and processing fees (hot rolling, cold rolling, annealing, slitting), freight, import duty and financing costs. These add-ons move little with the ingot price, so sheet prices usually move later and by less than A00. Earlier weeks are collected in our weekly aluminium sheet price table.

SMM A00 over the last seven sessions

Week 43 ended at 23,670 CNY/t after a high of 23,710 CNY/t on 22 October. In week 44, the 26 October session jumped 300 CNY/t to 23,970 CNY/t. The next three sessions drifted lower: 23,890 CNY/t (27 October), 23,930 CNY/t (28 October) and 23,740 CNY/t (29 October), the last a fall of 190 CNY/t. On 30 October the price edged up 40 CNY/t to 23,780 CNY/t. Most of the Monday gain was erased, leaving the week only 110 CNY/t higher.

Stocks kept falling, but more slowly. According to SMM, aluminium ingot inventory in China's main consumption areas stood at 549,000 tonnes on 29 October and 547,000 tonnes on 2 November, just 2,000 tonnes below Thursday. SMM also noted that the early-week rise slowed downstream buying. The A00 spot premium eased further: 160–180 CNY/t on 28 October and 110–130 CNY/t in the 30 October session, well below the 240–260 CNY/t of 23 October. SMM expects prices to consolidate and adjust in the short term.

LME, the Fed and the exchange rate

Unlike the previous week, London rose more than China. LME three-month aluminium climbed from 3,027 USD/t (26 October) to 3,084 USD/t (28 October) and closed the week at 3,080 USD/t on 30 October, 62 USD/t (about 2.1%) above 23 October.

On 28 October the US Federal Reserve (Fed) held its policy rate at 3.75–4%, with two members preferring a rise. According to SMM, the dollar index fell sharply after the decision. The rate in Vietnam eased further: on the morning of 2 November, Vietcombank quoted a USD selling rate of 25,990 VND, 40 VND below the morning of 26 October.

What this means for aluminium sheet and coil buyers

Answering last week's three questions. The Fed did not raise rates and the dollar weakened. Thursday 29 October stocks fell again, to 549,000 tonnes. A00 stayed above 23,530 CNY/t all week, with a weekly low of 23,740 CNY/t.

Prices are moving sideways at a higher level, without momentum to break out. The week 44 low was about 210 CNY/t above the week 43 low, but slower destocking and a falling spot premium show downstream demand is not strong. Material needed for November and early December can be partly priced now, with the rest waiting for clearer signals.

Ask which price point a quote uses. The gap between the highest and lowest sessions of week 44 was 230 CNY/t. When a supplier prices sheet on A00, ask which session they use and whether the rolling fee covers A1050 aluminium sheet, A3003 or A5052, and at what thickness.