China’s WFA prices rise on soaring freight rates; BFA, bauxite up on stronger yuan

摘要

China’s price for white fused alumina (WFA) moved up during the fortnight to Thursday November 12 amid surging container freight rates, while the markets for brown fused alumina (BFA) and refractory-grade bauxite edged higher on the rising value of the Chinese yuan and the threat of environmental controls on operations in major production hubs. Global demand for refractory raw materials such as bauxite and fused alumina remained generally slow during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, but an imbalance in global trade flows and a stronger Chinese yuan, as well as a new round of China’s environmental controls for winter, were leading to firmer markets for bauxite and fused alumina.