Aluminum prices soar to a four-year high, Middle East conflict disrupts aluminum supply.

Aluminum is an important industrial metal and one of the most affected non-oil commodities in the Middle East conflict. Bahrain Aluminum Company operates the world's largest single aluminum smelter, with an annual production capacity of about 1.6 million tons. Due to the impact of shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the company announced the phased shutdown of three production lines over the weekend, totaling 19% of its total capacity. This news pushed international aluminum prices to a four-year high, with the three-month aluminum price on the London Metal Exchange briefly approaching $3,500 per ton on the 16th, rising by over 11% before falling back slightly. Citibank analysts have raised their three-month aluminum price expectations from $3,400 per ton to $3,600 per ton, and predicted that if the supply situation worsens, aluminum prices could climb to $4,000 per ton. Analysts point out that tight aluminum supply could impact advanced manufacturing supply chains, raising production costs for industries such as automotive, aerospace, and construction.