Spotlight on costs

摘要

LME 3-months aluminium prices climbed by 60% from April 2009 to April 2010, reaching an 18-month high of 2,482 dollars/tonne. Thanks to the strong performance of metal prices, growth in raw material costs was compensated in many regions, such as Africa and Asia excluding China. In fact, more than 95% of smelters were able to operate at costs below the LME 3-month prices and enjoy better yield in Q2 2010, up from less than 50% at the trough of the cycle.