A sharp decline in the premiums that aluminium buyers pay in addition to the London Metal Exchange (LME) price is cutting a final means of support that had insulated primary aluminium producers from difficult market headwinds. US midwest premiums that have helped mitigate the effect of falling LME prices on primary aluminium producers have fallen by nearly $400/t this year, eroding US producers' margins as they struggle with high energy costs and a strong US dollar that inhibits their global competitiveness.
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