What Happened
Canadian Aluminium Producer Navigates Tariff Disruption and Market Shifts
Rio Tinto’s aluminium exports to the US have recovered to pre-tariff levels, following a period of significant disruption caused by the imposition of 50% import duties. The company redirected Canadian volumes to European buyers during peak tariff disruption, and has since restored supply to US customers through a combination of strategic flexibility and commercial discipline. According to the article, the US Midwest premium has nearly tripled since mid-last year, driven by import tariffs, geopolitical supply disruption in the Middle East, and the structural absence of new domestic primary production capacity. This was first reported by an unknown source.