en.Wedoany.com Reported - In May 2026, aluminum inventories on the London Metal Exchange (LME) fell to 254,625 metric tons, the lowest level since April 2025. The global supply tightening was primarily driven by disruptions in production and logistics in the Middle East, reducing the flow of metal into the spot market.

The core factor behind this sharp inventory decline was the massive withdrawal of Indian-origin aluminum from exchange warehouses. LME monthly country-of-origin data showed that withdrawals reached 71,750 metric tons in that month, leaving Indian-brand aluminum inventories at just 17,450 metric tons, the lowest level in two years.

Russian-origin aluminum inventories also showed a downward trend, standing at 237,175 metric tons at the end of May, the lowest since August 2025, reflecting the ongoing restrictions imposed on Russian metal within the LME system.

Notably, despite the decline in total Russian aluminum inventories, their share of available aluminum in LME warehouses rose from 72% in April to 93% in May. This was due to the large-scale withdrawal of Indian metal, leaving Russian and Indian brands as the only two countries of origin in exchange aluminum inventories.

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