Strait of Hormuz disruptions choke Middle East supply, driving record premiums

Severe maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have heavily choked bauxite and alumina supply chains for Middle Eastern production giants EGA and Alba. Producers are forced to utilize high-cost dark transits, Indian transshipment hubs, and overland trucking to maintain operations. Consequently, the raw material cost spike has pushed the U.S. Midwest aluminum premium to an all-time record high of $2,623 per metric ton.