{"id":24339,"date":"2026-08-05T08:54:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T08:54:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellste.com\/?p=24339"},"modified":"2026-08-05T08:54:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T08:54:48","slug":"how-much-is-aluminum-per-pound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellste.com\/ko\/how-much-is-aluminum-per-pound\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Is Aluminum Per Pound?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

How much aluminum is per pound will depend upon the market you choose to procure the metal from, and will vary accordingly, with primary aluminum available at the London Metal Exchange at a price point of around $1.44 per pound. In contrast, the delivered US price, inclusive of the Midwest premium, is estimated at around $2.40 per pound.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide covers all of those aspects of pricing: the price at the exchange, the delivered price, the price of scrap, the price of semi-finished product, and even the cost of extrusion, enabling you to set a price for your purchase or sale without simply relying on one number.<\/span><\/p>\n

Current Aluminum Market Price Per Pound\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Aluminum pricing is quoted in U.S. Dollars per metric tonne on the London Metal Exchange and is approximately $1.44 per pound, based on a cash price of $3,180 per tonne.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Buyers in the United States pay more for aluminum than the exchange price due to an additional regional premium.<\/span><\/p>\n

Price of Aluminum Per Kg and Per Ton\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The aluminum market price today consists of two parts:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • LME Cash Settlement – the global benchmark price of P1020 primary ingot, at $3,150-$3,200 per tonne as of the beginning of 2026.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Regional premium: the additional charge for delivering the metal physically into a specific market. For example, US Midwest Premium hit a historic high of around $2,182 per tonne in early 2026, crossing the mark of $1.00 per pound for the first time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Combined, the sum becomes the “all-in” price in excess of $5,340 per tonne, or about $2.42 per pound – nearly 70% higher than the price paid by a buyer who would purchase the metal only through the LME. This is the right answer to the question “Why is aluminum so expensive?”<\/span><\/p>\n

    When trying to find out how much aluminum is per pound today, remember that both parts change on a daily basis. Prices more than 48 hours old become unreliable for purchasing purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Primary Aluminum vs. Scrap Aluminum Pricing\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Costing miscalculations often arise from conversion calculations, especially where the metric tonne (2,204.62 lb) and the US short ton (2,000 lb) are involved.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Unit<\/span><\/td>\nLME basis (global)<\/span><\/td>\nUS all-in basis (delivered)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Per pound<\/span><\/td>\n~$1.44<\/span><\/td>\n~$2.42<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Per kilogram<\/span><\/td>\n~$3.18<\/span><\/td>\n~$5.34<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Per metric tonne<\/span><\/td>\n~$3,180<\/span><\/td>\n~$5,340<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Per short ton (2,000 lb)<\/span><\/td>\n~$2,885<\/span><\/td>\n~$4,845<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    The cost of aluminum in dollars per kilogram is just the cost of a tonne, divided by 1,000. One should always specify whether aluminum costs X dollars per tonne or X dollars per short ton \u2014 the difference is about 10%.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Primary Aluminum vs. Scrap Aluminum Pricing<\/b><\/h3>\n

    The price of the primary ingot is quoted on the exchange. The price of scrap is quoted at a discount to the exchange price, with the level of discount based upon the cost of bringing the material back up to alloy specification.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Clean scrap, in one alloy only, which can be charged directly into the remelt furnace, will trade near primary. Scrap with paint or attachments and mixed scrap will trade significantly lower than primary.<\/span><\/p>\n

    How Much Is Scrap Aluminum Worth Per Pound?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
    <\/div>\n