(March 15): Aluminium Bahrain BSC, which runs the world’s largest single-site smelter of the metal, started a phased production shutdown to preserve raw materials as the vital Strait of Hormuz remains at a near standstill. Along with other aluminum smelters in the Middle East, state-owned Alba has been facing disruptions to outbound shipments of metal and incoming supplies of alumina feedstock due to shipping constraints at Hormuz. Alba suspended sales to customers earlier this month, while Qatar’s state-owned energy producer was forced to halt aluminum production due to a shortage of natural gas. Aluminum is the most ubiquitous industrial metal after steel, but in recent years the market has been periodically rocked by supply shocks. It has exposed fragilities in the complex network of bauxite mines, alumina refineries and aluminum smelters that supply to manufacturers around the world — often in highly specialised forms that can’t readily be replaced.

Source: The Edge Markets March 15, 2026 12:04 UTC