Top Aluminum Makers Hike US Surcharge as War Disrupts Supply

Rio Tinto Group and Century Aluminum Co. hiked premiums on a key semi-processed aluminum product in the US by about 12% in recent weeks after the Iran war disrupted imports from the Middle East, according to people familiar with the matter.

Both major US suppliers raised the premium on aluminum blocks known as billets by about 3 cents a pound, or $110 a ton, above pre-war levels, said the people who asked not to be named discussing private commercial matters. Rio is also pushing customers to accept multiyear contracts with the higher rate, one of the people said.