Technically Aluminium market is under fresh buying and getting support at 140.4 and below same could see a test of 138 levels and resistance is now likely to be seen at 144.6, a move above could see prices testing 146.4.
Aluminium on MCX settled up 0.85% at 142.80 gained on fresh buying as support seen after LME aluminium finished 0.3 percent higher at $2,214 a tonne.
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. aluminium demand last year was met by imports, according to Commerzbank (DE:CBKG). The premium for cash over three-month aluminium jumped to its highest since late August at $10 a tonne on Monday, from a discount of $1.50 at the end of last week, suggesting near-term tightness in the market.
Meanwhile US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross unveiled options on Friday for hefty U.S. steel and aluminium import restrictions. The Section 232 reviews contained global tariff options of at least 24 percent on steel products, and at least 7.7 percent on aluminium products.
With many Asian markets closed for the Lunar New Year break and U.S. markets also shut for Presidents Day, volumes were exceptionally light across base metals.
Support also seen as an scenario holds in aluminium, where prices got a shot in the arm last year, surging 33 percent, largely due to a clamp down by China on pollution that involved the closure and temporary shutdown of smelters.
"Overall, we expect the (Chinese) government to announce further environmentally-motivated shutdowns in 2018 and 2019," said Cailin Birch at the EIU in London. "Although the global market will remain tight, global sentiment will also take a hit as capacity restarts gather momentum, preventing faster price growth."
Analysts have deepened their consensus forecast of a global aluminium deficit in 2018 to 361,500 tonnes from 100,000 tonnes in the previous poll.
Trading Ideas:
--Aluminium trading range for the day is 138-146.4.
-- Aluminium rose as the United States said it was considering import tariffs on the metal.
-- Aluminium spreads have come under the most pressure since August reflecting tightening supply.
--The premium for cash over three-months widened to $10 as the major contract nears expiry, which is likely to trigger exchange deliveries.