A smelter owned by mining and energy group PT Alamtri Resources Indonesia made its first aluminium exports in June, shipping to the U.S. and South Korea, according to Export Genius, a trade data platform.
PT Kalimantan Aluminium Industry, which is located on the island of Borneo and began commissioning its first phase at the end of last year, shipped 31,494 metric tons of primary aluminium to the U.S. last month as well as 3,569 tons to South Korea, Export Genius data showed.
The U.S. has been seeking alternative sources of aluminium amid disruption to deliveries from key suppliers in the Gulf due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran; shortages pushed U.S. aluminium premiums AUPc1 to a record high last month.
Some 18,500 tons of aluminium were shipped to the U.S. in March from another emerging Indonesian smelter, the Juwan project developed by Chinese firms Tsingshan and Xinfa.
The latest U.S.-bound shipment was bought by trading house Mercuria and is en route to Brownsville, Texas, having left Indonesia on June 10, the Export Genius data showed.
The shipment to South Korea, which also relies on Gulf smelters for supply, was bought by Vitol and was heading to Incheon, having departed on June 29, the data showed.
An Alamtri spokesperson said the group’s smelting project had received strong interest from prospective customers and was targeting aluminium ingot sales of up to 350,000 tons this year, covering domestic and overseas markets.
Mercuria had no immediate comment. A Vitol spokesperson said the firm did not comment on trading activity.