Disclaimer

All content published on The Aluminum Dispatch — including LME / SHFE / Changjiang price quotes, FOB Shanghai composites, Freightos Baltic Index data, tariff rates, supplier Trust Scores, rankings, alloy selection guides, and fraud case summaries — is provided strictly for informational and educational purposes.

Nothing on this site constitutes investment advice, procurement advice, legal advice, tax advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any commodity, contract, or service. Every commercial decision is yours, and you should consult qualified professionals for your specific situation.

Prices from LME, SHFE, and Changjiang Non-Ferrous Metal Market are republished on a delayed basis and may lag live markets by hours or days. Our FOB Shanghai composite index is a weekly volume-weighted median of a small industry panel and may diverge from individual mill quotes. Freight indices are third-party composites (Freightos Baltic Index) and not a substitute for live carrier quotes.

We make no representation that any price shown is tradeable, executable, or accurate at the moment you view it. Do not use a price shown here as the basis for a contract without re-verifying against live sources.

Tariff tables pull from US HTS, Vietnam customs, Brazil Siscomex, Mexico SIAVI, Indonesia INSW and similar public portals. Rates change frequently (special duties, country-of-origin exceptions, anti-dumping determinations, Most-Favoured-Nation preferences under FTAs). Always re-verify against the source portal and, for shipments, consult a licensed customs broker.

Supplier profiles are built from public SAMR (State Administration for Market Regulation) registration data, company websites, licensed customs-data providers, and our own research. Information can be incomplete, outdated, or incorrectly filed at the source. A "Verified" badge indicates we have confirmed a defined set of data points (see /methodology); it is not a statement of financial health, operational quality, or fitness for any particular buyer.

Our Trust Score (0-100) is an algorithmic aggregation based on the formula published on /methodology. It is not a credit score, not a warranty, and not a substitute for your own due diligence. For material transactions, you must perform independent checks: site visits, factory audits, certified third-party inspections (SGS, BV, Intertek), sample testing, and legal verification.

Fraud case summaries are compiled from publicly reported incidents: court filings, arbitration rulings, customs enforcement notices, verified press coverage, and buyer-supplied documentation (with consent). We apply a two-source minimum rule and invite named sellers to respond. Inclusion of a case does not imply criminal liability — criminal findings require a court judgement. Absence of a seller from our fraud library does not imply trustworthiness.

Rankings (flagship and market-specific) are editorial opinions based on the weighted methodology published on /methodology. They are not rated financial instruments, not industry awards, and not a guarantee of future performance or reliability of any listed mill. Ranking position can change quarterly as data refreshes.

The landed-cost calculator, alloy picker, tariff lookup, and Incoterms reference are simplified tools for estimation. Real costs depend on negotiated terms, payment instruments, packaging, inland haulage, inspection fees, broker fees, and demurrage — none of which are fully modelled here. Estimates can deviate significantly from actual invoiced costs. Use at your own risk.

Before entering any transaction with a supplier described on this site, conduct independent due diligence appropriate to the transaction size and risk. This typically includes: requesting current business licence and export licence, confirming bank account ownership via independent channels, sample inspection and spectrographic testing, site visit or third-party audit, escrow or letter-of-credit payment structuring, and legal review of contract terms.

The Aluminum Dispatch is an information publisher, not a party to your commercial transactions and not liable for outcomes.

For full sourcing, refresh cadence, Trust Score formula, and ranking weights, see the /methodology page. Corrections are logged publicly. Report errors via /contact and we will review within 5 business days.