t the end of January 2026, aluminum prices at home and abroad ushered in a strong sharp rise, continuously pushing up the manufacturing costs of aluminum profile doors and windows and bringing considerable impact to foreign-related aluminum door and window enterprises. Against this background, leading domestic enterprises have accelerated their overseas layout, hedging cost pressures through overseas mergers and acquisitions, local cooperation and other methods, while small and medium-sized enterprises have reduced losses by relying on transit trade and process optimization, making the industry show a development trend of "coexisting pressure and opportunities."
Aluminum Prices Hit a Three-Year High; Foreign-Related Enterprises Face Significant Cost Pressures
Recently, the increase in aluminum prices has continued to expand, becoming a core problem plaguing foreign-related aluminum door and window enterprises. As of January 30, the closing price of the main Shanghai Aluminum contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was 24,560 yuan/ton, an increase of more than 8% from the beginning of January, with the highest touching 26,185 yuan/ton during the period; in the international market, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminum price climbed synchronously, standing firm at the 3,000 US dollars/ton mark, hitting a new high in nearly three years.
Since aluminum raw material costs account for 60%-70% of the manufacturing costs of aluminum doors and windows, the sharp rise in aluminum prices has directly led to a surge in enterprise production costs. Reporters learned from a number of foreign-related aluminum door and window enterprises that after this sharp rise in aluminum prices, the quotes of export products have generally been raised, with the price adjustment range of small and medium-sized enterprises ranging from 10 to 100 yuan per square meter. To avoid the risk of price fluctuations, some enterprises have shortened the validity period of export quotes to the same day, and even suspended the acceptance of long-term and large orders. Industry insiders analyzed that the current rise in aluminum prices is mainly affected by factors such as the tight balance between supply and demand of electrolytic aluminum, and the pull of downstream new energy and global infrastructure demand, and there may still be fluctuations and upward trends in the short term.
Leading Enterprises Lock in Raw Materials Through Overseas Mergers and Acquisitions to Alleviate Cost Pressures
Faced with the impact of rising aluminum prices, leading foreign-related enterprises have achieved a counter-trend breakthrough through their overseas merger and acquisition layout. On January 30, 2026, Aluminum Corporation of China Limited issued an announcement, planning to jointly acquire 68.596% equity of Brazilian Aluminum Company with Rio Tinto Group, with a basic transaction price of about 4.689 billion Brazilian Reals (equivalent to about 4.211 billion yuan). This acquisition has become a key measure for the enterprise to hedge against aluminum price fluctuations.
It is reported that Brazilian Aluminum Company is one of the oldest aluminum companies in Brazil, and also the only integrated aluminum complex in the region covering bauxite, alumina, electrolytic aluminum and aluminum processing. Its production and operation use 100% renewable electricity, which can not only provide stable aluminum raw material supply for Aluminum Corporation of China, but also reduce raw material transportation and import costs by virtue of local production advantages, effectively alleviating the pressure brought by the rise in aluminum prices. After the completion of the acquisition, Aluminum Corporation of China will also rely on the local channels of Brazilian Aluminum Company to radiate the South American aluminum door and window processing and building materials market, further improving its global layout.
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Reduce Costs and Stabilize Orders Through Overseas Cooperation + Transit Trade
Compared with the merger and acquisition layout of leading enterprises, small and medium-sized foreign-related aluminum door and window enterprises reduce costs and stabilize orders through overseas local cooperation, transit trade and other methods. Recently, Shandong Huajian Aluminum Industry has reached a long-term cooperation with Vietnam Yuehong Door and Window Processing and Manufacturing Company, directly shipping customized aluminum profiles to Vietnam for local processing. Through localized production, it reduces raw material transportation costs and avoids quotation risks caused by aluminum price fluctuations.
Transit trade has also become an important choice for small and medium-sized enterprises to cope with cost pressures and trade barriers. Faced with the trade policy restrictions of markets such as the EU and Australia, as well as the impact of rising aluminum prices, enterprises have successively exported through Malaysia transshipment, enjoying preferential low tax rates with the help of preferential policies such as ASEAN Certificate of Origin, while shortening the logistics cycle and reducing transportation costs. Data shows that between 2024 and 2025, the export volume of aluminum door and window products transshipped through Malaysia surged by 140% year-on-year, effectively helping enterprises reduce comprehensive costs.
Compliance Adaptation Combined with Layout Optimization; The Industry Gradually Resists Price Fluctuations
In addition to relying on overseas layout to hedge costs, enterprises also further improve their risk resistance capabilities through compliance adaptation and process optimization. In response to the requirements of the second phase of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), enterprises such as Jianmei and Xingfa have accelerated the acquisition of EU standard EN 14351-1 certification, disclosed the full-life-cycle carbon footprint of products, and enhanced the export competitiveness of products; at the same time, some enterprises have optimized production processes, improved the utilization rate of aluminum raw materials, and internally absorbed part of the cost pressure.
Industry insiders said that the current sharp rise in aluminum prices has forced foreign-related aluminum door and window enterprises to accelerate their global layout. The combination of overseas mergers and acquisitions, local cooperation and transit trade will become the mainstream choice for the industry to cope with price fluctuations. In the future, with the continuous optimization of enterprise supply chain layout and the continuous improvement of compliance capabilities, China's foreign-related aluminum door and window industry will gradually reduce the impact of aluminum price fluctuations and achieve steady development.