<p>The world's largest single aluminum smelter has been forced to cut production due to disruptions in raw material supply, revealing a supply chain crisis in the Middle East aluminum industry.</p>
<p>Aluminium Bahrain BSC (Alba) announced that it has <strong>initiated a phased shutdown of three production lines, involving a capacity that accounts for 19% of its total capacity. The direct reason for this move is the actual disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which has severely interfered with both metal exports and alumina raw material imports.</strong></p>
<p>The company stated that this shutdown is a &#34;controlled and safe operational measure&#34; aimed at ensuring business continuity, optimizing the efficiency of existing raw material inventory usage, and maintaining overall operational stability. Meanwhile, Trump has refused to accept the existing conditions of the Iran agreement, and tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, with a highly uncertain timeline for supply chain recovery.</p>
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<h2>Three Production Lines Shut Down, Scale Capacity Affected</h2>
<p>Alba operates the world's largest single aluminum smelter, with an annual total capacity of 1.6 million tons. The shutdown involves the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd reduction production lines, which together account for 19% of total capacity. The company will continue to maintain normal operations of the 4th, 5th, and 6th reduction lines and will implement structured asset maintenance and upkeep on the paused lines to ensure conditions for future resumption of production.</p>
<p>The majority of Alba's shares are held by the Bahrain government. The company stated that the purpose of this &#34;targeted action on specific production lines&#34; is to concentrate resource allocation and prioritize operational stability in the context of limited raw material inventory.</p>
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<h2>Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz Affects Overall Middle East Aluminum Industry</h2>
<p>The fundamental cause of this shutdown is the disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. <strong>This strait is a key passage for metal exports and alumina imports in the Middle East, and the actual disruption has led Alba and other Middle Eastern aluminum smelters to face dual pressures of raw material supply shortages and finished product shipment obstacles.</strong></p>
<p>Alumina is a core raw material for aluminum production. Once the import channels are blocked, the consumption of smelter inventory accelerates, forcing a trade-off between maintaining full production capacity and ensuring inventory safety. Alba's choice to proactively cut production is a preventive measure taken to manage liquidity and reduce short-term supply volatility risks.</p>
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<h2>Company Seeks Alternative Solutions to Address Supply Fluctuations</h2>
<p>According to the company's statement, Alba is actively developing alternative supply channels to reduce exposure to the current supply disruption situation. This move indicates that management anticipates that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to be resolved quickly, shifting crisis response from passive defense to proactive planning.</p>
<p>The company emphasized that the core objectives of this production cut include: maintaining production resilience, prudently managing working capital, and establishing a systematic maintenance mechanism for the paused lines. This statement aims to convey a message to the market—that this shutdown is a reversible operation, and once the supply chain is restored, the relevant capacity will be ready for restart.</p>
<p>However, with Trump clearly rejecting the existing terms of the Iran agreement and ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the operational outlook for Alba and other Middle Eastern aluminum producers remains under significant pressure, and market expectations for regional aluminum supply in the short term are also becoming cautious</p>

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<p>Bahrain Aluminium announced that it has initiated a phased shutdown of three production lines, involving a capacity that accounts for 19% of its total capacity. Considering the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to ease quickly in the short term, the company is developing alternative supply channels</p>

- Aluminium Bahrain BSC (Alba) has begun phased shutdowns of three production lines, affecting 19% of its total capacity due to disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.  
- The shutdown aims to ensure operational stability and optimize existing raw material inventory usage amid an ongoing supply chain crisis affecting the entire Middle East aluminum industry.  
- Alba is exploring alternative supply channels as a proactive measure while managing operational capital and signaling that the production cuts are reversible once the supply chain issues are resolved.

With the closure of the Hormuz Strait, the world's largest aluminum plant can no longer hold on