The SMM A00 aluminum ingot printed 23.46 RMB/kg on 16 October, down 0.86 RMB/kg from 21 September and 19% up from the four-week low. Mill 6061 aluminum bar is quoted at 26.9–27.9 RMB/kg (USD 3.76–3.90/kg) this week; cold-drawn bright bar at 29.0–30.5 RMB/kg. Conversion has not moved, so the all-in fall is smaller than the ingot fall.
Market Pulse: 6061 aluminum bar is trading in a 23.26–24.32 RMB/kg channel
This was a month of grinding lower, not a collapse. The SMM A00 ingot opened the four-week window at 24.32 RMB/kg on 21 September, lost ground in eight of the next eleven prints, touched 23.26 on 15 October, then bounced 0.20 RMB/kg on the final session. Net move: −0.86 RMB/kg, or −3.5%. The whole spread was 1,060 RMB/t, which is 4.4% of the price.
For buyers of 6061-T6 aluminum round bar, the important number is not the ingot print by itself, but how much of the bar price is metal. On mill extruded bar the metal is about 86% of the all-in figure, so a 3.5% ingot fall shows up as a 3.0% fall at the bar level. On cold-drawn bright bar the metal is about 79%, and the cushion is correspondingly bigger. That is why suppliers who quote "SMM plus conversion" have been adjusting in small steps rather than matching every ingot tick.
Two cautions on the data. First, SMM published no quotes between 30 September and 9 October because of the National Day holiday; the gap in the chart is a holiday, not a missing print. Second, the series below is the A00 ingot average, which is the benchmark every Chinese mill uses for bar conversion. It is not a 6061 billet price, so use it as the anchor for conversion rather than as a finished-bar quote.
SMM A00 aluminum ingot daily average, RMB/t, 21 September – 16 October 2026.
Price Snapshot: 6061 aluminum bar by form and spec, SMM basis
Indicative ex-works Henan levels for the week of 19 October 2026. Each line is the SMM A00 anchor (23.46 RMB/kg) plus the conversion premium for that form and size. Ranges, not fixed prices - a formal quote depends on size, temper, length, quantity and inspection scope.
| Form | Grade | Spec | SMM RMB/kg | USD eq | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extruded round bar, mill finish | 6061-T6 | Ø20–80 mm × 3,000 mm | 26.9–27.9 | 3.76–3.90 | ▼ Down −0.86 |
| Extruded round bar, mill finish | 6061-T6 | Ø80–180 mm × 3,000 mm | 27.3–28.5 | 3.82–3.99 | ▼ Down −0.86 |
| Cold-drawn bright round bar | 6061-T6 | Ø6–50 mm, h9, 3,000 mm | 29.0–30.5 | 4.06–4.27 | ▼ Down, conversion flat |
| Square / hex bar, extruded | 6061-T6 | 10–60 mm A/F × 3,000 mm | 27.5–28.7 | 3.85–4.01 | ▼ Down, conversion flat |
| Cut-to-length round bar | 6061-T651 | Ø100–250 mm, sawn ±1 mm | 28.1–29.7 | 3.93–4.15 | ▼ Down, premium firm |
| Anodized round bar, clear 10 µm | 6061-T6 | Ø20–80 mm × 3,000 mm | 29.1–30.9 | 4.07–4.32 | ▼ Down, anodizing flat |
Direction is measured against 21 September 2026 (start of the four-week window). Conversion premiums used: 3.4–4.4 RMB/kg for mill extruded bar Ø20–80 mm, 3.8–5.0 for Ø80–180 mm, 5.5–7.0 for cold-drawn h9, 4.0–5.2 for square and hex, 4.6–6.2 for sawn cut-to-length, plus 2.2–3.0 for clear anodizing. USD equivalent = RMB ÷ 7.15, before freight, insurance and duties; a CIF or FOB quote will differ. Prices are indicative and revised weekly - confirm against a formal GNEE quotation.
What moved 6061 aluminum bar prices this month
The four weeks break into four distinct moves. Read them as a sequence, because the reason for each one is different - and only the last one matters for a decision you take this week.
21–25 September: 6061 aluminum bar stalls at the top of the range
The window opened at 24.32 RMB/kg and gave back only 0.08 over the week. Prints on 23 and 24 September were identical at 24.24, which is what a balanced book looks like: mills sold what they extruded, no one was destocking, and the conversion premium for 6061-T6511 aluminum round bar held at the top of its band. Buyers who needed metal for October delivery were still paying the high end without argument.
28 September–2 October: holiday build weighs on 6061 aluminum bar
Two prints before the break, both negative: 24.11 on 29 September and 24.03 on 30 September. This is the standard pre-holiday pattern. Fabricators stop taking metal several days before the National Day break while smelters keep casting, so the last prints before the holiday carry the surplus. Nothing about 6061 demand changed in that week; the calendar did.
5–9 October: first post-holiday print cuts 6061 aluminum bar by 380 RMB/t
The 9 October print, the first after eight days without quotes, came in at 23.65 - 380 RMB/t below the 30 September close and the largest single-week drop in the window. Post-holiday restocking did not absorb the inventory that had built up, and holders who needed cash flow cut offers to move material. This is where most of the month's loss was booked, and where buyers who had been waiting got their fill.
12–16 October: 6061 aluminum bar finds a floor at 23,260 and bounces 200
The market tried to recover on 12 October (23.81), failed, and slid for three sessions to 23.26 on 15 October - the low of the window. The 16 October print added 200 RMB/t back to 23.46. One bounce is not a trend, but it is the first print in four weeks to rise off the low rather than out of a rally. For planning purposes, treat 23.26 as the tested floor and 23.46 as where the market currently sits: 19% up from the low, in the bottom fifth of the range.
6061 aluminum bar buying plan
With the metal 19% up from the four-week low and conversion unmoved, the decision is less about direction and more about which part of the price you are actually exposed to. Three profiles, three different answers.
| Order profile | Metal share of price | What to do this week |
|---|---|---|
| Mill extruded bar, 5–20 t, standard Ø | ~86% | Lock. Metal is near the floor; conversion will not come down. |
| Cold-drawn bright bar, h9, machined parts | ~79% | Lock conversion now, price metal at order date. |
| Anodized bar, visible architectural parts | ~78% | Lock. Anodizing surcharge is fixed quarterly, so waiting buys you metal only. |
| Sawn cut-to-length, Ø150–250 mm, urgent | ~81% | Lock. Large-section conversion is the scarce item, not the ingot. |
Lock: 6061 aluminum bar orders where conversion is a fifth of the price
On cold-drawn and anodized bar, conversion is 19–24% of the all-in figure, and it does not fall when the ingot falls. Waiting for another 100 RMB/t on the ingot saves 0.10 RMB/kg - less than the spread you are already negotiating on the conversion line. If you have a production date inside 30 days, fixing the whole price now removes the only variable you cannot control. Keep the fixed price tied to a stated SMM date in the contract so both sides can audit it.
Wait: the case against sitting out 6061 aluminum bar orders
Waiting paid this month, but only just, and only on paper. On a 20 t order at about USD 4/kg the goods are worth roughly USD 80,000. At 6% a year for inventory finance and storage, holding that order costs about USD 400 a month - USD 0.02/kg, or 0.14 RMB/kg. Over the four weeks the ingot fell 0.86 RMB/kg, so a buyer who waited until 16 October beat the carry cost by about 0.72 RMB/kg, roughly USD 2,000 on 20 t. The same buyer now faces a print that rose 200 RMB/t on the last session and a floor that has been tested at 23,260.
That carry cost is the number to beat: about 0.03–0.04 RMB/kg a week. Wait only if you think the market will fall faster than that for the whole period you are waiting. If your consumption date is inside six weeks, locking converts a 0.7 RMB/kg paper gain into a real one. The finance and storage rates used here are indicative - substitute your own and the bar moves.
Re-grade: 6082-T6 and 6063-T5 aluminum bar against 6061-T6
Re-grading is the only lever in this brief that moves the price by more than the market did. 6082-T6 aluminum bar carries a conversion premium of 3–6% over 6061-T6 (about 0.10–0.26 RMB/kg) and a higher guaranteed strength: 310 MPa minimum UTS at wall ≤5 mm, 295 MPa at 5–25 mm under EN 755-2, against 262 MPa minimum for 6061-T6 bar under ASTM B221. If your drawing is strength-limited, 6082-T6 buys margin for less than a 1% price increase. At the other end, 6063-T5 aluminum round bar runs 0.5–0.9 RMB/kg below 6061-T6 in conversion [To be confirmed by section] and still guarantees 152 MPa UTS - enough for trim, heat-sink bodies and non-structural frames. Both substitutions need a drawing check before you commit; send the section and we will confirm extrusion availability.
Supply and lead time for 6061 aluminum bar from GNEE
GNEE holds and produces 6061 bar in extruded and cold-drawn form, with cut-to-length and anodizing arranged on the same order. Standard tempers are T6, T651 and T6511. Every shipment leaves with a Mill Test Certificate to EN 10204 3.1; 3.2 and third-party inspection by SGS, BV or TUV can be added before booking. The full aluminum bar range lists every section we stock; the aluminum rod category covers round bar from Ø6 mm upwards.
| Dimension type | Typical range | Tolerance standard |
|---|---|---|
| Round bar, extruded | Ø10–300 mm | EN 755-3 / ASTM B221 |
| Round bar, cold-drawn | Ø6–50 mm, h9 / h11 | ASTM B211 / EN 754-3 |
| Square bar | 10×10–120×120 mm | EN 755-3 |
| Hex bar | 10–80 mm across flats | EN 755-3 |
| Length | 1,000–6,000 mm, cut ±1 mm | By order |
| Temper | T6 / T651 / T6511 | ASTM B221 / EN 755-2 |
Sizes outside these ranges are quoted case by case. Monthly capacity for 6061 bar is [To be confirmed] - ask for the current loading before you plan a release schedule. Chemical composition follows EN 573-3; mechanical properties are certified per heat on the MTC.
Export compliance for 6061 aluminum bar and controlled 7xxx grades
6061 is a 6xxx alloy and is not on China's dual-use export control list, so 6061 aluminum bar in any of the forms above ships on a normal export licence exemption. The controlled list covers high-strength 2xxx and 7xxx grades - 7075, 7050, 2024, 2014, 2017, 7A04, 2195, 7068, 7055, 7150 - and it triggers on two conditions that must both be met: a tensile strength of 460 MPa or more at 20 °C, and a form that is either tube with an outside diameter above 75 mm or solid cylindrical bar. Flat-rolled product, tube at or below 75 mm OD, profiles and forgings fall outside the controlled forms. Where a design calls for a 7xxx bar that does trigger both conditions, we will say so before quoting and discuss 6082-T6 or 6061-T6 with you at the drawing stage. We screen every order against the list before booking, and no shipment leaves without that check.
About GNEE
Aluminum supplier since 2008, exporting to 100+ countries and regions.
6061 bar in extruded, cold-drawn, square and hex form; cut-to-length and anodizing on the same order.
MOQ flexible: small trial orders and large-volume or full-container orders are both accepted.
Lead time 15–30 days from deposit, confirmed per size and temper at order.
Mill Test Certificate EN 10204 3.1 with every shipment; 3.2 and SGS / BV / TUV inspection on request.
FOB or CIF, T/T or L/C, quoted against the SMM aluminum price of the order date.
Request a quote for 6061 aluminum bar at this week's SMM basis
Send the four things that decide the price: diameter or section, temper, length, and quantity. We reply within 24 hours with a per-kg figure broken into metal and conversion, so you can see which part of the quote moves with the market and which part is fixed. If you are comparing suppliers, ask them for the same split - a single all-in number hides where the difference is.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the price of 6061 aluminum bar this week?
- Indicative ex-works Henan levels for the week of 19 October 2026: mill extruded bar Ø20–80 mm at 26.9–27.9 RMB/kg (USD 3.76–3.90), Ø80–180 mm at 27.3–28.5, cold-drawn bright h9 at 29.0–30.5, and clear anodized at 29.1–30.9. The SMM A00 anchor behind those figures was 23.46 RMB/kg on 16 October. Treat all of it as a range to be confirmed on a formal quote.
- Why is 6061 aluminum bar priced above the SMM ingot price?
- The SMM A00 print is the raw ingot. Bar adds conversion: billet casting, extrusion or cold drawing, heat treatment to T6, straightening, cutting and inspection. That conversion runs 3.4–7.0 RMB/kg depending on form and size, so the all-in bar price sits roughly 14–31% above the ingot. Conversion is a cost, not a market position, which is why it moves far more slowly than the ingot.
- Is 6061 aluminum bar subject to Chinese export control?
- No. 6061 is a 6xxx alloy and is not on the dual-use list. The list covers high-strength 2xxx and 7xxx grades and only triggers when tensile strength is 460 MPa or more at 20 °C and the form is tube above 75 mm OD or solid cylindrical bar. If your project uses one of those grades in a controlled form, tell us the grade and section at enquiry stage and we will confirm the licence position before quoting.
- What is the minimum order quantity and lead time?
- MOQ is flexible - small trial orders and large-volume, full-container or long-term contract orders are all accepted, and larger orders are welcome. Lead time is 15–30 days from deposit, confirmed per size, temper and quantity when we quote.
- Do you supply a Mill Test Certificate with 6061 aluminum bar?
- Yes. Every shipment includes an EN 10204 3.1 certificate covering chemical composition to EN 573-3 and mechanical properties per heat. 3.2 certification and third-party inspection by SGS, BV or TUV can be arranged if your project requires it.
- How do I calculate the weight of a 6061 aluminum bar?
- Round bar: kg/m = 0.00212 × diameter² (mm), using 2.70 g/cm³. A Ø50 mm bar is 5.30 kg/m; a Ø150 mm bar is 47.7 kg/m. Square and flat bar: kg/m = width × thickness × 0.0027 with both dimensions in mm. Hex bar: kg/m = 0.00234 × (across-flats)². Add 3–5% for cutting loss on sawn lengths.
