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Aluminum Rises to 10-Year High on Speculation Output Will Drop Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Aluminum rose to a 10-year high in London on forecasts that China, the largest producer of the lightweight metal, may curb output next year because of high raw material prices. Aluminum smelters use two metric tons of alumina, a white powder refined from bauxite, to make each ton of aluminum. Spot alumina prices are at their highest in at least 10 years, according to data from U.K. publishing company Metal Bulletin. China's average daily aluminum production in October fell to 22,000 tons compared with 22,967 tons in September, the China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association said today. ``High prices and tightness in the alumina market can be expected to lead to decreased output from Chinese aluminum smelters next year,'' said Ingrid Sternby, an analyst in London at Barclays Capital, in a report today. Aluminum for delivery in three months on the London Metal Exchange traded as high as $2,070 a ton, beating by $7 the last 10-year high set Nov. 14. The metal was up $28, or 1.4 percent, at $2,065 as of 5:05 p.m. local time. Spot prices for alumina have increased 36 percent this year to $550 a ton. To contact the reporters on this story: Simon Casey in London [e-mail] Last Updated: November 21, 2005 12:16 EST