[Futures Hotspot Tracking] LME aluminum prices hit a four-year high. Affected by the Middle East conflict and supply-side contraction, LME aluminum spot prices have turned from a discount to a premium. How will prices develop in the future?

1. United States: As of February 27, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed that the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve held 415.4 million barrels of crude oil. In addition, U.S. private commercial reserves held 439.3 million barrels of crude oil. 2. Japan: As of the end of last year, the Japanese government held 260 million barrels of crude oil in stockpiles, with total national oil equivalent stockpiles of approximately 470 million barrels. The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan stated that the government's stockpiles were equivalent to 146 days of imports. In addition, private reserves held 180 million barrels of oil equivalent fuel (of which 90 million barrels were crude oil). 3. Germany: The German Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that the government held 110 million barrels of crude oil and 67 million barrels of refined petroleum products in stockpiles. 4. France The latest publicly available data shows that as of the end of 2024, France held approximately 120 million barrels of crude oil and refined product inventories. Of these, approximately 97 million barrels were held by the government-authorized agency SAGESS, with a composition roughly 30% crude oil, 50% diesel, 9% gasoline, 7.8% jet fuel, and some heating oil. Another 39 million barrels were held by the country's oil companies. 5. Italy: By law, Italy is required to maintain approximately 76 million barrels of inventory, equivalent to about 90 days of average net oil imports in 2024. 6. United Kingdom: Data from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero Emissions shows that as of February 26, the UK held approximately 38 million barrels of crude oil and 30 million barrels of refined product inventories. 7. Canada Canada does not have a strategic petroleum reserve, and as a net oil exporter, the IEA does not require it to establish one. As the world's fourth-largest crude oil producer, Canada's daily production exceeded 5 million barrels in December last year, with most of its exports going to the United States.

According to Iranian state media, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded to US President Trump's remarks by saying, "We are the ones who decide the end of the war."