October 30, 2026 · Aluminum Alloy

5083 Aluminum Plate Price 2026: Marine Grade Cost per Kg from China

5083 H116 marine aluminum plate in 6–25 mm ran at an indicative RMB 27–32 per kg on October 20, 2026, about USD 3.40–4.00 per kg at 7.10. The SMM East China A00 ingot behind it printed at RMB 23,530 per tonne. Class-society certified plate adds RMB 1.0–2.0 per kg on top. Chinese mills take 2 tonne orders and ship in 7–20 working days.

I quote aluminum plate, sheet and coil to boat yards, tank fabricators and ship outfitters most weeks. The first question is nearly always the same. Why does marine grade cost more than 3003 or 6061?

The answer is not one number. It is four numbers stacked, and only one of them is the metal. Here is how the aluminum plate price builds up, where each number comes from, and what to check before you wire a deposit.

What the Aluminum Plate Price Covers

Start with the ingot, because that is the only part of the price you can check daily yourself.

SMM put East China A00 ingot at RMB 23,530 per tonne on October 20, down RMB 120 from RMB 23,650 the session before. That looks soft. The structure under it was not.

Social inventory stood at 607,000 tonnes, down 29,000 tonnes week on week, the fastest destocking pace in years. Spot traded at a premium of about 290 yuan per tonne over the front contract. A high, holding premium keeps finished plate firm even when the ingot ticks down.

So when a buyer tells me the ingot fell and asks why my quote did not, this is the reason. Ingot is one line. Plate is ingot plus rolling, plus temper, plus certification, plus freight.

Layer RMB per kg Who controls it
SMM A00 ingot, East China (Oct 20, 2026) ≈ 23.5 Exchange and spot market
Rolling + marine alloy premium → 5083 H116, 6–25 mm 27.0 – 32.0 total Mill rolling schedule
Class-society certification (DNV, ABS, LR, BV, CCS) +1.0 – 2.0 Testing and witness scope
Ocean freight to your port separate line Container weight, not volume

The 27–32 band is the SMM-benchmarked figure published for the week of October 20. Market consensus for 5083 H116 sits broadly at RMB 25,000–35,000 per tonne. Ask any supplier which day's ingot and which premium his quote is built on, and ask for it in writing on the PI.

5083 H116 Price by Thickness Band

Thickness moves the price more than most buyers expect. Thin plate is rolled more times and rolls flatter, so it costs more per kilo than 10 mm. Very thick plate runs on a different mill and carries a different premium.

Thickness Indicative RMB/kg USD/kg at 7.10 Typical use
3 – 6 mm 28.5 – 33.5 4.0 – 4.7 Superstructure, deckhouse, tanks
6 – 25 mm 27.0 – 32.0 3.8 – 4.5 Hull plating, stiffeners, marine structures
25 – 50 mm 27.5 – 33.0 3.9 – 4.6 Heavy hull sections, keel, offshore nodes
50 – 120 mm 29.0 – 36.0 4.1 – 5.1 Mold plate, machined marine components

Only the 6–25 mm band is the published SMM-benchmarked figure. The other three come from our own October quotes, so use them as planning numbers and confirm on the day you order. Aluminum moves with the ingot, and a week is enough time for that number to change.

Temper moves it too. H116 and H321 are strain hardened and priced above O and H111, and they are what the class rules want for strength. If a quote looks cheap, check the temper before you check anything else.

5083 vs 5754 vs 5086: What You Are Paying For

5754 is cheaper per kilo than 5083. Many buyers take it for that reason, and for some parts that is the right call. For hull plating it usually is not.

The mechanical property tables in IACS Unified Requirement W25 cover rolled marine alloys in 3–50 mm: 5083, 5086, 5383, 5059, 5754 and 5456, in tempers O, H111, H112, H116 and H321. Minimum values, straight from that document:

Grade / temper Yield Rp0.2 min (N/mm2) Tensile Rm min (N/mm2) Elongation A5d min (%)
5083 H116 215 305 10
5083 H321 215 – 295 305 – 385 10
5083 O / H111 125 275 – 350 14
5086 H116 195 275 9
5754 O / H111 80 190 – 240 17
5456 H116 230 315 10

Read the 5754 line against 5083 H116. Yield 80 against 215 N/mm2. That is the whole argument. 5754 is formable and welds easily, which is why it shows up in superstructures, interiors and non-structural panels. It is not hull plate.

Note also that UR W25 covers 3–50 mm. Outside that range you need the classification society to agree before the mill rolls, and that permission costs time.

What Certification Adds and Why

Class-society plate carries a premium of RMB 1.0–2.0 per kg. Buyers ask me whether it is worth it. On a flagged vessel it is not optional, so the question answers itself.

What you get for that premium: heat traceability, mechanical testing per heat, and a certificate that names the plate, not just the mill. DNV, ABS, LR, BV and CCS are the ones I handle most. Add an EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate and you have a document chain from ingot to your yard.

One point that surprises buyers: 5083 is not on China's dual-use export control list. It ships as a normal commercial product. Some 7xxx and 2xxx forms above defined strength thresholds do carry dual-use conditions, so if your project mixes alloys, check the 7075 line separately from the marine line.

MOQ, Container Loading and Part Loads

Chinese mills commonly accept 2 tonnes on 5083. Below that, most will quote from stock rather than roll, and the price per kilo goes up.

Here is the arithmetic that decides your freight. 5083 runs at a density of about 2.66 g/cm3, so a square meter weighs 2.66 kg per millimeter of thickness.

Thickness kg per m2 2000 x 6000 sheet (kg) Sheets in 25 t
6 mm 16.0 192 130
10 mm 26.6 319 78
20 mm 53.2 638 39
25 mm 66.5 798 31

Aluminum is weight limited, not volume limited. A 40ft high cube gives you space you cannot fill. A 20ft container carries close to the same payload, which is why most plate ships in 20ft boxes.

Part loads are accepted. Expect a per-tonne premium for it, and ask for the exact figure instead of assuming.

Lead Time: China Mill vs Western Mill

CRU's October survey showed aluminum sheet lead times edging higher again. In September the average sat at about 7.8 weeks, up from 6.4 weeks in August. Auto body sheet ran 9 weeks, common alloy 7.66 and can sheet 7.

Those are US and European domestic mill figures. They are the reason buyers keep calling China.

On our side, 5083 H116 in stock tempers runs 7–20 working days from a 2 tonne order. Add 1–2 weeks if the order needs class witness testing on a schedule the surveyor has to attend. Then ocean freight: 12–18 days to Southeast Asia, 25–35 days to Europe, Latin America or the US East Coast.

China's September exports of unwrought aluminum and semis hit their highest monthly level in three months, so material is moving. Do not read that as a reason to wait for a lower price. The ingot inventory draw is steep, and the spot premium is holding.

Five Checks Before You Pay a Deposit

I have seen a yard reject a container because the certificate said H111 and the drawing said H116. The plate was fine. The paperwork was not, and the fix cost six weeks.

  1. Match the heat number. The number stamped on the plate must appear on the mill test certificate. No match, no payment.
  2. Read the temper line. H116 and H111 look similar on a quote and are not similar in service. 125 against 215 N/mm2 yield.
  3. Check the chemistry on the MTC. 5083 carries magnesium 4.0–4.9 percent and manganese 0.40–1.0 percent. A 5754 certificate has lower limits and will not pass a class surveyor.
  4. Confirm the certificate scope. A class certificate should name the thickness, the heat and the society. A mill letterhead is not a class certificate.
  5. Verify bank details twice. Beneficiary name must equal the business licence name. Never a personal account, and re-confirm any mid-order change on a number you already had.

If plate will be cut into parts, tell the mill the cut plan before rolling. Sheet up to about 6 mm cuts cleanly on a fiber laser cutting machine once you run nitrogen and the right focus. Plate above 10 mm usually goes to plasma, waterjet or saw, and the edge prep changes what you order.

For a full specification range, our aluminum alloy plate and coil page lists the grades and tempers we keep in the mill schedule. Send the drawing and the destination port, and I will come back with a landed number, not just an FOB price.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 5083 aluminum plate cost per kg in October 2026?

For 5083 H116 in 6–25 mm, the SMM-benchmarked indicative range is RMB 27–32 per kg, roughly USD 3.40–4.00 at 7.10. Class-society certified plate adds RMB 1.0–2.0 per kg. The ingot anchor on October 20 was RMB 23,530 per tonne, and market consensus for the grade sits at RMB 25,000–35,000 per tonne.

Is 5754 or 5083 better for a boat hull?

5083, and the numbers explain why. IACS UR W25 lists 5083 H116 at 215 N/mm2 minimum yield and 5754 O/H111 at 80 N/mm2. 5754 is easier to form and weld, so it suits superstructures, interior panels and non-structural parts. Hull plating below the waterline is 5083, 5086 or 5383 territory.

Is 5083 aluminum plate subject to China export control?

No. 5083 is a 5xxx alloy and ships as a standard commercial product. Some 7xxx and 2xxx forms above defined strength thresholds do carry dual-use conditions. If your order mixes marine plate with 7075 mold plate, treat them as two separate export lines.

What is the MOQ and lead time for marine aluminum plate?

Two tonnes is the usual minimum on 5083, though stock sizes can go lower. Production runs 7–20 working days for standard tempers, and 1–2 weeks more when class witness testing is required. Ocean freight adds 12–18 days within Southeast Asia and 25–35 days to Europe or the Americas. We quote these against our aluminum plate stock and mill schedule rather than a generic table.

How do I check a mill test certificate for 5083?

Three things. The heat number on the plate matches the certificate, the chemistry shows magnesium 4.0–4.9 percent and manganese 0.40–1.0 percent, and the mechanical values clear 215 N/mm2 yield with at least 10 percent elongation for H116. A class certificate should also name the thickness and the society that issued it.

Can 5083 plate be cut to size before shipping?

Yes, and it usually saves money. Sheet and thin plate cut on a fiber laser or a shear, thick plate on a saw or waterjet. Send the nesting drawing with the enquiry so the mill can quote the cut parts and the freight weight together.

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Written by David Chen, Sales Engineer at FANY LASER. Connect on LinkedIn for aluminum and stainless sourcing, price data and market updates.

Sources: SMM East China A00 ingot price RMB 23,530 per tonne, social inventory 607,000 tonnes and spot premium about 290 yuan per tonne, as published in the 5083 H116 price snapshot for the week of October 20, 2026; SMM-benchmarked indicative range RMB 27.0–32.0 per kg for 5083 H116 plate in 6–25 mm with a class-society premium of RMB 1.0–2.0 per kg; IACS Unified Requirement W25, Aluminium alloys for hull construction and marine structures, mechanical property tables for rolled products 3–50 mm including 5083, 5086, 5383, 5059, 5456 and 5754 in tempers O, H111, H112, H116 and H321; CRU Aluminum Market Update survey of October 2026 on aluminum sheet lead times, with the September figure of about 7.8 weeks against 6.4 weeks in August; SMM reporting on China's September exports of unwrought aluminum and aluminum semis. Thickness bands outside 6–25 mm are our own factory-direct planning ranges, and every figure here should be confirmed on the day of quotation.