A potential easing of trade tensions between the United States and Canada could reshape the North American aluminum market, with European buyers facing the risk of stronger competition for Canadian metal. Import data from ITC Trade Map shows that US purchases of Canadian unwrought aluminum fell sharply in 2025, while imports from Canada increased across six European markets, highlighting how trade flows have evolved amid tariff uncertainty. The United States imported approximately 2.03 million metric tons of unwrought aluminum from Canada in 2025, down 25.9% from 2.74 million metric tons in 2024. The decline amounted to around 711,494 metric tons over the year. Import value also decreased, falling 22.2% from $7.82 billion to $6.09 billion. The figures come as the possibility of a...
Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...
Grow with
AL Circle
The wheel maker Cromodora and the luxury carmaker Audi has sealed an agreement predominantly with a long-term cooperative undertaking that will stretch for ten years. Cromodora is coming up with a brand new aluminium wheel plant in Eastern Europe exclusively for Audi and the Volkswagen Group. The production is scheduled to set in motion in 2023. The outcome of it will be cost-effective on the one hand, sustainable and on the other hand resource-efficient. Audi assured Cromodora the sourcing of its wheels for a specified period. The upcoming plant on a Greenfield site delivers the partners the change to create continual processes from the very beginning. At the end of 2018, Audi’s carbon program has shadowed the goal of lessening emissions in the supply chain in collaboration with its...
Rio Tinto’s aluminium production stood at 3.2 million tonnes in 2019, down 2% year-on-year, primarily reflecting a preventive safety shutdown of one of the three pot-lines at ISAL and earlier than planned pot relining at Kitimat. “Excluding the non-managed Becancour operation where a lock-out constrained operations, the Quebec and Pacific smelters performed well, with aluminium production for 2019 1% higher than 2018, reflecting continued productivity improvement. The restart of Becancour is progressing well, with full ramp-up expected by mid-2020,” Rio Tinto said. <iframe width="550" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9mNLmoaJmf0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> In the fourth quarter of...
The Canadian designers have made from machined aluminium for an exhibition a Salt and Pepper shaker and Ice-cube tray at this year’s Toronto design week. Designer Jamie Wolfond and local studio MSDS Studio curated the Aluminum Group. The team said "Designers from across Canada have come together to create a collection of machined aluminium objects. Including practical prototypes and piecof sculpture, the show covers a diverse range of themes unified by a single medium." It forms part of the Toronto Design Offsite Festival (TO DO) which is an annual event composed of design-focused exhibits – which kicks off on 17 January to runs alongside interiors trade-fair IDS Toronto. Aluminum Group is presented at the Erin Stump Projects (ESP), an art and design gallery in the city's west end...
The German aluminium industry federation Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie (GDA) observed a mixed bag of business activity development in the German aluminium industry, primarily attributing to the economic downturn. In the first half of 2019, the country’s production of metal powder, foil, and thin strip fell by 3.7 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively, while the output of tube, aerosol, and other cans dropped even more sharply by 9 per cent. Amidst this, the international trade data has predicted the aluminium cans export from Germany to likely dip in 2020 from 113,790 tonnes in 2019 to 86,175 tonnes, down 24 per cent. In 2018, the export volume was 82,735 tonnes meaning a rise of 37.53 per cent in 2019, whereas, in 2017, the export was 98247 tonnes indicating a downfall of 16 per...
A00 aluminium ingot price ended the week higher at RMB 14550 per tonne on Friday, 17 January 2020. The price registered a big jump of RMB 240 per tonne or 1.68 per cent from Thursday’s price of RMB 14310 per tonne. The price is expected to range at RMB 14530-14570 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at a premium of RMB 90-130 per tonne. Gongyi witnessed the highest rise in aluminium ingot price today. The price came in at RMB 14460 per tonne, up by RMB 330 per tonne. The average price is likely to move within a range of RMB 14450-14470 per tonne. In Foshan and Wuxi, aluminium ingot price increased by RMB 240 per tonne to stand at RMB 14560 per tonne and RMB 14540 per tonne. Their average prices are expected to range within RMB 14540-14580 per tonne and RMB...
The US dollar rallied from one-week lows against a basket its rivals on Thursday, January 16, as investors digested solid data on the US economy. Three-month LME aluminium climbed to a one-week high of US$ 1,818 per tonne on Thursday, before it finished the trading day 0.5 per cent firmer at US$ 1,809 per tonne. A significant increase in SHFE aluminium helped lift LME aluminium, but a stronger US dollar is likely to keep gains in LME aluminium in check. LME aluminium is expected to hover at US$ 1,790-1,820 per tonne today. LME aluminium cash (bid) price, on January 16, soared to US$ 1793.50 per tonne from US$1778 per tonne on January 15, while LME official settlement price jumped to US$ 1794 per tonne from US$ 1778.5 per tonne. 3-months bid price rose to US$ 1813 per tonne and 3-months...
Rio Tinto has accomplished its ramp-up of the Amrun project in far north Queensland as scheduled, strengthening the operations for better performance in the company’s bauxite division. The gross output of the company has shot up 9% in 2019 when compared with the preceding year to 55.1 million tonnes. Rio Tinto has given the credit towards the successful ramp-up of Amrun, which reached its design capacity during the December quarter. The Amrun project has driven Rio Tinto to a 21% improvement in 3 rd party shipments which accounted for 40 million tonnes of bauxite. The forecast of Rio Tinto’s 2020 production for the commodity is 55-58 million tonnes, conditional to weather and market conditions. In the Pilbara, Western Australia, Rio Tinto shipped 86.8 million tonnes of iron ore during the...
Alcoa Corporation announced fourth quarter and full-year 2019 results. The company reported a net loss of $303 million in Q4 2019 compared with a net loss of $221 million in Q3 2019. Excluding the impact of special items, adjusted net loss stood at $57 million, from adjusted net loss of $82 million. Alcoa President and Chief Executive Officer Roy Harvey said: “In 2019, we acted to further strengthen Alcoa, completing the divestiture of uncompetitive assets, modernizing labor agreements in three countries, implementing a new operating model, and making quick progress on the asset review process we announced last quarter.” “While the market in alumina and aluminium challenged us, we maintained a strong cash balance of nearly $900 million and drove operational stability. Also, our low-cost,...
The multi-billion-dollar Ghana’s deal with China’s Sinohydro has been praised internationally as a model that the rest of Africa should adapt, to lessen the financial woes of their economies. The deal is considered as a game-changing deal, sealed by the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo in 2018 with the Chinese State-owned Sinohydro Company. This a multi-billion dollar barter deal of refined Ghanaian bauxite, a mineral essential to aluminium production, in place of Chinese construction of infrastructure in the country. The deal has been strikingly elaborated as a complete departure from direct foreign currency loan from China, in exchange for infrastructure, which many African Governments easily adopt to fund their development projects at the expense of sound fiscal management of their...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the stocks of 6063 aluminium billets across five major consumption areas in China rose for the second consecutive week by 13,200 tonnes. From 53,200 tonnes on last Thursday, January 9, the aluminium billets inventories, as of today, January 16, have come in at 66,400 tonnes. In Foshan, the billets inventories are hovering at 30,100 tonnes after rising by 3,700 tonnes over the week, while in Wuxi, Changzhou, and Huzhou, the inventories have come in at 12,800 tonnes, 5,800 tonnes, and 16,000 tonnes after growing by 2,200 tonnes, 1,500 tonnes, and 7,000 tonnes, respectively. However, in Nanchang, the inventories have dropped from the last week to 1,700 tonnes. On the extended rise in billets inventories, the prices of aluminium alloys have declined today,...
South32, on Thursday, January 15, announced a quarter-on-quarter rise of 1 per cent in its alumina production for the second quarter ended on December 31, 2019. From 1.30 million tonnes in the first quarter, the company’s alumina output rose to 1.32 million tonnes in the second quarter. But during the same period last year, South32 had produced 1.38 million tonnes of the ore, meaning a year-on-year drop of 4 per cent in Q2 FY20. However, the total production in the first half of FY20 stood higher by 3.65 per cent amounting to 2.63 million tonnes, compared with 2.54 million tonnes in H1FY19. This growth, according to South32, is attributed to record year-to-date production at Brazil Alumina and also higher rates of calciner availability at Worsley Alumina. Graham Kerr, South32 CEO said,...
Guinea Alumina Corporation SA (GAC) declared on 15 th Jan’20 that it has shipped more than one million tonnes of bauxite ore since exports began in August. The company pursues to ramp up to outreach its insignificant capacity of 12 million tonnes per year. Daniel Cornel Pop, GAC's interim CEO, said, “Our ramp-up is progressing well and our mining, rail and port facilities are operating as planned. Besides, the quality of bauxite that we produce for our customers is consistent with our objectives. These results are a source of great pride because we certainly have the best equipment, the best technologies and the best processes, but above all because we have the best employees who have succeeded in developing a positive environment where the work of the team and personal development have...
Indonesia stands aligned with the top bauxite production nations and still, its alumina production and export have not been considered at a high level. But in recent years it has shown some gradual rise in alumina exports (2016-20). The Alumina export of Indonesia has shown a growth of 96.29% when compared between 2019 and 2016 (2019 – 1.35 million tonnes and 2016 - .05 million tonnes). The country had planned for 178 smelters and out of it only 25 are commissioned/operation stage, 37 smelters are at various stages of construction and the rest are at F/S and environmental impact assessments. The major issue was the lack of support from the GOI but in recent times the ban on the export of raw bauxite has forced to deliver alumina production locally. In 2016 the alumina export was 0.05...
Window Supply Company (WSC), a manufacturer of aluminium windows, doors, PVCu and conservatories, has received a £2 million equity investment from BGF. The company aims to use this investment to expand its manufacturing capacity three-fold over the next five years. Window Supply Company manufactures products from its Livingston facility and supplies to builders, joiners and window installation companies across Scotland. Chief Executive Duncan Murray said: “Our trade counter model and the high standards we demand when it comes to quality and service have combined to help us gain strong market traction in a short space of time. There has been an increasing market shift towards trade as the primary route to market for windows, doors and conservatories and the response we have received from...
On Wednesday, January 15, the US President Donald Trump signed a partial trade deal with China aiming to resolve prevailing American concerns about Chinese trade abuses. According to a text released by the White House, the deal included several steps to strike out some practices, such as Intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers in exchange for Chinese market access, meaning the deal erased the practices that irked the US economy and trade structure. Here are some of the deal’s core pieces: China needs to submit an “Action Plan to strengthen intellectual property protection” within 30 days of the agreement taking effect. The plan should include “measures that China will take to implement its obligations” and “the date by which each measure will go into effect.” No force...
The US dollar fell to a one-week low against a basket its rivals on Wednesday, as the US and China signed a deal that will roll back some tariffs. LME aluminium price closed higher at US$1,778.5 per tonne on Wednesday, from US$1,767.5 per tonne. Three-month LME aluminium ended at US$1,800 per tonne on Wednesday, 0.44% weaker. The contract is expected to trade between US$1,790-1,820 per tonne today. As on Wednesday January 15, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1778 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1778.5 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1805 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1805.5 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1940 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price stands at US$ 1945 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock dropped to 1367875...
Alcoa, the American primary aluminium smelter, forecasts growing demand for aluminium in 2020 after a downtick in 2019 that accorded to its $1.1 billion loss for the year. The global aluminium demand is projected to grow between1.4-2.4%, improving from a 0.2-0.4% decline in 2019 by Alcoa. The company anticipates more equitable supply-demand dynamics for alumina and bauxite raw materials in 2020, even as its view that primary aluminium will oscillate to a surplus. The global market balance for aluminium is predicted between a 0.6-1million tonne surplus in 2020, driving back a 0.9-1.1 million tonnes deficit in 2019. Shipments of bauxite are expected to rise as much as 3% in 2020 to between 48-49 million dry metric tonnes from a year earlier, while alumina volumes edge up as much as 1% to...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a significant rise of RMB 110 per tonne to RMB 14,310 per tonne on Thursday, January 16, after three consecutive drops from RMB 14,530 per tonne to RMB 14,200 per tonne. Since the beginning of the month, the A00 aluminium ingot price showed several downfalls on the growth of domestic stocks. But on monthly basis, the price stands higher by RMB 340 per tonne, as of today, January 16. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 14,290 per tonne and RMB 14,330 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded a premium price of RMB 150 per tonne to RMB 190 per tonne. Among all the major cities, Wuxi has seen the highest price growth of RMB 150 per tonne to stand at RMB 14300 per tonne, followed by Gongyi...
