
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...
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The year 2019 saw the announcement of new campaigns and initiatives to encourage and raise awareness for aluminium recycling among consumers. New schemes have been launched in an effort to meet sustainability targets. Showa Denko Group collected about 4.79 million UBC for recycling or recovered about 75 tonnes of aluminium when converted at the rate of 15.7 grams of aluminium per can. The significance of recycling is growing because of the increased focus on sustainably produced aluminium. Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) rallied 200 entities to collect 5267 kg of aluminium cans for recycling in the recent 23rd edition of the Can Collection Day. EEG achieved 77.8 per cent of the target and therefore urged all sectors to achieve the set target of 20,000 kg till December. Let’s take a...

Reverse vending machines were set afloat in Vellore on 26 th December’19, which can control both plastic bottles and beverage cans. Mr. A. Shanmuga Sundaram, District collector of Vellore, Tamil Nadu, while launching the smart dustbins announced the number of steps the Vellore City Municipal Corporation has taken to eliminate single-use plastics. The effort started with positioning two reverse vending machines, one at Block B of the Vellore Collectorate and the other at the Corporation office. The district collector said the public can now discard of beverage cans and plastic bottles in the smart dustbins to prevent congestion of rainwater in the drains. MRF Ltd., Arakkonam donated these ultra-modern smart dustbins as a part of the company’s CSR activities. C. John Daniel, General Manager...

Hebei Sitong New Metal Material announced plans to build RMB 500 million (USD 72 million) facility for the production of aluminium alloys in Jiangsu. The company will also construct an R&D and sales unit in the plant. Hebei Sitong New Metal Material had already signed an agreement with the Jiangsu municipal government for the construction of the plant, China Knowledge reported. Hebei Sitong New Metal Material Co., Ltd, founded in 1998, mainly engages in R&D, production and sales of functional intermediate alloy, new materials and aluminium alloy wheel lightweight. The company exports its products to about 40 countries around the world. The new aluminium alloy plant is part of the company’s effort to take advantage of the growing 5G industry in China. The company expects to begin trial...

The board of directors of Yunnan Aluminium on 26 th December’19 has collectively declared the consent of building a 210,000 tonnes/year second phase in its aluminium smelting project at Heqing county, Yunnan province of southwest China. It is the same company that commissioned the phase one of the identical capacities earlier this year, commented during filing at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and also declared they would be investing RMB 1.3 billion ($155.8 million) in this project. The Chinese state-owned Chinalco, which governs Yunnan Aluminium, presently, has an aluminium production capacity of 2.1 million tonnes and generally, hydropower has been in usage for the energy-intensive smelting process. The company projected an annual net profit of RMB 96.2 million though they did not convey...

Two major Indian aluminium producers Vedanta and Hindalco have raised their ingot prices in the domestic market. Vedanta has increased the prices of aluminium ingots by more than 1% with effect from December 25. The price for Vedanta aluminium now stands at INR 143,750-156,750 per tonne. This is the second time in a row that the company has raised the prices of its products. The Indian producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. So far this quarter, the three-month futures of aluminium are up more than 5% on the London Metal Exchange. Similarly, Hindalco Industries Ltd has raised the prices of its aluminium ingots, billets and wire rods by more than 1% with effect from December 25. The price for Hindalco aluminium now...

The spot alumina prices in China have increased in East and North markets. The average spot alumina price stands at RMB 2431 per tonne on Friday, 27 December 2019, after remaining flat at RMB 2427 per tonne on December 25 and December 26. This records a drop of RMB 4 per tonne or 0.16 per cent. Source: Shanghai Metals Market The average prices of Alumina-East and Alumina-North have risen by RMB 10 per tonne each to stand at RMB 2430 per tonne and RMB 2435 per tonne. Their average prices are expected to range at RMB 2410-2450 per tonne and RMB 2410-2460 per tonne. The prices of alumina in Central and South China markets remain unchanged at RMB 2450 per tonne and RMB 2520 per tonne. A00 aluminium ingot price has dropped by RMB 80 per tonne to RMB 14430 per tonne on December 27, from its...

The alumina import of China, the major raw material for the production of aluminium metal, has been accounted for 1.24 million tonnes during the first eleven months of the year’19, a rise of 167.51% as compared to the same period last year, as per the latest data from the Chinese customs department. In November’19, the alumina imports stood at 206,800 tonnes, following the intake inclined to 60% on the month and 397.9% on the year to 240,000 tonnes in October’19, whereas in the previous month September’19 the import stood at 147,800 tonnes. The Chinese customs data also published that China exported 10,700 tonnes of alumina previous month, taking the domestic net imports of alumina to 196,100 tonnes in November’19. In the first ten months of the year, China’s net import has amounted to...

The US dollar edged lower for the third straight session on Thursday, but it rose to a nearly two-week high against the Japanese yen. The LME was closed on Thursday for Christmas and hence no trading took place in the exchange. LME aluminium closed the trading on 24th December at US$ US$ 1790.50 per tonne. SHFE Aluminium Price Trend Benchmark aluminium price for SHFE (Shanghai Future Exchange) declined to US$ 2036 per tonne on Friday, 27 December 2019. SHFE aluminium plunged to the lowest in a week on Thursday, as bears flocked in after data showed that the downtrend in inventories decelerated significantly this week, SMM reported. The most traded SHFE 2002 contract shed 1.26% to end the day at RMB14,055 per tonne. The most-traded SHFE 2002 contract consolidated in a tight band overnight...

The Chinese aluminium giant, Aluminium Corporation of China (Chalco), Guizhou branch, has commissioned for alloy bar production line, with an intended capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes for a yearly rationale which executed operation on December 6. The present production line is producing 2,000 mt of A4, A6 and A8 aluminium round bar and rod per month, that generally moves to markets in the east, south and southwest of China. The aluminium processing base of Chalco Guizhou branch depends on the predominant supply of aluminium from Guizhou Huaren New Materials, owned by Chalco and is intended to have aluminium alloy capacity of 348,000 metric tonnes/year. The Chalco Guizhou has already commissioned 50,000 metric tonnes of billets production in July’19 and 15,000 metric tonnes of small slab...

According to a report on Thursday, December25, China’s Henan Shenhuo Group will start the production at its aluminium smelting project in the Wenshan prefecture of Yunnan province, with initial capacity 150,000 tonnes per year. Wenshan, having abundant hydropower resources for the energy-intensive smelting process, is emerging as a major hub of China’s aluminium industry, with top producers China Hongqiao Group 1378.HK and state-owned Chinalco building projects there. A spokesman for Henan Shenhuo Coal and Power confirmed that the project would start on December 31 and it would take around one month for the first production to come out. By March, the plant is expected to reach the full 150,000 tonnes of annual production, added an official. Shenhuo has a plan to move 900,000 tonnes of...

According to the latest data from China Customs, China's exports of aluminium foil fell 10.53 per cent year-on-year to 102,200 tonnes in November. On a month-on-month comparison, foil exports edged 1.87% higher, with products under HS code 76071190 and 76072000 accounting for the increase. In the first eleven months of 2019, aluminium foil exports totalled 1.18 million tonnes, an increase of 1 per cent year-on-year. Export increased by 1.79% YoY in the January-October period. Separately, China’s imports of unwrought aluminium alloy increased by 86.9 per cent month-on-month and 242.1 per cent year-on-year to 31,100 tonnes in November, according to Shanghai Metals Market calculations based on data from China customs. This marked a fresh all-time high. SMM expects unwrought aluminium alloy...

China Customs data showed a rise in China’s bauxite imports during November, followed by three consecutive months of downfall. Recording a growth of 11.38 per cent from a month ago and 21.9 per cent from the same period last year, the amount of import rebounded to 7.21 million tonnes. In October, around 6.48 million tonnes of bauxite were imported by China, down 3.97 per cent from 6.75 million tonnes in September. The total amount of import in the eleven months of the year came to 91.83 million tonnes, down 8.34 per cent from the same period last year. Australia, the Republic of Guinea, and Indonesia remained the top three bauxite exporters to China in the month of November, with their combined volume accounting for 92.03 per cent of the total. While Australia exported 3.28 million...

As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of aluminium billet declined for the 11th consecutive week. Stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China dropped by 1,700 tonnes from Thursday December 19 to stand at 50,600 tonnes as of Thursday December 26, after dipping 2,100 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: Inventories of aluminium billet in Foshan, Guangdong and Changzhou, Jiangsu stood at 16,900 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes on Thursday, 26 December 2019, down 2,700 tonnes and 600 tonnes from December 19. But the stocks of aluminium billet in Wuxi, Jiangsu climbed by 3,400 tonnes to stand at 15,800 tonnes. Aluminium billet stocks in Huzhou, Zhejiang and...

According to Shanghai Metals Market, the social inventories of primary aluminium in China continued to decline this week. The stocks across eight consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, came in at 592,000 tonnes after decreasing by 12,000 tonnes over the week, as of Thursday, December 26. Last Thursday, December 19, the inventories had declined by 44,000 tonnes to 604,000 tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across Chinese major markets in more details: In Wuxi, Shanghai, Nanhai, Hangzhou, and Chongqing, the inventories have dropped by 2,000 tonnes, 7,000 tonnes, 5,000 tonnes, 2,000 tonnes, and 4,000 tonnes respectively. So, as of December 26, the inventories there have come in at 191,000 tonnes, 112,000 tonnes, 126,000 tonnes, 52,000...

A00 aluminium ingot price registered a drop of RMB 70 per tonne on Thursday, 26 December 2019 after two back-to-back increases on December 24 and December 25. The price increased by 0.48 per cent to RMB 14510 per tonne. The price is expected to move within a range of RMB 14490-14530 per tonne. Spot aluminium price is likely to be traded at a premium of RMB 160-200 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in Foshan and Linyi rose by RMB 40 per tonne and RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 14740 per tonne and RMB 14510 per tonne. Their average prices are likely to range at RMB 14720-14760 per tonne and RMB 14500-14520 per tonne. Aluminium ingot prices in Wuxi and Hangzhou reduced by RMB 70 per tonne and RMB 75 per tonne to stand at RMB 14540 per tonne and RMB 14510 per tonne. Their average price is...

Shanghai Metals Market predicts Chinese aluminium scrap prices to fall after resuming from the Chinese New Year Holiday in late January, as fresh import quotas are expected to ease supply shortages and ensure demand in the first quarter of 2020. On Monday, December 23, China’s environmental authorities issued the first batch of aluminium scrap quotas for 2020, permitting new buying and allowing some companies with cargoes left in limbo to claim shipments to domestic markets. The initial 2020 import quotas have been awarded to eight more companies who obtained such allowances in 2019. In total, more than 50 companies have received the new quotas. Under the new quota, the China Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Bureau allowed 275,465 tonnes of high-grade aluminium scrap imports,...

The US dollar declined amid light holiday trading on Wednesday. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies, lost 0.07% and finished at 97.63. SHFE base metals mostly increased while there was no trading on the LME. SHFE aluminium fell 0.42%. The London Metal Exchange was closed on December 25 for the Christmas holiday. As on December 24, Tuesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1790 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1790.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1814 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1816 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1868 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price stands at US$ 1873 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock decreased to 1484525 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled at 928050...

According to the United States Geological Survey, the aluminium scrap exports from the United States to South Korea in September 2019 remained flat at 23,600 tonnes, as compared to 23,200 tonnes in August. In July, the United States had exported 19,600 tonnes of aluminium scrap to South Korea, which represents the fact that the export amount in August had increased month-on-month by about 18.36 per cent. However, July had seen a dip in the US scrap export to South Korea by 13 per cent, as the amount of export in June was 22,500 tonnes. In total, the United States in those four months exported 88,900 tonnes of aluminium scrap to South Korea, while in the nine months of the year the export amount came in at 203,000 tonnes. During the same period last year (January-September), the US export...