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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GFG Alliance has reached an agreement with Novelis to buy Aleris’s Duffel aluminium rolling mill in Belgium, S&P Global Platts reported. The deal is subject to review and consents from EU authorities and China's State Administration for Market Regulation. GFG said it expects the Duffel deal to be closed in the coming months. Novelis earlier this year received the approval of the European Commission for its $2.6 billion proposed acquisition of US aluminium rolled products manufacturer Aleris Corporation on the condition that it would sell Aleris' plant in Duffel in Belgium. "The deal is consistent with GFG Alliance's strategy to create an international, vertically integrated aluminium business," a GFG Alliance spokesman told S&P Global Platts. "The addition of Duffel to our value chain...
The US dollar dropped to the lowest in more than one week on Monday against a basket of currencies. The US dollar continued a six-day losing streak, as investors monitored US-China trade and data releases. Friday saw some gains on the index. LME aluminium gained 1.8% to become the outperformer on Monday. LME aluminium continued its gain on the second day of the week. Three-month LME aluminium also reached three-week highs on Tuesday but slipped to its lowest since November 26 on Friday at US$1741/t. LME cash settlement price traded within a range of US$ 1750.5 – 1802 per tonne. After that the contract continued to slow down since Tuesday night reaching the lowest during Friday’s closing. The spread between cash and three months aluminium was in a range of US$20.5 to 9.5/t backwardation...
The price of A00 aluminium ingot witnessed an upward movement, except Friday, over the week. Ingot price started the week with an increase of RMB 60 per tonne from November 29 to RMB 14050 per tonne on Monday, December 2. The aluminium price ended lower at RMB 14070 per tonne after Friday’s closing, down RMB 60 per tonne from Thursday’s price of RMB 14130 per tonne. Source: Shanghai Metals Market As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, continued to decline this week due to robust demand and stood at 705,000 tonnes as of Thursday December 5, down by 50,000 tonnes from a week ago. Primary aluminium inventories dropped 44,000 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below indicates the...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, continued to decline this week due to robust demand. Stocks stood at 705,000 tonnes as of Thursday December 5, down by 50,000 tonnes from a week ago. Primary aluminium inventories dropped 44,000 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below shows the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi, Shanghai, Nanhai stood at 216,000 tonnes, 130,000 tonnes and 184,000 tonnes on Thursday December 5, down 17,000 tonnes, 5,000 tonnes and 31,000 tonnes from Thursday November 28. But the inventories in Hangzhou, Zhejiang increased by 4,000 tonnes from a week ago to 53,000 tonnes. Primary...
Aparna-Craft, a joint venture between Aparna Enterprises, and Craft Holdings, Hong Kong, has forayed into premium aluminium window and door systems with the launch of its brand Alteza. Alteza will initially support the growing demand for these products in the Southern and Western markets, particularly Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Alteza will provide end-to-end services (designing, manufacturing, installation and post-sales support for high-end aluminium window and door systems. Mr. Ashwin Reddy, Managing Director, Aparna Enterprises Limited, said, “Owing to the durability and malleability of aluminium as a premium material, aluminium window and door systems are fast becoming the preferred solution in India. The market for high-end aluminium window and door systems in India is pegged...
Tajikistan would be selling a stake in its main industrial concern Tajik Aluminium Company to a Chinese firm in exchange of much needed cash investment. This was reported by local media on December 4 citing Beijing’s former ambassador to Tajikistan, Yue Bin. He said that the acquisition would be executed in return for an investment of US$545 million into the Talco aluminium smelter by the Chinese firm. State-owned China Machinery Engineering Corporation would take over stakes of Talco. Talco, a completely state-controlled aluminium producer on paper, has not made any official comment on the prospect of it being partly-privatized. Yue has not disclosed any details about the size of any stakes to be sold. The process for sale has already been initiated. Talco was converted from a state...
China issued a fresh batch of import quotas for aluminium scrap for 2019 on Tuesday, with the quota volume declining sharply as expected. The China Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Bureau, a unit of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, issued import quotas for another 9,844 mt of aluminium scrap. The latest batch of quotas was allocated to 15 companies, which have obtained 13,834 mt of import quotas for the fourth quarter, down 70.52% from 46,930 mt from Q319. China has granted three batches of import quotas of a cumulative total of 68,549 mt for aluminium scrap for Q4, down 83.09% from 405,416 mt in all the four batches of quotas for Q319. Data from China customs showed that about 459,000 mt of foreign aluminium scrap was imported into China in July to October, after restrictions...
The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation has assured that bauxite reserves in the Atewa Forest will not destruct the water bodies that source from the reserve. The three rivers, Birim, Densu and Ayensu provide drinking water to more than five million Ghanaians. Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, Michael Ansah, GIADEC’s CEO said bauxite mining will not be carried out close to the three rivers and endanger the water bodies. “If you look at the map of the mining concessions, where they [the three rivers] will be, for the Birim and Ayensu, their sources will be about 10 km from the points of these mining while the Densu’s will be 15 miles away,” he said. According to him, their mining is in line with best prevailing practices. The government has signed the...
According to Reuters report, Apple Inc has purchased the first carbon-free aluminium from a joint venture of Alcoa Corporation and Rio Tinto. The carbon-free aluminium was produced at the Alcoa Technical Center in Pittsburgh. Apple will take the delivery of the first batch of aluminium this month. The aluminium is being made by Elysis, a Montreal-based joint venture between Alcoa Corporation and Rio Tinto. The joint venture was formed with $144 million in funding from Alcoa, Rio Tinto, Apple and the governments of Canada and Quebec. Vincent Christ, President and CEO of ELYSIS said: “This sale is an important milestone for ELYSIS and a sign of our progress over our first year of operation. It confirms the market interest in aluminium produced using our breakthrough carbon free smelting...
Despite the continuous drop in sales of electrified vehicles after the subsidy cut in June, Beijing continued its push on the automakers towards building more electric vehicles. The message was conveyed in the draft “development” plan of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for the domestic electrified vehicle industry covering 2021-35. Under the plan, the ministry, which regulates the domestic auto industry, expects EVs to account for 25 percent of annual new light-vehicle sales in 2025, up from the 20 percent target it set in a similar plan in 2017. The ministry expects EVs to account for 25% of annual new light-vehicle sales in 2025, up from the earlier target of 20%. The target would be a giant leap from the current share of electrified vehicles in China. In the first...
The spot alumina prices in China have dropped across all major markets. The average spot alumina price stands at RMB 2467 per tonne on Friday, 06 December 2019, after remaining flat at RMB 2478 per tonne on December 5. This records a drop of RMB 11 per tonne or 0.44 per cent. Source: Shanghai Metals Market The average prices of Alumina-East and Alumina-Central have fallen by RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 5 per tonne to stand at RMB 2480 per tonne and RMB 2490 per tonne; Alumina-North is down by RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 2470 per tonne; Alumina-South remains unchanged at RMB 2520 per tonne as on December 06. Alumina (Imported) price is down by RMB20 per tonne to RMB 2520 per tonne. The average price is expected to range within RMB 2500-2540 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price has dropped RMB 60 per...
The US dollar dropped against its rivals on Thursday, registering a six-day losing streak, as investors monitored US-China trade and data releases. LME base metals closed mixed on Thursday. Aluminium shed 0.5%. SHFE aluminium also declined 0.4%. Three-month LME aluminium slipped to its lowest since November 26 at US$1,743.5/t on Thursday, before it ended down 0.54% at US$1,749/t. The unwinding of long positions primarily accounted for the loss in LME aluminium. As on December 5, Thursday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1755.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1756 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1746 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1748 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1805 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price stands at US$ 1810...
Hindalco Industries Limited has handed over India’s first all-aluminium freight trailer in Rajasthan to Kamal Exim Pvt. Ltd., a leading Jaipur-based transporter of UltraTech Cement Limited. The 34-foot long aluminium freight trailer can ferry a wide range of materials such as cement, alumina, fly ash, grains, flour, steel coils and cylinders. Image for representation purpose only Satish Pai, MD, Hindalco Industries Limited said, “Hindalco’s aluminium trailer is one of our big initiatives for India’s logistics and freight industry. At Hindalco, sustainability is integral to our business and this is a significant step to introduce sustainable, engineered transport solutions for the logistics industry. We are happy to commence our journey with UltraTech Cement and hand over our first...
According to a Platts report, the first quarterly aluminum premium contract (Jan-March 2020) for Japan for the shipment of 1,000 t/month was settled at US$83/t, plus LME cash settlement average of the shipment month on Wednesday. It was confirmed by a western producer and a major Japanese end user. The quarterly CIF Japan aluminium premiums are negotiated over 10 parties, including three major Western producers and several Japanese consumers and traders. The premium is 14.4% lower than the Platts Q4 assessment of US$97/t, and close to the US$83-$85/t settled in Q1 2019. Earlier to this report, market participants reported offers of US$92/t, US$95/t and US$85/t by three producers and indicative bids of around US$80-85/t. A few Japanese traders talked about deals concluding at US$82/t...
Russia’s exports of aluminium (crude metal and alloys and semi-finished products) to the US totalled 8,280 tonnes in August 2019, an increase of 48.12% or 2,690 tonnes from July. Exports dropped by 66.88% from June’s exports of 25,000 tonnes, 59.81% from May’s exports of 20,600 tonnes, and 70.22% from April’s exports of 27,800 tonnes. The US imports of crude metal and alloys and semi-finished products from Russia amounted to 135,000 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, as updated by the US Census Bureau. Exports of crude metal and alloys increased by 46.01% month-on-month to 7,680 tonnes in August. Russia’s exports to the US contract by 66.9%% from June, 59.15% from May and 70.8% from April. Russia exported 125,000 tonnes of crude metal and alloys to the US in the first eight months...
The year 2019 proved to be a robust one for mergers and acquisitions for the global aluminium industry. Mergers and acquisitions played a key role in expanding businesses of the industry players across aluminium value chain. The companies continued to invest in acquisitions to capitalize on the growing demand despite world aluminium price volatility and continuous market uncertainty. The biggest acquisitions of 2019 include Press Metal Aluminium’s acquisition of PT Bintan Alumina, Novelis’ proposed acquisition of Aleris and Endurance Technologies’ purchase of aluminium die casting company among others. Let’s take a look at the top mergers and acquisitions in 2019 (so far). PARTER Capital Group AG acquires Alcoa’s Avilés and La Coruña aluminum plants PARTER Capital Group AG completed...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, Indonesia’s alumina producer PT Well Harvest Winning (WHW) and Jakarta-based mining firm PT Cita Mineral Investindo (CITA) signed a bauxite supply agreement on December 3. This was confirmed by China Hongqiao Group, which owns 56% stake in WHW. Cita Mineral owns 30% stake in WHM. The 14 years’ deal between both the companies will expire on December 31, 2033. CITA shall sell and deliver, or procure the sale and delivery of bauxite to WHW. An earlier report in November said that WHW plans to expand a second line production in West Kalimantan. The company, which is in operation since January 2016 produced one million tonnes of alumina in 2018 and expects to cross one million production mark in 2019. The major part of WHW’s alumina exports is shipped to...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of aluminium billet continued to decline by 1,100 tonnes as of Thursday December 5, after dipping 8,800 tonnes in the previous week. Stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China stood at 76,800 tonnes. This marked the eighth straight week of declines. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: Inventories of aluminium billet in Changzhou, Jiangsu and Huzhou, Zhejiang stood at 6,700 tonnes and 13,000 tonnes, a drop of 1,800 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes from November 28. Stocks in Nanchang, Jiangxi declined by 200 tonnes to stand at 6,100 tonnes. But the inventories of aluminium billet in Foshan, Guangdong and Wuxi, Jiangsu increased by 1,600 tonnes...
