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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Unionized workers of Windsor Nemak plant reportedly staged a protest on Monday, September 2, against the company’s decision to close the Windsor facility. The workers vowed to stay off the job until Nemak reverses its decision. In mid-July 2019, Nemak had announced that it planned to close down its aluminium casting plant at Windsor by mid-2020, as a result of which 270 employees might lose their jobs. These employees are from Unifor Local 200, a local union of the general trade union Unifor. Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, said, “Nemak is out of business until further notice. We will be here until we have a solution.” Parent company Alfa said Nemak was closing its Windsor facility because it was too small and inefficient. Dias, on the other hand, said the closure was part of a...
Domestic aluminium producers are working together with planning think-tank Niti Aayog and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to determine standards for scrap usage. This was done at the background of exponentially growing aluminium scrap imports and random applications of scrap. Aluminium scrap imports to India are growing at a never before rate in 2019 fuelled by US-China trade tensions. A benign import duty of 2.5 per cent has not been able to offer enough support to domestic producers. With European Union (EU) opting for strict circular economy norms and China restricting its scrap imports rules, more aluminium scrap is getting diverted to the Indian markets and other south Asian countries. “Scrap imports in this fiscal have moved up eight per cent during the June quarter. While the hike...
Africa’s primary aluminium production dropped marginally by 0.41% during the first seven-month period of 2019. Production stood at 961,000 tonnes as compared to 965,000 tonnes in the first seven-month period of 2018, data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Primary aluminium production came in at 138,000 tonnes in July 2019, a decrease of 4.17per cent from July 2018 production of 144,000 tonnes. But production increased by 2.22 per cent from June’s production of 135,000 tonnes. Africa’s primary aluminium production for 2018 stood at 1.668 million tonnes, IAI data showed. Global production in the first seven months of 2019 stood at 37.073 million tonnes, almost flat from 37.235 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2018. In July, primary aluminium production...
After rising incessantly in the last three years, Saudi Arabia’s aluminium scrap export is estimated to reduce in 2019 by about 17 per cent to 142,128 tonnes, compared to 171,488 tonnes in 2018, found the global export-import data. The data also shows that Saudi Arabia’s aluminium scrap export to India is likely to stand lower as well than the previous year by about 43 per cent to 73,800 tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} As the above graph shows, until 2018, Saudi Arabia recorded year-on-year rises in aluminium scrap export. In 2018, the country’s total amount of export came in at 171,488 tonnes after a growth of 10 per cent from 156,499 tonnes in 2017, while its export to India saw a sweeping rise of 95 per cent to 130,048 tonnes. But in 2017, the export amount to India saw an estimated dip of...
The 8th International IBAAS-GAMI Conference & Exhibition jointly organized by IBAAS and GAMI will open its door to the national and international delegates on September 4, 2019 at Renaissance Guiyang Hotel in the picturesque city of Guiyang, China. The three day event which will be concluded on September 6 will discourse upon the theme of “Technological Advances in Alumina, Aluminium Smelter, Downstream Fabrication, Energy Conservation, Environmental Protection and Smart Manufacturing with Special Reference to China”. 75 top delegates from the various prestigious companies and associations from the aluminium supply chain have confirmed their presence for the conference. One of the key conferences for the aluminium value chain, IBAAS this year has formulated a world class program focusing...
TRIMET Aluminium SE has become a new Production & Transformation member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). This brings the total number of members working toward a responsible aluminium value chain to 98. “TRIMET is pleased to join the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). As an independent family-owned company with a long-term outlook, we intend to contribute to the future development of ASI standards, because we are convinced that ASI sets the internationally recognized industrial benchmark for responsibly-sourced aluminium,” said Philipp Schlüter, CEO, TRIMET Aluminium SE. TRIMET develops, manufactures, casts, and markets lightweight aluminium metal products. The company operates in seven locations in Germany and France. TRIMET supplies the aluminium sector’s entire...
The US dollar continued to rise to a more than two-year high of 99.13 on expectations of an upcoming interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. LME base metals mostly dipped while SHFE metals closed higher for the most part. LME aluminium lost 0.46% and SHFE aluminium grew 0.11%. Three-month LME aluminium hovered within a wide range and fell below all moving averages to a low of US$1,742.5 per tonne as the US dollar strengthened. It pared some losses and finished at US$1,749 per tonne, down 0.46% on the day. LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$1,740-1,780 per tonne today. As on September 2, Monday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1716 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1716.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1745 per tonne, 3-months offer...
Wood Mackenzie research shows that replacing 7.7 billion plaster water bottles a year with 7.7 billion aluminium cans would require 99,000 tonnes of additional aluminium sheet stock. This analysis attempted to answer the question of whether at all replace plastic bottles could be replaced with aluminium cans. According to Pieterjan Van Uytvanck, Wood Mackenzie Principal Analyst, PET bottles consumption is increasing. Currently, in Europe, the yearly consumption is at around 140 units per person, while in the US 290 units, as shown in Mackenzie’s report on the European United’s single-use plastic directive. Van Uytvanck said, “Globally, around 57 per cent of these are collected, and political pressure will see that figure rise. One of the most ambitious targets of the EU directive is the...
Prebaked anode price in Southwest China market has edged lower by RMB 35 per tonne. As on Tuesday, 03 September 2019, prebaked anode price ranged at RMB 3380-3650 per tonne; the average price stood at RMB 3515 per tonne, down from its previous price of RMB 3550 per tonne. The average prices of prebaked anode in East, Central, and Northwest China markets remain unchanged at RMB 3112.50 per tonne, RMB 3172.50 per tonne, and RMB 3600 per tonne respectively. The average prices for A00 Aluminium Ingot for all major Chinese markets have registered an increase on September 3. A00 aluminium ingot price is up by RMB 80 per tonne from its earlier price to RMB14390 per tonne today. The average price is expected to move within a range of RMB14370-14410 per tonne. Spot aluminium price is likely to be...
Alumina Limited updated on the company’s Q2 and H1 financial results during Q2 2019 Earnings Conference Call on August 22. Alumina's H1 2019 profit has fallen by 26 per cent on lower alumina prices. The company has cut its interim dividend to half after the results. The company cut its interim dividend to 4.4 US cents per share, halved from 8.6 cents per share declared after H1 2018. Net profit fell to US$210 million ($A310.6 million) for the first six months of 2019, down from US$ 286.4 million in H1 2018. Earnings and cash flows were affected by a 12 per cent decline in alumina prices. The average realised price during H1 2019 dropped to US$375 per tonne, offset slightly by a 3.0 per cent reduction in production cost to US$218 per tonne. Chief executive officer Mike Ferraro said that...
According to a recent report, Lenovo has unveiled two new gaming laptops in India under its Legion range – the Legion Y540 and Legion Y740. Besides featuring a grey anodised aluminium exterior, the Legion Y740 packs a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare display which supports Dolby Vision for HDR gaming. It also boasts Intel’s 9th-gen Core i7 processor bundled with 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD storage. Moreover, it comes with a RGB gaming keyboard. Other notable highlights include Dolby Atmos support, 3x USB 3.1 ports, one HDMI port, a USB Type C port, one RJ45 LAN port, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Legion Y540, on the other hand, features a 15-inch Full HD display with a refresh rate of 144Hz. But same as Y740, Y540 gets powered by Intel’s 9th-gen Core i7 processor coupled with 32GB of RAM...
According to the latest data from China Customs, China’s imports of bauxite increased 3.8 per cent month-on-month to 9.66 million tonnes in July 2019. China had imported 9.3 million tonnes of bauxite in June. Imports rose 32.7 per cent from 7.28 million tonnes in July 2018. {newsStudioGallery} Imports of bauxite in the first seven months of 2019 registered 24.9 per cent growth compared with the same period last year, as domestic alumina refiners improve their low-temperature production lines and use more seaborne materials. Total imports stood at 65.99 million tonnes in January-July, showed Customs data under HS code 2606000000. The Republic of Guinea, Australia, and Indonesia remained to be the top three bauxite suppliers to China in July. The three countries together exported about 9.23...
Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners has said that they are willing to talk with community stakeholders on the subject of bauxite mining in Cockpit Country. However, they insisted on their mining rights on the land officially marked outside the Cockpit Country Protected Area (CCPA). Lance Neita, consultant for community and public relations with the company insisted on finding a solution through discussions and clarifications. He added that Noranda supports 800 Jamaican employees and numerous other people who are benefitted by indirect work and they respect the Cockpit Country heritage. He insisted that the mining will only take place in the area outside of the CCPA and the area under the licence will be mined only when the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) gives the go-ahead....
Preliminary estimates from the Aluminum Association indicate that aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totalled an estimated 6.4 million tonnes during the first six months of 2019, a slight increase from YTD 2018. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totalled 4.7 million tonnes, up 2.2 per cent from the same period of 2018. Demand for aluminium semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada (measured in shipments by domestic producers plus imports) was up 1% YoY to an estimated 770,653 tonnes in June. Shipments of aluminium sheet and plate increased 6% YoY to 439,077 tonnes. Extruded product shipments declined 7.5 per cent YoY to 217,724 tonnes. Estimated shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports...
According to the Reuters report, Rio Tinto Plc has started an arbitration process with Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance as the latter has not made final payments for the purchase of the Dunkerque aluminium smelter in France. The news came after Rio Tinto confirmed this on Monday, September 2. In a statement it said, “Rio Tinto confirms it has triggered an arbitration process in relation to the sale of the Dunkerque aluminium smelter, France, to Liberty House.” In December 2018, Rio Tinto completed the sale of its Dunkerque aluminium smelter in northern France to Liberty House, the part of the GFG Alliance, at $500 million. Rio Tinto also said, “The arbitration relates to non-payment of customary post-closure adjustments, including working capital, which was agreed by both parties in the sale...
Shanghai Metals Market data showed that social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.016 million tonnes as of Monday September 2, down by 17,000 tonnes from Thursday August 29. Primary aluminium inventories continued to decline over the weekend, with all major warehouses, except for that in Gongyi of Henan, saw losses. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across all major China markets: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Shanghai dropped 5,000 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes from Thursday August 29 to 304,000 tonnes and 193,000 tonnes as of Monday, September 2. Inventories in Nanhai, Guangdong stood at 282,000 tonnes, down 5,000 tonnes from Thursday. Inventories in Gongyi,...
The US dollar index rose last Friday to the highest since May 2017. The offshore Chinese yuan headed toward its biggest monthly decline in 25 years as the two countries prepared for the implementation of new tariffs on Sunday. LME base metals closed mixed while SHFE metals ended mostly lower. LME aluminium gained 0.17% and SHFE aluminium slipped 0.11%. Three-month LME aluminium regained losses after a higher US dollar drove it below all moving averages to a low of US$1,736.5 per tonne during Friday night. It closed higher for the second consecutive trading day, at US$1,757 per tonne, up 0.17% on the day. LME aluminium is likely to trade between US$1,740-1,780 per tonne today. As on August 30, Friday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1712 per tonne, LME official settlement price...
Shanghai Metals Market reveals that Shandong Weiqiao Group, one of the top aluminium producers in China, has reduced the benchmark purchasing price of prebaked anode for the third month in a row. For September 2019, the company has lowered the benchmark purchasing price by RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 2,925 per tonne in cash. For August, Shandong Weiqiao had reduced the prebaked anode price by RMB 50 per tonne from July and that had brought the price to RMB 2,995 per tonne in cash. But despite the cut in Weiqiao’s prebaked anode benchmark purchasing price, the average buying price in China has not registered any change. It is still continuing to remain restraint at RMB 3,112.50 per tonne, as of September 2, since the drop on August 1, from RMB 3,137.50 per tonne to RMB 3,112.50 per tonne. The...
