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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After Liu Zhongtian, the largest shareholder of China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd had been accused of ditching the U.S. about US$1.8 billion in tariffs through a scheme, the company said on Sunday it was seeking legal advice on the matter. China Zhongwang said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange that neither the company nor Liu had been served any notice in relation to the legal proceedings. “The company takes seriously any allegations that it may have violated any law, and is seeking legal advice in relation to the alleged proceeding,” it said in the statement. The company assured its shareholders that they would be informed of further developments related to this. Zhongwang had previously described smuggling allegations as “misleading” and “without any factual basis.” According to...
According to the global export-import data, France is expected to be the leading destinations for Germany’s aluminium cans export in 2019. The available data shows that France is likely to secure 19,454 tonnes of aluminium cans this year, an increase of 34 per cent from 14,561 tonnes in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, Germany’s export to France stood at 8,568 tonnes and 11,549 tonnes respectively, up 35 per cent year on year. From 2017 to 2018, Germany’s aluminium cans export to France grew by 26 per cent, as shown by the available data. The Netherlands, however, which is another important destination for Germany’s aluminium cans export, is expected to secure a lesser amount of aluminium cans this year, compared with the previous year. In 2018, Germany exported 15,518 tonnes to the Netherlands,...
Preliminary estimates indicate that aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totalled an estimated 5.4 million tonnes through May 2019, a 1.1 per cent increase from YTD 2018. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totalled 3.9 million tonnes, up 2.4 percent. Demand for aluminium semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada (measured in shipments by domestic producers plus imports) was up 1.9% YoY to an estimated 812,384 tonnes in May. Shipments of aluminium sheet and plate increased 5.9% YoY to 461,303 tonnes. Extruded product shipments declined 6.3 per cent YoY to 226,796 tonnes. Estimated shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and other uses increased 9.2% to 297,557 tonnes in May. Apparent...
Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) announced on August 4 that its first ship loaded with metallurgical-grade bauxite sailed from transhipment location near the company’s port in Kamsar to world markets. This marks the first bauxite ore exports from GAC and the beginning of commercial production for one of Guinea’s most important mining projects. The GAC project, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), is one of the largest greenfield investments in Guinea in the last 40 years, worth $1.4 billion. GAC’s Director General, Aissata Beavogui, said: “I am proud to announce that we did it as promised, on budget, on time, safely and responsibly. This is a great day for GAC and our employees, and a great day for Guinea.” She also said: “Our first export of bauxite marks the...
According to a company statement, Russian alumina and aluminium producer Rusal suspended operations at its Achinsk alumina refinery on Monday and evacuated all but essential staff after a fire broke out a nearby Russian military base. The RIA news agency reported about the fire and the evacuation. A series of blasts rocked an arms depot at a Russian military base in Siberia on Monday, August 5. This led to the injury of eight people and eleven thousand Russians were being evacuated from neighbourhoods in Krasnoyarsk region’s city of Achinsk following the blasts. Suspension of operations at the country’s biggest alumina producing plant is likely to create tension in the market. This might create a supply concern and lift the prices for alumina in the international market.
The US dollar slipped to near a two-week low against key rivals on Monday, while the Chinese yuan weakened below 7 versus the greenback, an 11-year low, as the US-China trade war intensified. Most LME base metals closed lower on Monday. LME aluminium lost 0.4% while SHFE aluminium rose 0.4%. Three-month LME aluminium weakened to a seven-week low of US$1,760 per tonne on Monday before it ended 0.39% lower at US$1,766 per tonne. As Rusal suspended operations at Achinsk alumina refinery after fire nearby, it is likely to provide some cost support to LME aluminium. The contract is likely to trade at US$1,760-1,800 per tonne today. As on August 5, Monday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1738.50per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1739.50 per tonne; 3-months bid...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has extended growth on Tuesday, August 6, by RMB 60 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,900 per tonne. With this, the price stands higher by RMB 90 per tonne on monthly basis. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,880 per tonne and RMB 13,920 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 40 per tonne. Linyi and Gongyi have seen the highest rise in ingot price today by RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 13,920 per tonne and RMB 13,775 per tonne, followed by Hangzhou, where the price has increased by RMB 65 per tonne to RMB 13,935 per tonne. Since the growth in A00 aluminium ingot price has touched upon all the major markets in China, Foshan, Chongqing, Shenyang, Wuxi, and Tianjin have also witnessed a...
Based on the recent projection that there will be more than 21 million end-of-life cars in India by 2025, the country’s environment ministry has reportedly started advocating a ‘high focus’ on recycling in the automotive sector. The ministry wants to set up a network first consisting of 20 official automotive recyclers across the country. To start car recycling in India, the government is proposing a recycling target of 75 per cent to 90 per cent for vehicles, depending on the manufacture of the year. This is a drastic change in India’s car recycling sector, given the fact that the vehicle recycling sector in this country primarily consists of small off-the grid players extracting functioning spare parts. Therefore, the official recycling rate is less than 30 per cent. The government’s...
The latest Customs data showed that China’s bauxite imports in the first six months of 2019 came in at 56.63 million tonnes, after expanding by 39.26 per cent from the same period last year. Greater domestic production of alumina and tighter supply of the ore could be the two reasons for this growth in China’s bauxite imports. In June, China imported 9.3 million tonnes of bauxite, down 4.17 per cent from 9.7 million tonnes in May but up 33.17 per cent from 6.2 million tonnes in June 2018. The Republic of Guinea, Australia, and Indonesia remained the top three bauxite suppliers to China, accounting for 93.7 per cent of the latter’s total imports in the first half of the year. Guinea, a major source of gibbsite bauxite used in low-temperature production lines, is likely to remain the...
The increasing use of aluminium extrusions in building and construction sector has been generating considerable demand for aluminium bar, rods and profiles across the world. The aerospace industry is also contributing fairly to the rising demand for aluminium profiles. According to the forecast in 2014, the expansion of the global aluminium profile, bar and rod industry is likely to reach 9.7 per cent per annum in the years to come. {newsStudioGallery} To cash on this positive market sentiment in the aluminium bar, rods and profiles industry, Turkey has been increasing the volume of its exports to the various parts of the world. In 2018, the country’s estimated aluminium, bar, rods and profiles exports were at 181,772 tonnes, which in 2019 is expected to rise to 196,170 tonnes, up 8 per...
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for bauxite mining and export in Pahang, Malaysia, is ready to be finalised, bringing miners one step closer to resuming bauxite ore extraction activities. Such was the announcement by Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr. A. Xavier Jayakumar on August 3, 2019. He said the ministry and the Pahang state government would jointly review the procedures soon and determine a date for the SOP to go into effect. “The SOP document will then be uploaded on the ministry’s website for reference by all parties concerned,” explained the minister. According to the report, Xavier made this announcement referring to a criticism that was published on an online news portal titled “Ministry SOP delay frustrates bauxite mining operators”. Xavier further said the...
The US dollar fell on Friday as slower US employment growth in July and escalated US-China trade tensions fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates again in September. LME base metals closed lower on Friday. LME aluminium shed 0.2% and SHFE aluminium edged down 0.04%. Three-month LME aluminium erased earlier gains to a six-week low of US$1,770 per tonne on Friday night before it closed 0.23% lower at US$1,773 per tonne. London aluminium longs are expected to remain cautious in the short run. We expect the LME aluminium contracts to trade lower today. As on August 2, Friday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1748.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1749 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1776.50 per tonne, 3-months offer...
Followed by a restraint at RMB2,457 per tonne on August 2, the average spot price of alumina has begun the week with a drop to RMB 2,442 per tonne, as of Monday, August 5, found Shanghai Metals Market. Quarter-on-quarter, the price thus, stands below by RMB 336 per tonne, and on month the price hovers lower by RMB 281 per tonne. In the east and central, the average alumina price has dwindled by RMB 20 per tonne, while in the south and north by RMB 15 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne. However, against the background of alumina spot price decline in China, the A00 aluminium ingot price has registered a growth of RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,840 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,820 per tonne and RMB 13,860 per tonne, while the spot contract to be traded...
China’s new-vehicle market has continued falling for 12 consecutive months on slower economy. Automakers and suppliers are likely to see a longer period of downturn as the government is planning to discontinue a key stimulus plan designed to boost the economy. The Chinese Communist Party has decided not to “use the property market as a tool to stimulate economic growth,” a local media report said on Tuesday. Beijing plans to abandon its policy of managing the domestic economy by adjusting real-estate policy. This means the government used to ease controls on real-estate development and make home loans easily available to home buyers whenever there was a sign of slowing economy. This helped boosting the economic graph. This policy helped investments in real-estate development across the...
Shanghai Metals Market forecasts that the prices of prebaked anode are unlikely to see a significant rebound in the second half of the year due to excessive capacity. Prices will continue to follow raw materials costs range-bound in the near future. Heating season environmental cuts on carbon mills may only lift the prices of prebaked anode, but after September. In July, the prebaked anode prices failed to record any growth as slow resumption and build-out of aluminium capacity aggravated a supply glut. Moreover, they followed the prices of petroleum coke, which also remained sluggish after producers resumed from maintenance. Petroleum coke is the raw material used to produce prebaked anode. The uptick in June’s prices was mainly buoyed by a price rally of raw materials including...
The US dollar held near a two-month high in the beginning of the week as investors await the latest monetary policy decision from the Federal Reserve as well as developments from US-China trade talks. The US dollar sharply rose on Wednesday, hitting a two-year high against a basket of other currencies and the index gained 0.5% to end at 98.554. The US dollar remained robust till Friday. Most LME base metals traded mixed over the week within a close range. SHFE followed similar trend. The stronger greenback took a toll on aluminium prices over the week. LME aluminium traded lower within a close range. LME aluminium started the week with US$ 1774.5 per tonne and traded mixed to reach the week’s high of US$ 1781.5 per tonne on Wednesday. Three-month LME aluminium also followed the same...
As the week has come to an end, let us once recapitulate how the aluminium market in China rolled over the entire week. Beginning from bauxite, the price of the Bauxite (6.0≤Al/Si＜7.0)Shanxi recorded a growth of RMB 20 per tonne to RMB 560 per tonne on July 31, according to Shanghai Metals Market. This marked the third change in Bauxite (6.0≤Al/Si＜7.0)Shanxi through the year, followed by a drop from RMB 570 per tonne to RMB 550 per tonne on January 28 and then to RMB 540 per tonne on April 24. The price of the Bauxite (6.0≤Al/Si＜7.0)Henan, on the other hand, registered a plunge of RMB 30 per tonne to RMB 520 per tonne on the same day, after remaining restrained at RMB 550 per tonne from May 5 to July 30. Other raw materials like alumina, prebaked anode, and aluminium powder registered...
AMAG Austria Metall AG has released the results for H1 2019 registering total shipments of 226,000 tonnes, up 10 % compared with H1 2018. Gerald Mayer, CEO of AMAG, comments: "We benefited from additional production capacity in the first half of the year. In the Casting Division, we grew shipment volumes in the double-digit percentage range mainly thanks to our new melting furnace. In the Rolling Division, we successfully continued the ramp-up of the most modern aluminium rolling mill in Europe and also significantly increased shipments." AMAG sees a positive demand growth for primary aluminium and rolled products despite the negative effects of the trade war and economic slowdown on demand and aluminium price. LME aluminium price dropped 16% to USD 1,850 per tonne from H1 2018. Revenue...
