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
Coffee roaster John Farrer & Co. (Kendal) Limited has reportedly launched a range of recyclable aluminium coffee capsules, in a bid to mark the 200 th year of the company’s anniversary and address the problem of plastic waste. Farrer chose to use aluminium for their capsules for several reasons. Firstly, the system that is used to make aluminium capsules protects both taste and quality of the coffee and secondly, because of the fact aluminium is recyclable and can be reused in myriad of applications like bicycles, food and medicine packaging, construction materials, and electronic components and electrical power transmission. Once the capsules are used and disposed of, they are collected and sent to recycling plants for smelting and reusing. Besides, aluminium recycling is economically...
Novelis, the world leading aluminium rolling and recycling company has announced the launch of Advanz™ 6HS-s650, a specialized aluminium automotive body sheet product with extraordinary strength, lightweighting, formability, performance and structural integrity. It is the strongest 6xxx series product with a 15 to 25 per cent in-service strength advantage in comparison to other high strength aluminium alloys. The alloy has excellent crash behaviour and corrosion resistance. It is a part of the Novelis Advanz™ product portfolio and will be available globally. Through 6HS-s650, Novelis reiterates its commitment to deliver a variety of strong, formable and lightweight aluminium products for its automotive customers for a more efficient future. The alloy is suitable for high-strength...
Germany has always been the leading supplier of aluminium scrap to Poland, with an increasing volume year over year. In 2016, Poland imported 92,173 tonnes of aluminium scrap from Germany, which in 2017 increased by 43.4 per cent to 132,180 tonnes and further by 9 per cent to 142,424 tonnes in 2018. But this year is likely to be an exception, as Poland is expected to import 139,831 tonnes from Germany, down 3 per cent from the previous year, according to the global export-import data. {newsStudioGallery} As the above graph shows, Poland’s total aluminium scrap import is likely to decrease as well in 2019, amounting to 254,844 tonnes, compared to 261,714 tonnes in 2018. In 2016, the total import volume was at 168,115 tonnes, while in 2017 at 233,258 tonnes, which indicates year on year...
PARTER Capital Group AG has completed acquisition of Avilés and La Coruña, Spain Aluminum Plants from Alcoa; a press release from Alcoa confirms that. The acquisition includes the casthouses at both plants and the paste plant at La Coruña, which are currently in operation, and the closed smelters at both plants. According to the agreement of acquisition, PARTER Capital Group will keep the facilities’ entire workforce of about 630 employees for a minimum of two years. The group is likely to start reindustrialization projects for both sites and the group also indicated a potential restart of the plants’ smelting operations. The transaction completed in accordance with the collective dismissal agreement signed with the workers' representatives in January 2019. “PARTER Capital Group’s...
The US-based global aluminium producer Century Aluminium, on August 1, announced that its net sales for the second quarter of 2019 declined 3 per cent over the quarter to come in at $473.1 million. In Q1 2019, the company’s net sales were at $490 million. It reported a net income loss of $20.7 million or $0.23 per share, compared to a net loss of $34.6 million or $0.39 per share for the first quarter of 2019. The adjusted net loss in Q2 valued at $16.2 million or $0.17 per share, while that in Q1 was at $66.6 million or $.070 per share. According to the firm, its second quarter results had been negatively impacted by $4.5 million of exceptional items, driven by a $9.0 million lower of cost or net realizable value inventory adjustment and a $4.3 million loss on the sale of its BHH...
Liu Zhongtian, chairman and president of China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd was accused of ditching US$1.8 billion in tariffs through a scheme under which, he had disguised “huge amounts” of aluminium as pallets and smuggled the material into the United States, federal prosecutors declared in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The 24-count indictment dated May 7 was made public when U.S. and Chinese negotiators resumed talks to end trade tensions between the two economies. “The aluminum sold to United States-based companies controlled by Liu were simply aluminium extrusions that were spot-welded together to make them appear to be functional pallets, which would be finished goods not subject to the duties,” the indictment says. “In reality, there were no customers for the 2.2 million pallets imported by...
The A00 aluminium ingot price has dropped for the second day in a row on Friday, August 2, by RMB 40 per tonne to come in at RMB 13,830 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. Improved inventory of primary aluminium on August 1, along with sluggish costs of alumina and prebaked anode could be the two primary reasons for the downfall of aluminium ingot price. Also, the spot aluminium trading was found brisk in the last two days on active transactions among traders, resulting in lowered aluminium ingot price. However, month-on-month the price is standing higher by RMB 180 per tonne. According to SMM, the average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,810 per tonne and RMB 13,850 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 40 per tonne. Tianjin has seen the...
The US dollar came off from highs after the US President Donald Trump threatened China with a new 10% tariff. Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday that, starting September 1, the US will impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods. Base metals fell for the most part. LME aluminium dipped 1.2% and SHFE aluminium dropped 0.3%. LME aluminium cash contract plunged and closed the day’s trading at US$1757 per tonne. The fall continued during night trading. Three-month LME aluminium hovered below the daily moving average and failed to stand above the 10-day moving average, or US$1,792 per tonne, ending down 1.22% at US$1,777 per tonne overnight. The contract is seen trading at US$1,770-1,800 per tonne today. As on July 31, Wednesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1776 per...
Rio Tinto has released H1 2019 results with 9% higher consolidated sales revenue of US$20.7 billion in comparison with H1 2018. Higher iron ore prices offset the impact of lower volumes and lower aluminium prices. The aluminium business suffered from price declines, in particular in aluminium price despite strong volumes. Underlying EBITDA for aluminium business stood at US$1,127 million in H1 2019, down 38% from US$1,831 million in H1 2018 attributed to lower aluminium price. Underlying earnings stood at US$ 315 million, down 64% from US$ 871 million in H1 2018. Gross revenue stood at US$ 5,100 million, down from US$6,148 million in H1 2018. Lower price for primary metal remained the principal driver for the declines. Gross revenue for Primary Metal stood at US$2,490 million, down from...
Rio Tinto has released H1 2019 results. Though aluminium business suffered due to lower aluminium prices, it was stable from an operational perspective. Bauxite and alumina section performed better in comparison to primary metal. Bauxite volumes rose following the completion of Amrun with third party sales up 8%. There was some respite on cost inflation for certain raw materials like caustic soda and petroleum coke. Bauxite production of 26.2 million tonnes was 1% higher than 2018 first half. Production at managed operations increased 3%, with the ramp-up of Amrun project progressing in time. This was partly offset by lower production from the non-managed Porto Trombetas (MRN) JV in Brazil. Shipments of bauxite to third parties increased by 8% to 18.3 million tonnes, reinforcing Rio...
According to Shanghai Metals Market , the social inventories of primary aluminium in China have recorded a second weekly rise today, on August 1, in the past four weeks. Data shows the stocks across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, have come in at 1.04 million tonnes after growing by 5,000 tonnes from a week ago and 11,000 tonnes from Monday, July 29. On July 25, the inventories were at 1.035 million tonnes and on July 29 at 1.029 million tonnes. However, the growth today in primary aluminium inventories could not touch upon all the major Chinese markets. Hence, inventories in Wuxi, Jiangsu; Hangzhou, Zhejiang; Linyi, Shandong; and Shanghai plunged by 9,000 tonnes, 3,000 tonnes, and 1,000 tonnes, respectively. Other markets like Nanhai, Guangdong; Gongyi,...
The latest customs data shows that China’s exports of prebaked anode in the first half of 2019 has grown marginally by 1 per cent to come in at 622,000 tonnes, compared with 615,780 tonnes in the same period last year. In June 2019, the export volume was at 131,000 tonnes, up 52.5 per cent from 62,225 tonnes in May 2019 but down 0.2 per cent from 131,262 tonnes in the corresponding period of 2018. {newsStudioGallery} The data further shows that Malaysia was the leading export destination of China’s prebaked anode in the first half of 2019. As per the data, China shipped 222,000 tonnes, a decrease of about 1 per cent from 224,220 tonnes in the same period last year. Canada was the second largest destination where China exported 9.5 per cent of more prebaked anode in H1 2019, amounting...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the inventories of 6063 aluminium billet have extended week-on-week growth by some 700 tonnes today, August 1, across five major consumption areas in China to stand at 83,400 tonnes. On July 25, the inventories were at 82,700 tonnes after rising by some 1,600 tonnes from its previous week. This indicates a slower growth this week ended on August 1, 2019. In Changzhou, Jiangsu, the aluminium billet inventories have risen by some 1000 tonnes to stand at 12,000 tonnes, as of August 1, while in Nanchang, Jiangxi, and Wuxi, Jiangsu, the inventories have increased by 700 tonnes and 100 tonnes to stand at 5,300 tonnes and 14,700 tonnes respectively. In markets like Foshan, Guangdong, and Huzhou, Zhejiang, the inventories have either remained restrained or...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the average spot price of alumina has started the month with a drop of RMB 18 per tonne to RMB 2,457 per tonne, as of August 1, 2019. With this, the price records a month-on-month decline of RMB 301 per tonne. Since the end of May, the spot alumina price is registering a sluggish trend ranging between RMB 3119 per tonne, as of May 29, to RMB 2,457 per tonne today. The rise in alumina import into the market and therefore, the lesser consumption of domestic production could be one of the reasons for this incessant drop in the spot price of alumina. In the south, the price today has declined by RMB 30 per tonne to RMB 2,435 per tonne, while that in the east, central, and north has inched down by RMB 20 per tonne and RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 2,480 per...
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. LME base metals closed mixed on Wednesday. LME aluminium lost close to 0.3% and SHFE base aluminium slipped 0.2%. The stronger greenback took a toll on aluminium prices on Wednesday during the day’s trading and overnight. During the day, LME cash contract closed lower at US$ 1781.50 per tonne and three months aluminium closed at US$ 1806.50 per tonne. Three-month LME aluminium erased earlier gains overnight to close 0.25% lower at US$1,799 per tonne on Wednesday. As on July 31, Wednesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1776 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1776.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$...
AlCircle’s new report- “Red Mud (Bauxite Residue) Management: Storage & Valorisation” is generating overwhelming response from the industry circle. From leading bauxite miners and alumina refineries to aluminium smelters, sustainability and environmental watchdogs, market and technical research firms and technical infrastructure providers- everyone is showing keen interest in the report. Some of the biggest names in the industry have already purchased their copies of the report. A necessary evil for the aluminium sector, red mud or bauxite residue has remained one of the biggest challenges for the aluminium industry players. With the production growth of primary aluminium and alumina, more red mud is bound to get generated. In 2018, alumina refineries in the world generated around 154...
The dynamics of the aluminium scrap market are in a state of transition due to the stricter scrap import policies by China, which used to be one of top markets for aluminium scraps. The trade war initiated by Trump’s 10% tariff on all imported aluminium imposed in March 2018 led many countries to slap retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. It is evident that the countries with higher aluminium consumption would be the countries that would also be largest generator of scrap. Since packaging and automotive scraps are recycled and recovered faster, the U.S. remains the top exporters of scrap with more aluminium consumption in these sectors. The U.S. is followed by Germany and the U.K. More than 48% of United States’ aluminium metal supply in 2018 was from recycled metal, and the region is the...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, Shandong Weiqiao Group, one of the top aluminium producers in China, again reduced its purchasing prices for prebaked anode for August. The benchmark purchasing prices for prebaked anode came in at RMB 2,995 per tonne in cash, a decrease of RMB 50 per tonne from RMB 3,045 per tonne for July. Weiqiao had raised prices for the first time this year by RMB100 per tonne for June. The prices of prebaked anode remain unchanged across major China markets today. Prebaked anode prices in East and Central markets are hovering at RMB 3137.50 per tonne and RMB 3197.50 per tonne as of July 31. Their average prices are expected to range within RMB 3045-3230 per tonne and RMB 3095-3300 per tonne. The prebaked anode prices in Southwest and Northwest remained the same...
