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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Reuters said that the U.S. aluminium roller and recycler Novelis, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group, India, has no plans for now to offer concessions on the deal to buy Aleris. The company remains firm despite EU antitrust objections over its US$2.6 billion deal to buy aluminium processor Aleris. Novelis, a leading supplier to the auto industry announced a bid for Aleris in July last year in order to gain a better foothold in the aerospace industry and other value-added segments globally. Novelis’ biggest acquisition is driven by its diversification strategies into premium markets. On Monday, July 2, EU antitrust regulators sent a charge sheet known as a statement of objections to the involved companies. The charge sheet expressed their concerns over the deal, particularly on over its...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, China’s production of metallurgical-grade alumina came in at 5.76 million tonnes in June, from revised production of 5.86 million tonnes in May. Alumina production registered a drop of 3.42 per cent year-on-year. Production of alumina stood at 34.8 million tonnes in the first six months of 2019. That was up 1.33 per cent from the same period last year. The average daily output registered 192,000 tonnes in June, while annualised capacity in operation recorded at 70.12 million tonnes, showed an SMM survey on Friday July 5. Output received a boost from Bosai Shuijiang, Chalco Huaxing, Chalco Mining, Xinghua Technology, SPIC Shanxi and Liulin Senze, but Xinfa’s Jiaokou plant and East Hope’s Jinzhong plant took a toll. Alumina production in July is expected...
Bosnia’s regional energy and mining minister said on July 4 that Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) was reportedly showing interest in Bosnia’s debt-laden aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar. Aluminij has been in trouble over years now as debt accumulated because of high alumina and electricity prices. Nermin Dzindic, the Federation energy and mining minster, said EGA would assess Aluminij’s value first before starting talks with the latter’s shareholders about a possible takeover. Aluminij’s 44 per cent of share is owned by the Federation Government while the remainder by the Croatian government. Dzindic also said that EGA pledged to double the output at Aluminij which is currently at13,000 tonnes a year. EGA was ready to negotiate the power purchase deal with Bosnia’s three power utilities...
China’s production of primary aluminium stood 2.91 per cent lower in June 2019, showed an SMM survey. Primary aluminium production came in at 2.93 million tonnes last month. Aluminium production decreased 1.6 per cent year-on-year to 17.5 million tonnes in the first six months of 2019. In May, primary aluminium production was 3.04 million tonnes, a drop of 1 per cent year-on-year. Built capacity of primary aluminium stood at 40.3 million tonnes as of the end of June, with 36.48 million tonnes in operation. Operating rates averaged 90.5 per cent in June, almost flat from May. Primary aluminium production received a boost from Baise Mining’s No. 2 plant in Suyuan, Yunnan Aluminium’s Haixin Aluminium in Zhaotong and Shanxi Zhongrun, but plants in the north-east such as Guangxi Xinfa and...
Hydro announced that the Økern Portal has selected Hydro’s Circal 75R aluminium as facade material in its new, innovative office building. Circal 75R is a certified alloy with a minimum content of 75 percent post-consumer recycled aluminium. Egil Hogna, EVP responsible for Hydro Extruded Solutions said: “Our customers in the building and construction sector are really focusing on sustainability. They want material and solutions that can help them meet their sustainability targets. With Circal 75R, we provide aluminium with a carbon footprint that fits well with the most demanding sustainability requirements.” The Økern Portal, one of the largest development projects in Norway, is owned by Oslo Pensjonsforsikring, with Stema responsible for project management and Vedal Entreprenør as...
According to the Reuters report, Glecore is one of the companies that have shown interest in buying Rio Tinto’s aluminium assets in Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands for up to $350 million. Rio had started the assets sale process in late 2018 with the help of French investment bank Natixis after Norsk Hydro withdrew itself from buying them. According to Hydro, the reason was the delay in getting the European Commission’s approval. As an aluminium smelter in Iceland, Rio Tinto has put on the block a 53 per cent stake in a Dutch anode facility and 50 per cent of the shares in a Swedish aluminium fluoride plant. Both anode and aluminium fluoride are used as raw materials in aluminium production. Now, as the volatility caused by the US sanctions and supply reduction at Hydro’s massive...
The dollar continued to edge lower from recent highs and the euro was stuck near two-week lows on Thursday. The US dollar index slid 0.05% to end at 96.735. Base metals ended mostly higher. LME aluminium climbed 1.15% and SHFE aluminium advanced 1.13%. Thursday saw some bullish trading of LME aluminium and the contracts closed higher than the previous day. Both three-month LME aluminium and the most-traded SHFE August contract recovered losses since last Friday during night trading as lower inventories and premiums in spot offers depressed confidence in shorts. LME aluminium closed 1.15% higher at US$1,809.5 per tonne. LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$1,750-1,850 per tonne. As on July 4, Thursday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1771 per tonne, LME official settlement...
Shanghai Metals Market found the average spot price of alumina fell today, on July 5, by RMB 15 per tonne to RMB 2,723 per tonne, after remaining restrained on July 4. Over the entire week, the alumina spot price showed a downward trend ranging between RMB 2,786 per tonne, as of July 1, and RMB 2,723 per tonne, as of July 5. In the east and central, the alumina price today has plunged by RMB 20 per tonne to RMB 2,730 per tonne and RMB 2,720 per tonne, respectively, while that in the north and south, the price has inched down by RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 15 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,720 per tonne and RMB 2,735 per tonne. The Australian alumina FOB price has dwindled as well by US$3 per tonne to US$315 per tonne. Amidst the decline in alumina spot price, the price of A00 aluminium ingot,...
Toaste Ale, an award-winning craft brewery based in London, is reportedly raising £35,000, in a bid to make a move from glass bottles to 330-millilitre aluminium cans. The decision to switch to aluminium cans followed research conducted by Advance London, part of the London Waste and Recycling Board. The research concluded that cans are a more efficient means of packaging beer over glass bottles. The Advance London study also found that aluminium cans are more readily recycled than glass bottles. In the United Kingdom, approximately 72 per cent of aluminium cans is recycled compared to 67.7 per cent of glass bottles. Moreover, a large number of consumers are inclining towards cans when it comes to craft beer. In 2018, 25 per cent of all UK craft beer sales were in cans. Toast Ale claims...
In July 2018, ENGIE and SUSI signed the financing agreements for Project Tonstad , a 208 MW wind farm in Norway to supply power to the aluminium sector. The project, which is currently under construction in the south of Norway will be one of the largest in Norway, and will supply all electricity generated through an off-take agreement, to the Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro. A media update from the project has confirmed that commercial operation will start from early 2020. The first turbine is planned to start operation by end of August 2019. At the end of June, the first blade (70m long) was transported from the port to the site through very challenging winding roads that needed modifications to in order to let the vehicle pass. Project Tonstad is located in the municipalities of...
Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Mill Woods announced US$447,480 fund for Apollo Machine and Welding Ltd. The fund was provided by the Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada. The fund is provided under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) Steel and Aluminum Initiative, announced in March 2019. REGI provides financial support to steel, aluminium and manufacturing businesses from the Canadian SME sector in order to boost projects that enhance productivity and competitiveness while creating new jobs. Commenting on the investment, Minister Navdeep Bains said, "Our government supports the hard-working steel and aluminium...
Bahrain along with producing primary aluminium has been focusing on expanding its downstream production over the years. Enhanced capacity at Bahrain’s largest industrial facility is set to boost downstream manufacturing opportunities and increase industry’s share of GDP. Expansion of Aluminium Bahrain’s (Alba) aluminium plant known as Line 6 is expected to create further significant opportunities in downstream aluminium manufacturing in the kingdom. Bahrain produces aluminium powder and flakes for surface treatments and for 3D printing. Let us analyse the aluminium powder and flakes export patterns by Bahrain in over the past four years to understand the market demand and domestic consumption trends. In 2017, Bahrain’s aluminium powder and flakes export had recorded a year-on-year surge...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China came in at 83,200 tonnes as of Thursday, July 4, an increase of some 5,500 tonnes from 77,700 tonnes on Thursday, June 27. Inventories of aluminium billet grew some 6,000 tonnes in the previous week. Aluminium billet stocks in China continue to increase as more deliveries arrived at warehouses and downstream consumption failed to pick up. In Foshan, Guangdong, aluminium billet stocks increased 7,900 tonnes to stand at 47,000 tonnes as of Thursday, 04 July 2019. Inventories of aluminium billet in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Nanchang, Jiangxi stood at 6,800 tonnes and 9,900 tonnes, down 1,700 tonnes and3,500 tonnes from Thursday, June 27. Stocks of aluminium billet in Changzhou, Jiangsu...
According to a report from Platts; the low growth period in China’s economy has already arrived in 2019 despite stimulus measures and supply side reforms. The market outlook is bearish and China's downstream aluminium sector has already entered its off season due to poor economic data. The boom has slowed down in the construction sector and there have been fewer investments from the market participants. According to China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, slow demand from construction and electrical sector has restricted aluminium demand growth to just 1% in 2019. Despite government measures to support demand growth, the impact is not seen. Because of lacklustre demand, domestic aluminium prices are not likely to see much upward movement in 2019. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's...
Metro Mining reportedly ramped up its bauxite production and shipping from Bauxite Hills Mine in Far North Queensland through the June quarter. According to the report, the company reached the budgeted operating rates and generated consistent results on a daily basis. Metro experienced some unexpected adverse swell conditions in late May, which, however, gradually improved and returned to expected conditions around the middle of June. Then on, the Australian mining company’s daily ship loading rates averaged over 15,000 wet metric tonnes (WMT) per day, including a daily record of 20,853 WMT. In the month of April, Metro’s bauxite mining had averaged at 124,000 tonnes, which in May and June increased to 329,000 tonnes and 427,000 tonnes. With that, Metro’s total bauxite mining in June...
Gestamp, a designer, developer and manufacturer of highly engineered metal components for the automotive industry, announced the inauguration of a new plant specializing in aluminium in Nitra (Slovakia). With nearly 130 million euros investment, the facility will manufacture aluminium components for Jaguar Land Rover, which recently started operations in Slovakia. Production is expected to begin in 2019. Gestamp Nitra production is focused on the Discovery model currently being produced onsite. The plant will also manufacture aluminium parts for the New Defender model. Francisco J. Riberas, the Gestamp’ s Executive Chairman, said: “We always accompany our clients where they require us, which is exactly what we have done in this case: We have moved to Slovakia to proficiently serve Jaguar...
The US dollar edged lower as President Donald Trump said in a tweet that the US should match China and Europe’s “currency manipulation game.” The US dollar index slid 0.02% to end at 96.76. After the day’s trading LME aluminium closed slightly lower from the previous day yesterday. As the US dollar weakened, three-month LME aluminium climbed along with the five-day moving average, to a high of US$1,793 per tonne, ending up 0.53% at US$1,789 per tonne overnight. Three months LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$1,770-1,800 per tonne today. As on July 3, Wednesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1754 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1754.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1778 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1779 per tonne; Dec 20 bid...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, have extended their downfalls over the week ended on July 4 by 23,000 tonnes to stand at 1.028 million tonnes. A week ago, on June 27, the primary aluminium inventories were at 1.051 tonnes, while on July 1, the inventories were at 1.041 tonne after declining by 10,000 tonnes over the weekend. This indicates that from July 1, today’s inventories have dropped by RMB 13,000 tonnes. In Wuxi, Jiangsu; Shanghai; and Nanhai, Guangdong; the inventories have dropped week-on-week by some 18,000 tonnes, 1,000 tonnes, 15,000 tonnes, and to stand at 335,000 tonnes, 207,000 tonnes, and 231,000 tonnes, respectively. In Gongyi, Henan; Hangzhou, Zhejiang,...
