
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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Noranda Bauxite, located in St Ann, Jamaica has been appreciated by Mining Minister Robert Montague for optimum use of reclaimed bauxite lands for farming and the storage of water. Noranda Bauxite, now owned by Dada Holdings mines bauxite in St Ann and ships worldwide for both metallurgical and chemical use. Montague added that the ministry is also committed to its ‘Life after Bauxite’ programme in Jamaica. The minister stated this during Noranda Bauxite’s Agriculture Education Industry Exposition at the Port Rhodes Sports Complex in Discovery Bay, St Ann on Thursday, May 30. “We are committed to a programme that we call in the (mining) ministry ‘Life after Bauxite’, because… we have been mining bauxite for 60 years, (and) one day the bauxite is going to come to an end, and there has to...

According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs, China’s imports of aluminium scrap came in at 153,000 tonnes in April. Imports increased by 21.6 per cent from 126,000 tonnes in March. Aluminium scrap imports scrap expanded in April, bolstered by greater imports through general trade after prices of European materials dropped sharply, as updated by Shanghai Metals Market. China’s imports of aluminium scrap registered a growth of 21.6 per cent year-on-year, when the levy of 25 per cent on US materials took effect. Imports through general trade increased 37.4 per cent to 102,000 tonnes in April, the highest in 13 months. This was up 29.1 per cent YoY. While imports through processing trade declined 7.2 per cent year-on-year to 51,000 tonnes. Aluminium scrap...

India based Universal Prime Aluminium which has been engaged in the manufacture and sale of aluminium collapsible tubes and metal containers has reported results for the quarter ended March 2019. The company was formerly known as Universal Cans and Containers Limited. The company has been going through loss for two consecutive years. The company reported a net loss of INR 0.10 crore in the quarter ended March 2019 as against net loss of INR 0.06 crore during the March quarter 2018. The company reported no sales during the quarter ended March 2019 and also during the quarter ended March 2018. For the full year, net profit declined 95.35% to INR 0.02 crore in the year ended March 2019 as against INR 0.43 crore during the financial year ended March 2018. No sales were reported in the year...

The U.S. total imports of aluminium for consumption during the first 3 months of 2019 stood at 1.44 million tonnes, 20% less than 1.81 million tonnes in the same period in 2018, according to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey. The U.S. imported 509,000 tonnes of aluminium (crude metals and alloys, plate, sheets, bars, etc., and scrap) in March 2019. This indicates a drop of 31% year-on-year. Canada continued to be the leading source of imported aluminium materials, supplying 38% of all aluminium imports during the first 3 months of 2019, followed by the United Arab Emirates (10%), Australia (6%), India (5%), and Bahrain (4%). Canada exported 543,000 tonnes of crude metals and alloys, aluminium semi-finished products, and scrap to the U.S. during...

Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assured that the government’s plan to mine bauxite in the Atewa forest, the country’s largest natural rainforest, would not harm the environment. He said this during the Sustainable Ocean Industries Conference in Ghana. He said that the latest mining technology applied by the bauxite miners will reduce the impact of mining operations on the surrounding environment and on the people whose livelihood depends on the forest resources. He added that the government is committed to bauxite mining keeping in mind the best interests of the people. He added that he was satisfied with the information and demonstration he had received about mining without disturbing wildlife in the forest. “Beginning now, the full scale exploitation of Ghanaian bauxite...

Reacting to a report from The New York Times, claiming that Trump administration was advised on imposing tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday that the country has been complying with the terms of the trade deal with the U.S. It was reported that Trump was advised to import tariffs on Canberra considering the growing aluminium import from Australia to the United States over the past year. However, Morrison insisted that Australian aluminium exporters have not disregarded the trade deal with the U.S. after exemption last year. The New York Times report said that though Trump considered imposing tariffs on imports from Australia last week, he decided against it after opposition from military officials and the State Department....

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation on imports of aluminium wire and cable from China. The Commerce Department found that exporters from China dumped aluminium wire and cable in the United States at a margin of 58.51 to 63.47 percent, according to the release. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect cash deposits from importers of aluminium wire and cable based on the preliminary rates announced by the Commerce Department said on Thursday. The U.S. imports of aluminium wire and cable from China were valued at an estimated $157.2 million in 2017, the Commerce Department said. The petitioners are Encore Wire Corporation (McKinney, TX) and Southwire Company, LLC (Carrollton, GA). The Commerce...

According to the New York Times report, some of the United States top trade advisers including Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, and Peter Navarro, the director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, had urged the Trump administration to impose tariffs on aluminium imports from Australia. But Trump was eventually persuaded to backtrack on the decision as imposing tariffs on Australia could alienate a key ally in the Asia-Pacific region. The surge in Australian aluminium flowing onto the American market over the past year, which now accounts for about 6 per cent of all aluminium imported to the country, led the United States top advisers come up with the idea of scrapping the exemption that was granted last year to Australia. In May last year, when the...

The US dollar fell sharply on Friday after US President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on Mexico. Most LME base metals traded lower on Friday, and aluminium advanced 0.7%. SHFE base metals traded mixed on Friday night and aluminium stayed flat. Three-month LME aluminium jumped to an intraday high of US$1,811.5 per tonne on Friday before it erased some gains to end 0.73% higher at US$1,794 per tonne at Friday night. The cash contract closed the week almost flat at US$ 1761 per tonne. Three months aluminium is expected to trade between US$1,770-1,820 per tonne today. As on May 31, Friday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1760.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1761 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1787.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is...

Social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, came in at 1.18 million tonnes as of Monday June 3. Primary aluminium stocks dropped 31,000 tonnes from 1.212 million tonnes on Thursday May 30, Shanghai Metals Market data showed. Inventories continued to decline over the weekend, due to limited cargoes arrivals at social warehouses. Deliveries from warehouses also shrank during the weekend. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across all major China markets: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi, Jiangsu stood at 422,000 tonnes as of Thursday May 30, a drop of 12,000 tonnes from 434,000 tonnes on Thursday May 30. Inventories in Shanghai and Nanhai, Guangdong, declined 8,000 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes...

According to Shanghai Metals Market, Shandong Weiqiao Group, one of the top aluminium producers in China, has raised the benchmark purchasing price for prebaked anode for the first time this year by RMB 100 per tonne to RMB 3,095 per tonne in cash for June 2019. In May, the benchmark price had stood at RMB 2,995 per tonne in cash, down RMB 35 per tonne month on month. Amidst this, the prebaked anode price in the east and central has recorded a rise by RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 3,162 per tonne and RMB 3,197 per tonne after almost a month. The price of A00 aluminium ingot, on the other hand, has extended its fall by RMB 10 per tonne to RMB 14,170 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. With this drop, the aluminium ingot price marks the fifth consecutive decline. The average prices are...

En+ Group, the parent company of Rusal, which covers the energy and aluminium assets previously belonging to business tycoon Oleg Deripaska reported its first-quarter results on Friday, May 31. The group’s first-quarter net profit fell by 39% to US$409 million due to the U.S. sanctions on the group and falling aluminium prices. En+ also reported its revenue dropped 19% to US$2.8 billion in the first quarter as a result of a 14% drop in LME aluminium prices and lower shipment volume. “The aluminium market continues to experience pricing pressure with only modest growth in global demand expected in 2019,” Vladimir Kiriukhin, En+’s chief executive, said in the statement. EN+ was one of three companies linked with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska that had to face sanctions from the US...

A00 aluminium ingot price started its downward trend on Tuesday, 28 May 2019, after two back-to-back increases on May 24 and May 27. Aluminium ingot price started the week noticeably higher at RMB14350 per tonne on Monday and ended the week lower at RMB14180 per tonne on Friday, May 31, 2019. A00 Average aluminium price is expected to hover between RMB 14160-14200 per tonne. Aluminium price in other major China markets showed the same trend starting the week higher and ending lower. Premium remained unchanged at RMB20 per tonne till Thursday, 30 May. The average premium dropped to RMB10 per tonne on Friday, May 31. As of yesterday, spot aluminium price is likely to trade at a discount of RMB 10 per tonne to a premium of RMB 30 per tonne. Inventories of primary aluminium continued to...

According to a statement from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, electric vehicle manufacturers will operate with an average of 80 per cent of their total annual production capacity in 2019-20. The group projected that the industry will ship about 1.6 million to 1.7 million EVs in the market in 2019 while the actual annual EV capacity will hit 2 million in 2019. China’s EV production capacity is projected to reach 2.5 million while annual sales would exceed 2 million, CAAM said. Despite the quickly mushrooming EV startups across the country in last 2/3 years, most of them are going to start mass production only after three years or later than that, the group added. According to the industry association’s data, in 2018, China managed to sell out all the EVs that were produced....

Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Berhad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to acquire 25 per cent equity interest in PT Bintan Alumina Indonesia. PT Bintan Alumina Indonesia, involved in the production of non-ferrous metals, is building a 1 million-tonne alumina refinery plant together with the necessary facilities in Galang Batang, with plans for a second phase. The company has entered into a MoU to negotiate and discuss the details of the acquisition. The acquisition is subjected to the completion of the necessary due diligence and agreement on the final terms and conditions. Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Paul Koon said: “We are constantly on the lookout for suitable assets to strengthen our position as a globally integrated aluminium corporation. We are excited about...

The US dollar recovered some ground on Monday May 27 and continued to hover at a higher range over the week amidst US-China trade tension. LME aluminium registered a declining trend throughout the week. After a holiday on Monday May 27, the LME aluminium cash contract started the week with US$ 1773 per tonne and moved steadily downwards to wind up the week at US$1761 per tonne. Three-month LME aluminium fluctuated between US$1,799-1,814.5 per tonne on Tuesday and closed 0.08% higher at US$1,803.5 per tonne. Weak trading was seen for LME three months contract. As on May 31, Thursday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1760.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1761 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1787.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$...

According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production came in at 93,000 tonnes in March 2019. The average daily production was 3,000 tonnes, up 31 per cent year-on-year, but down 3 per cent month-on-month. Total aluminium recovered from scrap stood at 289,000 tonnes in March, 5 per cent higher than the revised amount in February. This was 7 per cent less than the amount in March 2018, and 10 per cent less than the amount in March 2017. Of this, 163,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 126,000 tonnes was recovered from old scrap. Primary aluminium inventories in LME-approved warehouses in the United States dropped to 39,400 tonnes at the end of March. Inventories of secondary aluminium (North American Secondary Aluminium...

The Aluminum Association has added four new member companies – Matalco, Page Material Management, Real Alloy and Texarkana Aluminum. Page Material Management joins the association as an associate member – an organization that supplies goods and services to the industry. The three companies join as producer members – firms that make or fabricate aluminium products. Michelle O’Neill, Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs & Sustainability at Alcoa and Chair of the Aluminum Association said: “As we continue to advocate on behalf of the entire aluminium industry, we’re pleased to bring in these new voices to help us tell the sustainability story, including the metal’s infinite recyclability.” “Recycling plays a critical role in the North American market, and we look forward to...