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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The ET Foundation (The Extrusion Technology for Aluminum Profiles Foundation) has announced the winners of the 2019 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition. More than 90 students from high schools and universities submitted entries for the cash award sponsored by Bonnell Aluminum. The award is organized by Aluminium Extruders Council. David Asher, Process Optimization Manager for Bonnell Aluminum; Dr. Joseph Benedyk, Editor of Light Metal Age magazine and Todd Boyer, Director of Sales & Marketing for Mid-States Aluminum judged the 2019 Extrusion Design Competition. Students were awarded for designs that showcased the versatility and advantages of aluminium extrusions. First Prize was won by a student from The Oslo School of Architecture and Design for a Bed for Refugee Camps, which was made...
ALRO S.A., one of the largest vertically integrated aluminium producers in Europe by capacity, announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter of 2019. The Group’s turnover stood at RON 767.4 million in Q1 2019, up 2.4% from RON 749.2 million in Q1 2018. The Group registered a gross profit of RON 105 million in Q1 2019, from RON 167 million in Q1 2018. Operating result (EBIT) stood at RON 59 million compared to RON 101 million in Q1 2018. Marian NASTASE, Chairman of ALRO’s Board of Directors said: "In the first three months of 2019, ALRO Group recorded an increased turnover YoY, with higher revenues generated mainly by the processed aluminium segment and steady income from the primary aluminium segment, in line with our strategy of increasing, in the total production...
According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, aluminium demand in the United States and Canada, including shipments by domestic producers plus imports stood at an estimated 2.1 million tonnes for January and February 2019, slightly down from the same period of 2018. Total aluminium supply in January and February (3 Primary production, secondary recovery, and imports for consumption) in the US stood at 1.58 million tonnes. When we look at the total import by the US in the first two months of 2019 (including scrap), we see the volume standing at 935,000 tonnes. Excluding scrap US import of aluminium and semi-finished aluminium stood at 836,000 tonnes, about 14% drop from 973,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2018. The import of crude aluminium and alloy dropped about 18% to...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, China’s production of primary aluminium came in at 11.48 million tonnes in the first four months of 2019. Production increased 4.1 per cent from last year, showed data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Wednesday, May 15. In January-March, the country’s production of primary aluminium was 8.57 million tonnes, up 3.9 per cent year-on-year. In April alone, China produced 2.92 million tonnes of primary aluminium, an increase of 3.9 per cent from a year ago, NBS data showed. This followed after a year-on-year rise of 3.4 per cent in March. China’s output of ten nonferrous metals for the first four months of the year increased 5.2 per cent year-on-year to 18.64 million tonnes, NBS data showed.
STAS Inc. announces through a press release that the company, a high-technology equipment supplier for the global aluminum industry based in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada, has acquired SERMAS Industrie, located in St Quentin Sur Isère, near Grenoble in France and which employs around forty employees. World leader in the sawing of large materials for the aluminum industry, SERMAS Industrie develops a complete range of equipment for the manufacture of cast aluminum products: • Complete sawing equipment for ingots, billets and aluminum T-bars including handling, weighing, marking and chip processing; • Milling machines for the manufacture of cast or rolled aluminum plates; • Sealing benches to produce cathodic blocks used in electrolysis pots; • Anode preparation equipment; • Sawing equipment...
The Indian government has once again postponed the deadline to impose retaliatory import duties on 29 US products, including almond, walnut, and pulses, by a month. In a notification issued by the finance ministry, the government said that the implementation of increased customs duty, which was slated to come into effect from May 16, has been postponed to June 16. These deadlines have been extending since June 2018, when India decided to impose these duties in retaliation to the US’s decision to impose customs duties of 10 per cent on imports of aluminium products and 25 per cent on imports of certain steel products. The extension of the deadline comes in the backdrop of the US decision to withdraw export incentives provided to Indian exporters under the Generalised System of Preferences...
The dollar rebounded from a nearly one-month low hit in the previous session, as US and Chinese officials said the two countries would continue to negotiate on trade. US President Donald Trump insisted on Tuesday that trade talks with China had not collapsed and called the widening US-China tariff war "a little squabble". LME base metals rallied across the board. LME aluminium rose 1.57%, SHFE aluminium gained 0.95%. LME aluminium traded robustly overnight with a high of US$1846.5 per tonne, ending 1.57% higher at US$1,839 per tonne after a positive indication on US china trade negotiations. LME aluminium is trading at US$1,810-1,840 per tonne today. As on May 14, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1791.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1792 per tonne;...
Alumina spot prices increased across China major markets on Wednesday, 15 May 2019. The average alumina spot price rose from RMB 2850 per tonne on May 14 to RMB 2951 per tonne on Wednesday, May 15. The price is expected to range within RMB 2951-2951per tonne today. As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, the average price of Alumina-East has risen by RMB 100 per tonne to stand at RMB 2960 per tonne; Alumina-Central is up by RMB 100 per tonne at RMB 2950 per tonne; Alumina-North is up by RMB 100 per tonne at RMB 2970 per tonne; and Alumina-South is up by RMB 110 per tonne to stand at RMB 2990 per tonne as on May 15. Imported Alumina price recorded an increase of RMB 50 per tonne to RMB2990 per tonne. The price is expected to range within RMB 2940-3040 per tonne today. The A00 aluminium ingot...
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) announced with a press release that it had successfully achieved a major Safety milestone of 5 million working-hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI) on 30 April 2019. The aluminium producer which has recently completed ramp–up of 212 pots or the 50% of its production capacity in its Line 6 expansion project has celebrated this safety milestone in the smelter site. Commenting on this occasion, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Murray said: “I am proud to say that Alba has a strong Safety and Health culture driven by employees’ ownership of Safety collectively. As we approach the hot summer months, we have to prepare well and step-up our efforts to ensure that Safety is always a priority. With extreme preparation and mutual commitment, we will go beyond the 5...
Formpack Dessiflex Ultra blister solution, developed by Amcor in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for Augmentin product, reportedly received the Alufoil Trophy in Product Protection category. Dessiflex Blister System is an innovative packaging solution that offers the ultimate protection to the most sensitive pharmaceutical products by absorbing moisture. For any aluminium blister, moisture can enter the cavity via cross diffusion through the seal layer, or as part of the tablet packaging process. Formpack® Dessiflex Ultra eliminates that risk, as it can dry moisture within the atmosphere of the cavity during the packaging process. Previously, Augmentin tablets were packaged in a glass bottle with a desiccant sachet and sealed using an aluminium pilfer-proof closure with a liner....
Aluminium products exports by China increased 13.1 per cent year-on-year to 1.28 million tonnes in the first three months of 2019, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The growth rate lost 7.4 percentage points from the same period last year, the MIIT said. Aluminium products exports reached 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in Q1 2019. This was up 3.9 per cent year-on-year, as reported by Xinhua News Agency. Unit export prices of aluminium products dropped 8.1-percent year-on-year in the mentioned period. According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s production of 10 major non-ferrous metals stood at 13.7 million tonnes in the first three months. This records an increase of 6.3 per cent year-on-year.
According to Shanghai Metals Market, Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) further raised the floor price of non-metallurgical alumina. This is the fourth time since April that Chinalco has increased the floor price of alumina. The further rise brings the price to RMB 3,050 per tonne, which will come into effect on May 14, following the price RMB 2,950 per tonne for May 10, RMB 2,850 per tonne for April 26, and RMB 2,750 per tonne for April 16. The continued hike in alumina floor prices could be attributed to production cut by local alumina producers due to environmental inspections in Shanxi province. Shanghai Metals Market lowered its estimates for alumina output across Chinese producers in May to 5.97 million tonnes, which translated to a narrower supply glut of 150,000 tonnes. The...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, sales of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in China increased 18.1 per cent year-on-year in April. Sales stood at 97,000 NEVs. NEVs include pure electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs. Production rose 25 per cent year-on-year to 102,000 NEVs, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). In April, sales of pure electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs increased 9.6 per cent year-on-year and 50.9 per cent year-on-year to stand at 71,000 units and 26,000 units, CAAM said on Monday, May 13. Fuel cell vehicle sales recorded only 7 units in April, down 87.5 per cent year-on-year, and production declined 84.5 per cent to 9 units. Retail sales of sedans, sport utility vehicles, minivans, and multi-purpose vehicles dropped 16.6...
After rising in the past three consecutive years, Czech Republic’s aluminium powder and flakes import is likely to stand down this year, found the global export-import data. Compared with 4,591 tonnes in 2018, Czech Republic in 2019 is expected to import 4,297 tonnes, down 6.38 per cent year on year. Until 2018, Czech Republic’s aluminium powder and flakes import rose year on year, according to the available data. From 3,523 tonnes in 2016, the country’s import volume increased 9.11 per cent amounted to 3,844 tonnes in 2017. In 2018, the amount rose further to 4,590 tonnes, up 19.4 per cent from 2017 and 30.28 per cent from 2016. In tandem with the increasing import volume, Czech Republic’s aluminium powder and flakes import cost rose year on year from 2016 to 2018. In 2016, the estimated...
In the midst of two days of talks between top US and Chinese negotiators to resolve a 10-month trade war between the world's two largest economies, US President increased tariff on US$200 billion worth of Chinese goods by 25 per cent effective Friday, May 10. The US Customs and Border Protection imposed the new 25 per cent duty on affected US-bound cargoes leaving China after 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Friday. Trump gave US importers less than five days’ notice on the tariff hike. This new rate now matches the rate on a prior US$50 billion category of Chinese machinery and technology goods. The rate hike affected US$20 billion-plus category of internet modems, routers and other data transmission devices, followed by about US$12 billion worth of printed circuit boards used in a vast...
Statkraft and Alcoa Norway have inked a long-term contract for the supply of power during the period 2020 to 2026. Statkraft will supply approximately 440 GWh of power annually to Alcoa’s Norwegian aluminium production facilities. Hallvard Granheim, Executive Vice President Markets & IT in Statkraft said: “As competition for long-term power supply agreements has picked up in Norway, I’m pleased to enter a new contract confirming competitive terms and Statkraft’s role as a preferred supplier of electricity to Norwegian industry.” Kai-Rune Heggland, Country Manager Alcoa Norway commented: “Access to renewable energy at globally competitive prices is key to Alcoa’s focus on climate change and further development in Norway. We are very satisfied that Statkraft now can offer competitively...
Russian aluminium giant UC Rusal reportedly announced its first quarter results where it mentioned that revenue dropped 20.9 per cent to US$2,170 million from US$2,744 million in the same period last year. Net profit also decreased by 49.8 per cent to US$273 million, compared with US$544 million in Q1 2018. Recurring profit for the period was at US$300 million, down 43.5 per cent from US$531 million in Q1 2018. Commenting on the first quarter 2019 results, Evgenii Nikitin, CEO of RUSAL, said “The first quarter of the year was significantly challenged by the past year’s events, including the OFAC sanctions which were only lifted on 27 January 2019.” According to the company’s results, adjusted EBITDA came in at US$226 million in Q1 2019, down 60.5 per cent from US$572 million in the...
Suntown Technology Group Corporation Limited (SNTO) has been certified against Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) Performance Standard for responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. SNTO has become the third company in China to receive Certification under the ASI, and the first in China covering aluminium recycling, demonstrating its commitment to environmental, social and governance performance, ASI announced on Monday,13 May, 2019. SNTO, headquartered in Wangcheng Economic Development Zone, Changsha, manufactures aluminium products from cast billet through to sheet, extrusions and foil. The certification covers aluminium re-melting, re-fining and re-cycling and semi-fabrication activities at the sites in Changsha and Changde. Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive...
