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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Global bauxite production is expected to rebound this year with new projects coming up in Guinea and Australia and with some expansions across India and Indonesia. Consultancy group Fitch Solutions notes that Australia is currently holding 12 of the 29 new bauxite projects, which is more than any other country. The consultancy firm forecasts that bauxite production in Australia will increase by 15 per cent in 2019, compared with 4 per cent in 2018. “While bauxite accounts for less than 5% of Australian mining value, the country is the global top producer, accounting for an estimated 28.8% of total global output as of 2018. Australia will remain a top bauxite exporter to China, although the country may lose some market share over the coming quarters to returning Indonesian supply,”...
It is estimated that global demand for aluminium tubes and pipes to record growth due to rising demand from construction, building and transportation sectors. World demand is forecasted to grow 4.2 per cent per annum from 2016 to 2020. Turkey exports a large amount of aluminium tubes and pipes to global markets. Most of the country’s aluminium tubes and pipes export goes to Germany and Italy. Turkey’s exports to Germany and Italy stood at 2304 tonnes and 1011 tonnes last year. According to recent estimates, Turkey exported 10182 tonnes of aluminium tubes and pipes in 2016, which dropped 10 per cent to total at 9175 tonnes in 2017. The country’s estimated exports increased 26 per cent to 11495 tonnes in 2018. In 2019, the volume is estimated to shrink again to total at 11356 tonnes, down...
Aleris Corporation reported results for Q1 2019 ended March 31 on May 8. The company reported a net loss of US$33 million compared to net income of $5 million in Q1 2018. The company reported a record first quarter adjusted EBITDA of US$85 million compared to US$54 million in 2018. Adjusted EBITDA was positively impacted by improved rolling margins and favourable metal spreads. Commenting on the results, Sean Stack, Aleris Chairman and CEO said, "We are off to a strong start this year with record first quarter Adjusted EBITDA, significant growth in aerospace and continued growth in commercial shipments from our new automotive assets in North America." “With our multi-year aerospace agreements in place and committed automotive volumes in North America, we expect to continue this momentum...
The US-based world’s eighth largest aluminium producer Alcoa is reportedly planning to increase the nameplate capacity of its biggest alumina refinery at Pinjarra by almost 20 per cent. Per the report, the company has written an application to the Environmental Protection Authority seeking for an approval to shift bottlenecks at the Pinjarra refinery so that it can increase its capacity to 5 million tonnes of alumina per year, the maximum allowed under current environmental approvals. The current nameplate capacity of the Pinjarra refinery is 4.2 million tonnes per year. But in 2018, it had produced 4.5 million tonnes per year, according to 40 per cent owner Alumina. Alcoa and Alumina also together own 2.6 million tonnes per annum Wagerup and 2 million tonnes per annum Kwinana refineries....
Stocks of 6063 aluminium billet extended their gains today across five consumption areas. Aluminium billet inventories increased some 1,600 tonnes from Sunday, May 5 to stand at 96,500 tonnes as of Thursday May 9. Inventories in China gained this week as buyers stood on the sidelines, according to Shanghai Metals Market. Changzhou, Jiangsu and Huzhou, Zhejiang recorded growth by 5,00 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes from Sunday May 5 to stand at 8,000 tonnes and 12,000 tonnes. In Nanchang, Jiangxi, aluminium billet stocks rose by 6,00 tonnes to stand at 8,300 tonnes. In Foshan, Guangdong, and Wuxi, Jiangsu, the billet stocks reduced by 1,300 tonnes and 2,00 from Sunday May 5 to stand at 51,800 tonnes and 16,400 tonnes today. In another update from SMM, the average price of Aluminium Alloy (ADC12)...
On May 8, 2019, Australian Bauxite Limited (ASX:ABx) confirmed that it produced and loaded 32,447 tonnes of cement-grade bauxite onto the customer’s ship at Bell Bay Port. This was in the upper range of the contracted tonnage target of 30,000 to 33,000 of cement bauxite grade which ABX had achieved about a month ago, said the company itself. Till late April 2019, ABx continued to produce additional bauxite-products at its Bald Hill Bauxite Project. It received more orders for fertilizer-grade bauxite that gives a clear indication that ABx bauxite has clean chemistry ideal for acid-processing to produce high-quality fertilizer in demand. China’s metallurgical bauxite import in February 2019 had reached record levels of 8.9 million tonnes, provided mainly by Guinea amounting 4.4 million...
The US dollar rebounded with foreign exchange traders holding off from making big moves as they awaited definitive news out of the trade talks between the US and China which resume on Thursday. Base metals ended mostly lower and LME aluminium fell almost 1.1% and SHFE aluminium closed 0.4% lower. Compared with the SHFE 1906 contract, three months LME aluminium felt a greater impact from macroeconomic pessimism, as it lost 1.05% overnight and finished at US$1,799 per tonne, with a low of US$1,793 per tonne. It is seen trading between US$1,750-1,800 per tonne today. As on May 8, 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$ 1798 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1800 per tonne;...
Novelis Inc., the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, published results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2019. Net income dropped 5.5% year-on-year to $103 million for the fourth quarter. For the full year, net income came in at $434 million. Excluding tax-effected special items, the company grew its full year net income by 11% to $468 million, and fourth quarter net income 29% to $130 million, driven by a record Adjusted EBITDA for both the quarter and full year. Steve Fisher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novelis, said: "Our year-end financial results are the best in company history, reflecting a continued focus on further improving operational efficiencies and customer centricity.” Net sales stood at 3.1 billion for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, up 1%...
Primary aluminium inventories in China have recorded further downfall this week ended on May 9 due to limited arrivals and strong demand, found Shanghai Metals Market. This has brought down the stocks to 1.409 million tonnes, down 33,000 tonnes from 1.44 million tonnes on May 5 across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants. In Wuxi and Jiangsu, the primary aluminium inventory has dropped by some 11,000 tonnes to stand at 506,000 tonnes; while that in Shanghai, Nanhai and Guangdong, and Gongyi and Henan, the inventories are down by some 7,000 tonnes to hover at 277,000 tonnes, 9,000 tonnes to 310,000 tonnes, and 2,000 tonnes to 99,000 tonnes, respectively. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details:...
On May 7, the Aluminum Association released a new policy roadmap called “The Aluminum Agenda” for a sustainable and competitive U.S. Aluminum Industry. The agenda includes principles and policy goals for a U.S. aluminium industry in the 21st century. The document prepared in consultation with the aluminium companies covering the entire value chain has listed down five key areas for the future growth and investment in the U.S. aluminium sector. Trade: Negotiation with China to discuss aluminium overcapacity, elimination of trade restrictions for countries that abide by the trade rules and implementation of trade enforcement for others. Environment: Development of common sense and science-based environmental regulation for air and water quality, chemical reporting and fuel economy standards...
Norway-based aluminium producer Hydro and Germany-based renewable power developer Sowitec have planned to form a joint venture for the development of a large-scale floating solar power project on Lake Tucurui in the state of Pará, Brazil. If realized, the solar plant will produce electricity for Hydro’s operations in Pará, including the alumina refinery Alunorte and the primary aluminium plant Albras, Hydro said through its press release. Courtesy: Hydro “Hydro has a clear strategy to further reduce emissions from our operations. Increasing our use of clean energy is an important contributor to achieving that target,” said executive vice president of Hydro’s Energy business area, Arvid Moss. “If we succeed in realizing this project, it will be an important milestone for floating solar...
China’s production of metallurgical-grade alumina in April failed to meet Shanghai Metals Market expectations despite expanding 0.1 per cent year on year to peg at 5.81 million tonnes, found SMM survey on Wednesday, May 8. Environmental upgrading, maintenance, and losses were some of the factors that hindered the release of capacity in April, according to SMM. Daily alumina output averaged 194,000 tonnes in April, flat from March and down 7,000 tonnes from February. However, the total output during January-April still stood higher by 5.71 per cent year on year, coming in at 23.59 million tonnes. About 70.64 million tonnes of capacity on an annualised basis were in operation last month, the same as that in March. In April, equipment upgrading for environmental standards affected production...
According to China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association, a large number of secondary aluminium smelters in China, especially those with limited feedstock options, are being affected by uncertainties over scrap import rules like the license awarding criteria, the volume each company will be allowed to import, and the duration of license validity. July onwards China will restrict importing category six scrap or mixed metal containing non-metallic content. In the same month, Ministry of Environment and Ecology will issue import licenses and quota volume to secondary aluminium smelters, told an official of China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association to S&P Global Platts. Per the report, some Chinese smelters have already suspended import while some stepped up purchases ahead of July. One...
China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products increased 12.9 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of 2019, showed data from China Customs released on Wednesday May 7. Total exports came in at 1.94 million tonnes. Unwrought aluminium and aluminium products export from China stood at 498,000 tonnes in April. The figure was down 48,000 tonnes or 8.8 per cent from March’s export of 546,000 tonnes. Exports in April increased 10.4 per cent from April 2018. In another update from Shanghai Metals Market, China exported 245,100 tonnes of aluminium sheets/plates and strips in March. Exports rose 4 per cent from a year ago and 42 per cent from February, according to data from China Customs Export of aluminium sheets/plates and strips in March shrank 0.3 per cent from...
Altech Chemicals Limited announced that it has raised the first steel at its high purity alumina (HPA) plant construction site in Johor, Malaysia. Stage 1 construction of the Company’s HPA plant started in February 2019. The construction work is being done by a South African company Metix, a subsidiary of Altech’s EPC contractor SMS group GmbH. A celebration took place in the site on Friday 3 May 2019 according to the South African custom of “stand-up of iron”. The ceremony was also attended by senior Metix, SMS group and Altech management along with site based employees and sub-contractors. The raising of first steel at Altech’s HPA plant site marks the first milestone in a series of significant developments towards the project over the last 6 months, including advanced design and...
Production of primary aluminium in China stood at 11.52 million tonnes for the first four months of 2019, showed Shanghai Metals Market survey. Production dropped 1.42 per cent year-on-year as capacity in operation remained low after losses triggered a slew of capacity cuts from June 2018 to February 2019. China produced 2.89 million tonnes of aluminium in April, a drop of 2.08 per cent from a year earlier. Domestic primary aluminium capacity in operation came in at an annualised 36.23 million tonnes by the end of April, with operating rates averaging 88.8%, inching up 0.3 percentage point from the end of March. China’s primary aluminium production is expected to decline 1.56 per cent year-on-year to stand at 3.03 million tonnes by the end of this month. Social inventories of primary...
The aluminium industry in South Africa is one of the driving forces of the country’s economy. Along with the economic impact and contribution to the fiscus, the industry generates significant foreign exchange revenues and provides an estimated 11,600 employees in the sector with decent jobs. Manufacturing of aluminium products and components play a vital role in the architectural, building and construction, automotive, transport, consumer durable, electrical, packaging, chemical and explosives, and general engineering sectors. In March 2019, the total aluminium production in South Africa was at 89,000 tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} Since the aluminium supply chain commences with the primary smelters producing 99.7% pure aluminium from alumina, South Africa imports a large amount of the ore....
The US dollar weakened against the Japanese yen. LME aluminium grew 1.06% and SHFE aluminium finished slightly higher last night. Benchmark aluminium price on London Metal Exchange dropped to close at US$ 1767 per tonne on Tuesday, May 7, from US$ 1783.5 per tonne on Friday May 3. LME aluminium is likely to be traded at US$1,800-1,820per tonne today. As on May 7, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1766 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1767 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1798 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1798.50 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1918 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price stands at US$ 1923 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1263400 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled at 864650 tonnes, and Cancelled...
