Monster Beverage Corporation reported record third-quarter net sales of USD 2.56 billion in 2026, marking a 16.7 per cent year-on-year increase, even as higher aluminium can and freight costs contributed to a decline in gross profit margin. The beverage manufacturer said rising aluminium costs, alongside a shift towards faster-growing but lower-margin international markets, weighed on profitability during the quarter. According to the company's Q3 2026 earnings call, gross profit margin declined by 100 basis points to 54.7 per cent from 55.7 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Management identified increased aluminium can costs, geographical sales mix and higher freight expenses as the primary factors behind the contraction, partly offset by pricing actions. Chief Executive...
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...
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According to the European Central Bank, the European Union will not be severely impacted in the short term by the proposed of car tariffs by the US on EU. However, the growing trade tensions among the countries could have serious consequences for the global economy. An ECB research shows that the new import duties on car are likely to cause about 4 per cent loss to the EU car industry. Considering the size of the region’s market, such loss would only have a limited effect on region's economy. The US automakers may have an advantage from the levies but that will be largely offset by retaliatory tariffs from those affected countries which will affect other parts of the economy. The proposed car tariffs on the cars imported from the European Union has been doing the rounds since 2018 when...
Until the early 20th century, aluminium was generally not used in construction. It was in the 1920s when aluminium began to be used for decorative detailing and then in the 1930s, a breakthrough was achieved when the Empire State building in New York used aluminium for much of its interior structures. Subsequently, the non-ferrous metal began to be used for roofing, flashing, wall panels, spandrels, and so on. With this growing use, the exports of aluminium structures by several countries have also been increasing. They are used for commercial buildings to domestic dwellings. In the year last, Austria’s exports of aluminium structures had increased by 23 per cent from 28,673 tonnes in 2017 to 35,385 tonnes. However, the amount of export in 2017 was down 9 per cent from 31,580 tonnes in...
Social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrant, stood at 1.513 million tonnes as of Thursday April 25, Shanghai Metals Market data showed. Inventories in China once again recorded a decline as downstream consumers stockpiled for the upcoming Labour Day holiday. Primary aluminium stocks declined 74,000 tonnes or 4.7 per cent from a week ago. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China: Stocks of primary aluminium in Wuxi, Jiangsu stood at 547,000 tonnes, down 25,000 tonnes from 572,000 tonnes on Thursday April 18. Inventories in Shanghai and Nanhai, Guangdong decreased 2,000 tonnes and 28,000 tonnes from Thursday April 18 to stand at 290,000 tonnes and 331,000 tonnes. Inventories of...
The dollar index on Wednesday extended its gains to 98.189; its highest since May 2017, as a surprise drop in German business morale weighed on the euro. With a strong US dollar, LME base metals traded mixed on Wednesday and aluminium fell 0.2%. SHFE aluminium rose 0.6%. Three-month LME aluminium hovered in a wide range and ended 0.24% lower at US$1,871.5 per tonne on Wednesday. LME aluminium remained above the five- and 10-day moving averages. With a robust SHFE counterpart, LME aluminium is expected to rise to a range of US$1,860-1,890 per tonne today. As on April 24, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1853 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1854 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1871.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1872 per tonne; Dec 20...
According to a recent update from Shanghai Metals Market, China’s April retail sales of passenger vehicles increased from a month ago as buyers held off car purchases after the value-added tax cuts took effect. The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) intimidated on Wednesday that in the first week of April, car retail sales averaged at 35,321 units per day, up 8 per cent from the same period last year. However, daily average sales clocked at 33,508 units in the first three weeks of April, down 25 per cent year-on-year due to a high statistical basis in the contemporary period of 2018. According to another update from Shanghai Metals Market, Liuan City of China’s eastern province of Anhui has decided to offer subsidies for local hydrogen refuelling stations by 30 per cent of the capital...
Average spot alumina price moves further up on Thursday, 25 April 2019 throughout all the major markets in China. Alumina price in China today stands at RMB2715 per tonne, up RMB10 per tonne from yesterday. The average price is expected to range within RMB2715 per tonne. Alumina price in East and Central have registered an increase to RMB2720 per tonne each today. Their average prices are expected to range between RMB2700-2740 per tonne and RMB2710-2730 per tonne. Alumina price in North and South stand at RMB2710 per tonne each. Their average prices are expected to range between RMB2690-2730 per tonne each. On April 25, A00 aluminium ingot price stands at RMB14230 per tonne from RMB14150 per tonne yesterday. This marks a growth of RMB80 per tonne. The price is expected to move within a...
According to the latest data showed by International Aluminium Institute (IAI), Global primary aluminium production increased to 5.414 million tonnes in March 2019, from 4.916 million tonnes in February 2019. The figure was up 10 per cent month-on-month. Primary aluminium production came in at 15.741 million tonnes in January to March 2019 as against 15.690 million tonnes in January to March 2018. In Asia ex-China, primary aluminium production stood at 377,000 tonnes in March; in the Middle East, the production declined 2.8 per cent year-to-year to 449,000 tonnes. Europe primary aluminium production totalled at 646,000 tonnes in March, down 1.37 per cent from the corresponding period previous year. North America produced 325,000 tonnes of primary aluminium, up 1.88 per cent year-on-year....
Guinea’s independent mineral exploration and development company Alufer Mining has started detailed engineering studies on its Bel Air bauxite mine in Guinea. The study will evaluate its proposed plan to expand bauxite production to ten-million tonnes a year. The company said on Wednesday that the bauxite mining operations in the mine were on track to produce the yearly target of 5.5-million tonnes of bauxite in 2019. The operational team is optimising each part of the system and making sure that the transhipment process is performing efficiently with maximum loading rates and barge cycle times. The company also said that the preliminary engineering studies have already shown some robust data and indicated that this would be a capital efficient way to optimise project capabilities. The...
According to a Reuters report, Indonesia’s PT Aneka Tambang (Antam), a mining company owned by the state is planning to request for additional export quotas for nickel ore and bauxite for 2019. This was announced by Aneka Chief Executive Arie Prabowo Ariotedjo on Wednesday. He said that PT Aneka Tambang also plans to request for an additional bauxite export quota of 2 million tonnes for 2019. Currently, the limit of bauxite export quota stands at 840,000 tonnes. The company is likely to submit the additional quota proposal to the government within the next two months. PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) reported the production results for first-quarter 2019 and registered growth in Nickel production. Antam produced 187,830 wet tonnes of bauxite in Q1, down 6% from 200,300 wet tonnes in Q1 2018....
Aluminum Association released a new white paper, Targeted Trade Enforcement in Action: Aluminum Foil AD/CVD One-Year Later yesterday. The paper highlights the progress made after the Commerce Department’s final application of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on imports of certain aluminium foil from China on April 19, 2018. The report shows the import of Chinese aluminium foil registered about two-thirds drop after the duties and the US saw an investment of US$169 million in the segment. “One year after taking strong action to enforce our nation’s trade laws, we are seeing clear and significant progress in the U.S. aluminium foil market,” said Heidi Brock, president & CEO of the Aluminum Association. The AD and CVD orders ranged from 55 to 176 per cent, reflecting the...
A fire broke out at Norsk Hydro’s Gloucester extrusion facility in the UK on Sunday. This has caused damages to parts of the production facilities, while offices were affected by smoke. The plant had halted production over Easter and was not operating when the fire started. The maintenance person on duty was notified by a fire alarm and the local fire brigade was alerted. The fire brigade put out the fire within an hour after arriving at the plant, the company said in a statement. Gloucester plant is likely to restart as soon as possible. During this period, the company will serve its customers with backup solutions from sister plants. “The police are now investigating the fire. Hydro will routinely also conduct its own investigation to find the root cause.”
The Australia-based minerals exploration company Metallica Minerals Limited (ASX: MLM) announces that it has undertaken an investigation along with its joint venture partner into access arrangements for a barge loading facility (BLF) to allow exporting bauxite from the Urquhart Bauxite Project. The Urquhart Bauxite Project forms a part of the Cape York Bauxite and Heavy Minerals Sands JV agreement. Also, Metallica Minerals manages and owns 50 percent of the project. MLM said it has to negotiate for probable priority access to the BLF, held by Green Coast Resources at the Hey Point. In the middle of February 2019, a negotiation with the third-party owner of Hey Point had taken place but did not result in a feasible commercial contract that could enable practical use of the Hey Point...
India’s total aluminium export to the USA increased 21 per cent year-on-year to stand at 23,700 tonnes in January 2019. Aluminium export was 19,600 tonnes in January 2018. The country’s total aluminium imports including scrap from the USA soared 113 per cent year-on-year to stand at 18,200 tonnes, as updated by US Census Bureau. Aluminium semi-finished products export to the USA stood at 5,050 tonnes in January 2019, up 54 per cent from 3,290 tonnes in January 2018, and increased 5.4 per cent month-on-month from 4,790 tonnes in December 2018. Import of aluminium semi-finished products from the USA jumped 109.3 per cent from a year ago to stand at 180 tonnes in January 2019, while imports declined 46 per cent month-on-month. India’s aluminium scraps import from the USA increased from 8,450...
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation, a leading producer of semi-fabricated specialty aluminium products, announced first quarter 2019 results. The Company reported net sales of $395 million in Q1 2019, up approximately 2% year-on-year. Adjusted consolidated EBITDA for the quarter stood at $56 million, up $8 million YoY. Jack A. Hockema, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said: “Continuing the positive trend from the second half 2018, we reported strong first quarter 2019 results. Improving aerospace demand and non-contract value added pricing drove strong results in the quarter, partially offset by approximately $5 million of cost inefficiencies at our Trentwood facility, a combination of unplanned equipment downtime in the finishing operations and purchased rolling ingot costs necessitated by...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the processing fees for aluminium billets are likely to remain strong in the medium terms, as the orders for aluminium extrusions have improved in a peak during March-May season. In March, the operating rates across major Chinese aluminium extrusion producers averaged at 60.4 per cent and are likely to grow further to 62 per cent in April and change a little in May, found an SMM survey. This rising trend of aluminium extrusions operating rates has led to a steady supply of aluminium billets. Besides, the beginning of new capacity bolstered the supplies further, despite lower output from Xinjiang and Shandong. East Hope increased the price of molten aluminium at the end of last year and that frustrated aluminium billet manufacturers in Xinjiang with...
On the first trading day after Easter Monday Holiday on April 23, LME aluminium contract closed higher at US$ 1855 per tonne, from US$1839 per tonne on Friday, April 19. Recent strong performance in SHFE aluminium helped LME aluminium buck the downtrend across nonferrous metals on Tuesday. Three-month LME aluminium closed 0.43% higher at US$1876per tonne, after it climbed to a two-week high of US$1886 per tonne. SMM expects the contract to trade between US$1850-1880 per tonne. As on April 23, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1854.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1855 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1870.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1871 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1998 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price stands at...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the average alumina spot price has recorded a growth today, April 24, by RMB 10 per tonne to come in at RMB 2,705 per tonne. In the major markets including east, central, north, and south, the alumina price has climbed by RMB 10 per tonne and hovering at RMB 2,710 per tonne, RMB 2,700 per tonne and RMB 2,705 per tonne, respectively. However, the Australian alumina FOB price has shown restraint today at US$363 per tonne. However, despite the rise in average alumina spot price, the A00 aluminium ingot price has dwindled by RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 14,150 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,130 per tonne and RMB 14,170 per tonne. The spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at the same discount of RMB 30 per tonne to a...
Indian Ministries and public sector firms are working towards building infrastructure and manufacturing components for electric vehicles (EVs). It is estimated that the EV market in 2030 would be valued at INR 42,000 crore. Private sector is also investing in manufacturing and installing EV infrastructures including charging and battery swapping technologies, as said by the NITI Aayog. Industry players are also exploring solar-plus-EV technology. Indian Railways has decided to allocate space for EV charging places at their station parking lots on public-private partnership. Indian Oil Corporation has partnered with clean energy firm Fortum India for EV charging stations to be started in Nagpur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Delhi. The company also signed agreements with NTPC, Powergrid and...
