Novelis is advancing beverage can coating testing and research resulting from its long-standing relationship with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Researchers from Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, working in collaboration with Novelis, have developed advanced testing capabilities that significantly reduce the time required to evaluate how beverages interact with protective coatings inside aluminum cans. The new approach allows researchers to collect data throughout the testing process, providing a clearer picture of how coatings perform while reducing testing cycles from months to just weeks. For beverage makers, faster testing could mean faster decisions about packaging and ultimately help shorten the time it takes to bring new products...
Hindalco Industries is pursuing a major capacity expansion programme, with around INR 500 billion (USD 5.3 million) worth of projects under execution in India and another INR 500 billion (USD 5.3 million) of potential investments under evaluation over the next five years. The planned investments cover aluminium, alumina and copper production, downstream operations and captive mining, as the company prepares for rising domestic demand. India's aluminium demand is expected to grow by around 7 per cent annually over the next five years, according to Hindalco management. While the electrical sector remains a key driver, demand from automobiles, packaging, consumer electronics, home appliances and data centres is also gaining importance. Hindalco is looking to increase the share of...
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China Customs data estimates aluminium extrusion, bar, and rod (under five HS codes) exports by China likely to rebound in March after a sharp drop last month. In February, China’s exports of aluminium extrusion, bar, and rod had reduced to 42,500 tonnes, down 63.81 per cent from the previous month and 25.6 per cent from the same period last year. Shanghai Metals Market believed stronger yuan, holidays, and tariffs concerns were some of the factors that led to the decline in exports. According to SMM, Chinese New Year breaks also took a toll on exports for February, as productions at most aluminium extrusion manufacturers were closed until the middle of the last month. Some producers even did not recover until the end of February. As a result, operating rates lowered, which could also be...
Beer Institute that represents the American brewing industry forecasted last year that aluminium and steel tariffs would cost the beer industry US$347 million and may cost about 20,000 jobs. Harbor Aluminum, an aluminium industry intelligence group was commissioned by a lobbying group to do a study to estimate the cost of section 232 aluminium tariffs after they were imposed on March 8, 2018. According to the Hrabour report, the U.S. beverage industry paid about US$250 million for aluminium can sheet between March and December 2018. The United States Department of the Treasury collected US$50 million as tariffs while the major profit share went to the U.S. aluminium smelters and rolling mills. “We see beer as the crown jewel of American manufacturing,” BI president and CEO Jim McGreevy...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, downstream consumers showed interest in purchasing spot aluminium in the eastern and southern markets in China this morning as prices of aluminium fell. Spot aluminium in Shanghai mostly trade at RMB13,870 per tonne and RMB13,880 per tonne on Wednesday, March 27, down some RMB70 per tonne. Spot aluminium was at RMB13,940 per tonne and RMB13,950 per tonne on Tuesday morning. Premiums over the front-month April contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange stood at RMB280 per tonne and RMB300 per tonne, from RMB320 per tonne and RMB340 per tonne in the previous morning. In Wuxi and Hangzhou, on Wednesday morning, spot deals mostly occurred at RMB13,870 per tonne and RMB13,880 per tonne, and RMB13,880 per tonne and RMB13,900 per tonne. In Guangdong, spot...
In recent time, aluminium cans are having an unparalleled safety record and represent one of the most widely used containers for packaging purposes, owing to proficiency in preserving quality and flavour of contents. Several other properties like lightweight, easy handling and cost-effectiveness are also making the cans a popular choice for beverage and aerosol packaging. By 2020, the global metal can demand is projected to reach 431,573.9 million, at a CAGR of 2.9 per cent. {newsStudioGallery} To cash in the global rising demand and use of aluminium cans, Poland is expected to raise its aluminium cans export from 38,489 tonnes in 2018 to 43,129 tonnes in 2019, up 12 per cent. However, in 2016 and 2017, the estimated volume of the country’s aluminium cans export was higher at 54,101...
The Aluminum Association released a joint letter with the Aluminium Association of Canada and IMEDAL urging for quota-free exemptions from the aluminium tariffs for Canada and Mexico before the implementation of United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Addressed to the Presidents of the US, Canada and Mexico, the associations urged the administration to resolve any national security concerns related to the Section 232 tariffs on aluminium products while exempting the two trade partners from tariffs. The associations believed that the new USMCA cannot function properly without full exemptions for Canada and Mexico. They emphasised that the association members have been benefitted by the fair and legal trades of aluminium and aluminium products within North America. The proposed...
Norsk Hydro has agreed with Ministério Público to have third-party technical assistance to assess the situation at Alunorte alumina refinery, located in Brazil’s northern state of Pará. Alunorte has signed an agreement “to assess whether reports from SEMAS and the University of Campina Grande, both concluding that Alunorte can safely resume normal operations, comply with technical parameters and relevant applicable rules.” Alunorte alumina refinery has been running at 50 per cent capacity since March 2018. If the assessment supports the conclusions, Ministério Público will file a petition in the Federal Court confirming it would not oppose lifting Alunortes production embargo, Hydro said in a statement. Hydro said: “The agreement schedules a timeline for the assessment to be concluded in...
The US dollar inched higher against its rivals as benchmark US 10-year Treasury debt yields rebounded from 15-month lows. Base metals ended mostly higher. LME aluminium rose 0.9% and SHFE aluminium, edged down. LME aluminium dropped to a low of $1,874.5/mt after miner Rio Tinto said they restarted bauxite mining in Australia after the cyclone was over. The aluminium contract then regained some losses overnight and closed at US$1,904.5 per tonne, facing pressure from the five-day moving average. The contract is likely to trade at US$1,850-1,930 per tonne today. As on March 26, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1849 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1849.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1875.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1876 per...
The Odisha High Court has reportedly granted permission to the mining giant Vedanta to participate in the tender floated by state-run navaratna company NALCO for sale of surplus alumina. This judgement from the Odisha High Court is expected to provide a major relief to Vedanta. The aluminium major reasoned that NALCO annually exports over 1.2 million tonnes of alumina after feeding domestic smelters at Angul. So, if some of its portions come to Vedanta, it can plan for production at full capacity. Anil Agarwal’s company also noted that procuring alumina from NALCO would also result in saving about 20 dollars per tonne towards the logistics cost. To their relief, the HC in its ruling on Tuesday stated, “We declare that petitioner No.1 (Vedanta) should be considered eligible to participate...
A00 aluminium ingot price further extends its decline to RMB13900 per tonne on Wednesday, 27 March 2019. This records a decline of RMB50 per tonne or 0.36 per cent from yesterday. The price is expected to range between RMB13880-13920 per tonne, with spot premium to settle at 270-310 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in the East Wuxi and Hangzhou dropped RMB70 per tonne and RMB85 per tonne to stand at RMB13875 per tonne and RMB13890 per tonne respectively. Ingot price in the South and North declined RMB60 per tonne, each and stood at RMB13900 per tonne and RMB 13860 per tonne today. Australian alumina FOB price registered USD410 per tonne on Wednesday, up USD4 per tonne or 0.99 per cent. The price was at USD406 per tonne on Monday, March 25. The average price of aluminium alloy (A356)...
L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering Limited (LTHE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, has bagged a contract from Tawfiq Coke Products-Oman for coke calciner project in Sohar Industrial Estate located in Oman. LTHE said its work scope includes selection of technology licensor, FEED & EPC for a 2 x 225,000 TPA plant of calcined coke from green pet coke. The company will work facilities, including material handling, rotary kiln and cooler, combustion chamber, gas separation and associated offsite & utilities packages. “This award will further reinforce L&T’s operations in Oman and provide an opportunity to contribute to the expansion of industrial facilities in Sohar,” the company said in its press release. Last month, LTHE had secured the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and...
The European Commission announced on Monday that it started an investigation on the proposed acquisition of Aleris by Novelis under the EU Merger Regulation. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy said that the investigation would look into whether the acquisition would reduce competition in the semi-finished aluminium product market. It would also see whether such a merger would lead to less choice and higher prices for European industrial customers as for aluminium automotive body sheets are concerned. "European industries should be able to access aluminium products at fair prices to be able to compete in global markets,” she said. Aluminium automotive body sheets customers include European companies operating in the automotive sector. EU would make sure that...
dmg events today, March 26, announced the launch of Aluminium Expo that is going to take place at Dubai World Trade Centre on 24-26 September 2019. The show will welcome traders and suppliers from the entire aluminium value chain, whether they provide raw materials, finished products, or the machinery that are used to build aluminium products. Senior vice president – construction at dmg events Chris Kilbee said that the launch of this kind of show related to the aluminium industry in Dubai was an utmost important, especially the UAE being a well-known exporter of aluminium. A host of networking and learning events will also take place alongside the exhibition. So, the attendees can come, hear, and debate with experts from the industry. Expectedly, 10,000 professionals will attend the expo...
Mexico’s Deputy Economy Minister Luz Maria de la Mora said to reporters on Monday that they are against the proposed steel and aluminium quotas and demanded complete removal of tariffs on those products under U.S. Section 232. He insisted that the tariffs cannot be replaced by any quota system. "The Mexican government's position is that the application of the 232 on steel and aluminum is not justified," he said to the reporters. Mexico has been consistently fighting against the tariffs claiming that they are damaging the trade equation in North America. On March 12, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said that the US is working on a plan to lift tariffs from Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminium. However, they wish to continue with the gains that U.S. domestic producers have...
Aluminium foil export by China stood at 87,600 tonnes in February 2019, an increase of 0.7 per cent from 86,900 tonnes in February 2018. On month-on-month basis, exports of aluminium foil, under five HS codes, dropped 22.8 per cent from January export of 113,500 tonnes. Exports of all the five types of these products decreased month-on -month in February, Shanghai Metals Market reported based on the data from China Customs. In other update from SMM, 40.8GW of Chinese solar modules were exported in 2018, an increase of 45 per cent from 28.1GW in 2017, Seraphim Energy reported. Major chunk of solar modules were exported to India, Japan and Australia last year. India imported about 6.7GW of solar modules last year, down 26 per cent from a year earlier due to safeguard duties and BIS...
Miners Rio Tinto and BHP Group said today, on March 26, that they resumed operations at some facilities that were stopped because of the cyclone-hit at Australia’s northern coastline over the weekend. In response to the Bureau of Meteorology report, Rio had suspended its Weipa bauxite operations after cyclone Trevor made landfall. However, now mining operations have recommenced and staffs started returning to ports and rail operations in Western Australia, according to a statement by Rio Tinto. In a separate statement, it said operations at its bauxite mine in Weipa, Queensland, have been ramped back up after they closed last Wednesday ahead of the bad weather. “Rio Tinto Weipa Operations have returned to normal activities with both ports fully operational by Sunday afternoon,” it said in...
According to the latest report from US Geological Survey, the US exports of aluminium scrap, which is not included in the government’s consumption statistics, came in at 1.76 million tonnes in 2018. The figure was up 190,000 tonnes or 12.1 per cent from 2017 total of 1.57 million tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} Total scrap exports increased from 148,000 tonnes to 167,000 tonnes in December, representing an increase of 19,000 tonnes or 12.84 per cent year-on-year. On month-on-month basis, exports dropped 5.11 per cent from the November export volume of 176,000 tonnes. The U.S. exports to China in 2018 stood at 505,000 tonnes, down 38.41 per cent from 2017 export volume of 820,000 tonnes. The export stood at 43,400 tonnes in December. This was down 42.29 per cent year-on-year, but up 13.32 per...
Shanghai Metals Market found spot aluminium premiums continuing at the same price today, on March 26, as trades in east China remained muted in the morning. Traders were reluctant in purchasing that primarily accounted for a lacklustre spot aluminium trading. In Shanghai, spot aluminium transactions were mostly heard at RMB 13,940 per tonne to RMB 13,950 per tonne today, down from the transaction of RMB 13,950 per tonne to RMB 13,970 per tonne on Monday, March 25. But premiums over the front-month April contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange remained unchanged from yesterday at RMB 320 per tonne to RMB 340 per tonne. In Wuxi and Hangzhou, on the other hand, spot deals mostly occurred at RMB 13,940 per tonne to RMB 13,950 per tonnes and RMB 13,970 per tonne to RMB 13,980 per tonne this...
Jupiter Aluminum, an Illinois-based company that melts aluminium scrap and produce aluminium coils for building and construction industry is expanding its plant Jupiter Coil Coat Beech Bottom West Virginia. Jupiter Aluminum operates its lines in the former Wheeling Corrugating Plant along W.Va. 2. The Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle acquired the site in 2012 when the plant closed down. Jupiter Aluminum opened its remelting plant in the same location in 2014 with six employees. On Monday, the company announced during a dinner that it would expand its operations in Beech Bottom Industrial Park. The aluminium remelter and coil producer will invest further to renovate 140,000 square feet site there. "It's a small community, but it's a manufacturing community. It's...
