ASSA ABLOY has agreed to acquire Brazilian aluminium solutions manufacturer Rometal, strengthening its manufacturing presence in Latin America while expanding its portfolio of door systems, furniture fittings and aluminium products. Announced on November 12, 2026, the proposed acquisition would bring an established Brazilian business with approximately 500 employees into the Swedish group's Americas Division. Rometal recorded sales of approximately BRL 332 million (USD 59 million) in 2025, equivalent to approximately SEK 580 million (USD 57.57 million) in ASSA ABLOY's announcement. The purchase price has not been disclosed. ASSA ABLOY described the company's EBIT margin in 2025 as strong and expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings per share from the start. Rometal acquisition...
Finland-based renewable heat technology developer Coolbrook has joined Australia’s Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) as an affiliate partner, bringing its electrified heating technology into research aimed at decarbonising alumina refining and the wider aluminium industry. The collaboration would explore how high-temperature electric heating can support next-generation alumina refineries, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Coolbrook would work alongside major alumina and aluminium producers, including Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Alcoa, Rio Tinto, South32 and Hydro, as well as research organisations of CSIRO and Adelaide University. Initially, it would focus on HILT CRC’s Alumina Refineries’ Next-Generation Transition (AlumiNEXT) project,...
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EarthCam, founded in 1996, is a global leader in providing webcam content, technology, and services. An expansion of their current headquarters, located on a 10-acre campus in northern New Jersey, is the result of a recent collaboration between Steven Davis of Davis Brody Bond and Spacesmith. The project, called ‘EarthCampus’, involves an extensive renovation of the 26,000 square-foot cement block building housing technology and manufacturing divisions, the key feature being the addition of a translucent aluminium facade. The architecturally stabilized aluminium foam panels were installed on a subframe and then mechanically attached to the existing block wall of the existing office building. The lightweight panels were manufactured by Alusion by a process in which air is injected into a...
Being the EU’s leading car and car exporter to the United States, Slovakia expressed its deep concern and fear over the knock-out effect of US tariffs on imported cars from the European Union. Slovakia is known to contribute a lion share to the overall car making sector – 44 per cent of total industrial production and 35 per cent of exports. Last year, 1,001,520 cars rolled off assembly lines in Slovakia and exports were worth 3.7 billion euros. “The ratio of overseas car exports to Slovakia’s GDP is significantly the highest among all countries of the EU, at up to 1.7 per cent,” said the Slovak Institute for Financial Policy (IFP) in a study. According to IMF, the automotive tariffs, if come into effect, could hard-hit Slovakia approximately 90 million euros. Martin Vlachynsky, an...
Aluminium scrap import by Belgium has increased over the last two years. The trend is expected to continue through 2018.The top exporters of aluminium scrap to Belgium in 2017 were France (76084 tonnes), the Netherlands (61068 tonnes), Germany (53721 tonnes) and UK (44569 tonnes). According to the recent estimates, Belgium imported about 275996 tonnes of aluminium scrap in 2016 with total cost of USD 252 million. The country’s import of this product increased to 295076 tonnes in 2017. The total cost of import was USD 246 million. In 2018, Belgium is expected to import 312538 tonnes of aluminium scrap. The value of import is estimated to stand at USD 315 million by the end of the current year. Belgium exported 269769 tonnes of aluminium scrap in 2017, up from 253278 tonnes in 2016. The...
Altech Chemicals Ltd has signed the final agreement to construct stage I of its high purity alumina (HPA) plant in Johor, Malaysia with its EPC contractor SMS Group GmbH (SMS) of Germany. The scope of work is valued at around $10 million and includes bulk earthworks, foundation piling and the construction of retaining walls. The agreement also covers construction of underground stormwater/process discharge tanks and the site electrical sub-station structure and a maintenance workshop. The workshop will be used as construction site offices during stage II of the HPA plant construction process. The plant will use the kaolin deposit at Meckering in Western Australia as raw materials and produce HPA directly from the clay. Altech has completed a Final Investment Decision Study for the...
Australia based company Collerina Cobalt Limited has declared that it is going to raise a fund of around A$ 4 million through a one-for-ten rights issue, priced at 8c each, for advancing high purity alumina (HPA) first process at its Collerina project in New South Wales. The issue price of 8c a share represented a 26.6% discount to Collerina’s one-month volume weighted average price of 10.9c a share. The company intends to use the entire fund towards the prefeasibility study test work, engineering and reporting, project and product marketing, as well as savings for working capital. Collerina Cobalt Limited, formerly known as Augur Resources Limited, is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mine and mineral deposits. The company operates in two geographical segments,...
China's inventory of primary aluminium across eight major markets again continued to drop on higher downstream consumption due to falling prices. According to Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of primary aluminium, including SHFE warrants, fell 33,000 tonnes over the week to stand at 1.8 million tonnes as of Thursday July 12. In Wuxi and Jiangsu, the inventory dropped from 772,000 tonnes, as of July 9, to 767,000 tonnes on July 12; in Nanhai and Guangdong, the inventory dropped from 238,000 tonnes, to 228,000 tonnes; in Gongyi and Henan, the inventory stood at 179,000 tonnes on July 12. Other major Chinese cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Zhejiang and Linyi and Shandong also registered a little drop in inventories on July 12. More details are given in the table below: In another...
The US dollar index gained 0.66% to close at 94.72 as its inflation data came in stronger than expected. LME aluminium closed Thursday’s trading at US$ 2120.5 per tonne, down from US$ 2140 per tonne in last closing. LME aluminium rebounded to a high of US$2,086 per tonne during the European trading session as market concerns over a trade war eased. However, it met resistance at the closing level on Tuesday, and inched down to close at US$2,060.5 per tonne. We see it hovering weakly at US$2,045-2,075 per tonne today. As on July 11, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2120 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2120.50per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2078 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2079 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2133per tonne,...
Like many other trading allies of the United States, Israel too could not win a reprieve from the US additional tariffs on aluminium and steel imports. In response to this, a group of Israeli manufacturers prompted warnings that this could bring in a “death blow” to local industries. In March, the US President had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on imported aluminium, under a little-used weapon in US trade law declaring that these metal tariffs were meant to protect its domestic producers. So far, only Brazil, South Korea, Australia, and Argentina had been granted a relief from the tariffs. The European Union, Canada, and Mexico, despite being important trading partners of the US, could not win a permanent relief after the expiry of the temporary exemption...
Aluminium Association of India (AAI) has urged the government to increase the duty on imports of aluminium scrap as the domestic sector may become a victim of escalating trade war between the US and China. The statement comes in the wake of Washington imposing 25 percent duties on USD 34 billion of imports from China. The association said an estimated 30 percent of China's aluminium scrap imports come from the US. And recently China has announced its intent of imposing 25 percent import duty on the metal from America. "The import duty in India on aluminium scrap is currently only at 2.5 percent, thereby making it a viable alternative for US exports," the body said, adding that as a precautionary measure it wants the duty on both aluminium scrap and primary metal to be raised to 10...
HG Power Transmission Sdn Bhd (HGPT), a 75 per cent-owned subsidiary of Malaysian Rohas Tecnic Berhad, has secured a contract worth RM37.8 million from Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited. The contract involves the supply, installation of aluminium conductor composite core (ACCC). "The scope of work for the contract includes, but not limited to the supply & installation of ACCC conductor by replacing existing conductor of three nos. existing transmission line having a combined route length of 121 kilometres,” according to Rohas Tecnic. “The contract will not have any material impact on RTB’s results for the year ending Dec 31, 2018 but is expected to contribute positively in the future,” it said. The lines are expected to be completed within 15 months. In February, HG Power...
Tesla Inc. has signed a preliminary agreement with Shanghai Government to build its second auto plant other than its U.S. assembly plant, the Shanghai government said in statement. The electric-car maker takes a big step in overseas expansion with a planned capacity of 500,000 vehicles a year for the proposed plant. Bloomberg reported earlier that Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, would be in Shanghai for an event with the government on Tuesday but Tesla made no official statement on the agreement plant. The escalating trade disputes between the U.S. and its trade partners are pushing automakers to expand production facilities outside the country, especially in China, while President Trump has been trying to bolster manufacturing in the U.S. Tesla is looking to expand its capacity and reach global...
New Zealand has been exporting a major chunk of aluminium alloy to Japan. The country’s export of aluminium alloy to Japan declined in 2017. Japan imported about 30501 tonnes of aluminium alloy in 2017, down 19 per cent from 37632 tonnes in 2016. New Zealand’s aluminium alloy export to Japan is estimated to decrease to 24896 tonnes in 2018. Let us analyse the patterns for aluminium alloy export by New Zealand. In 2016, the country exported about 67001 tonnes of aluminium alloy. The value of export was US$128 million for the same amount. In the year 2017, the amount increased to 67948 tonnes and the value of export stood at US$131 million. This year, New Zealand’s global aluminium alloy export is estimated to stand at 55827 tonnes and estimated value of export is likely to reach US$174...
The China market is buzzing with the expectations that primary aluminium prices would stabilize or may increase supported by alumina prices. Meanwhile, anticipation of a growth in aluminium inventory grows amid low seasonal demand and slow pace in re-commissioning of capacity. Shanghai Metals Market expects aluminium prices to remain rangebound in the short term. Average spot price of A00 aluminium ingot in China stands at RMB 13,830 per tonne today, down from RMB 14010 per tonne yesterday. Alumina price stands at RMB 2839 (US$426) per tonne. Australian Alumina FOB price stands at USD 468 per tonne. In another update from SMM, Yingkou Xintai Aluminum has secured permit to commission 322,500 tpy of new primary aluminium capacity in Liaoning province in north China. In the north China...
Despite being placed under U.S. sanction in April, the world’s second biggest aluminium producer Rusal increased its aluminium shipments by 49 percent in June from May, according to news reported by Interfax news agency and published by Reuters. Citing Russian Railways data, Interfax said, Rusal increased aluminium exports to 294,000 tonnes last month, up from 197,000 tonnes of aluminium in May. In the first six months of 2018, aluminium exports totalled 1.27 million tonnes, down 9 percent from the same period the previous year, Interfax said, citing the data. In May, the company restarted the shipment soon after U.S. extended the sanctions deadline further from June 5 to October 23, 2018, for companies to wind down contracts with the Russian firm under US sanctions. Rusal sold a total of...
The US dollar index gained 0.04% to close at 94.09 as the euro weakened. LME aluminium closed Wednesday’s trading at US$ 2140 per tonne, slightly up from US$ 2135.5 per tonne in last closing. LME aluminium tumbled from above the 10-day moving average level to a low of US$2,081.5 per tonne on intensified trade conflicts. Shanghai Metals Market expects it to to trade under pressure at US$2,060-2,085 per tonne today. As on July 10, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2140 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2140.50per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2109 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2109.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2152 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2157 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock increased to...
Altech Chemicals Limited is raising up to $20 million to start construction of its high purity alumina (HPA) plant in Malaysia. The company said it has received from institutional and professional investors for a share placement of A$17 million. Altech will offer a Share Purchase Plan (SPP), whereby existing eligible shareholders will purchase up to $15,000 of new shares at the same price paid by the placement participants. The company expects SPP will raise up to an additional A$3 million. Altech managing director, Mr Iggy Tan said, “The Company is extremely pleased with the support that it has received for the share placement. The placement was well supported by existing shareholders and we are delighted to welcome a number of high quality new investors onto the share register.” “The...
Reynaers Aluminium, a European developer of aluminium products for the building sector, has reported a 15 per cent year on year increase in turnover in the first six months of 2018. The residential segment accounted for 70 per cent of sales in the first half of this year. The company will continue to expand its portfolio of projects and maintain its position as the largest Reynaers Aluminium in Eastern Europe. Daniel Popa, Country Manager of Reynaers Aluminium Romania, said: “In recent years, we are enjoying maintaining a steady trend of constant turnover. We continue to expand our portfolio of projects both in residential, office, retail and logistics, and maintain our position as the largest Reynaers Aluminum in Eastern Europe.” “Later, distribution of residential sector systems is the...
As soon as China’s 25 per cent tariff on US-made cars came into effect on Friday, July 6, German luxury automaker BMW said it would not be able to completely absorb the new tariff and thus, would raise prices on the vehicles it makes in Spartanburg, South Carolina. BMW said it is “currently calculating related necessary pricing increases” for U.S.-made models imported into China and will announce them “at a later stage.” Last year, the automaker had shipped more than 100,000 vehicles of high-margin models such X4, X5, and X6 SUV and crossover from the United States to China. China's 25 per cent tariff on imported US vehicles was nothing but a retaliatory act to the Trump’s administration tariffs on US$34 billion of Chinese imports. This posed a tough choice for automakers whether they...
