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,...
Grow with
AL Circle
Denmark has delivered about 17998 tonnes of aluminium tubes and pipes to the global market in 2017. The country’s aluminium tubes and pipes exports rose 7 per cent year-on-year. Czech Republic was the top importer of this particular product from the country last year. According to recent estimates, in 2017, the top aluminium tubes and pipes importing countries from Denmark were Czech Republic (3229 tonnes), Germany (2906 tonnes), France (2648 tonnes) and Poland (2647 tonnes). As shown by the data, Denmark exported about 16763 tonnes of aluminium tubes and pipes in 2016. The export volume increased to 17998 tonnes in 2017. The country is estimated to export less aluminium tubes and pipes in 2018. Total export is expected to stand at 17195 tonnes. The value of aluminium tubes and pipes...
Resource recovery specialist Axion Recycling has been purchased in full by Liverpool-based metal recycling firm S. Norton & Co. Axion recycles non-metallic waste from end-of-life vehicles and electronic goods and has been working with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to help increase the recycled aluminium content for the new cars since the beginning of this year. On 20 th of June, 2018, S. Norton acquired Axion from the five individual private investors who have owned Axion since July 2006. Axion and its ancillary branches Axion Polymers and Axion Consulting will now operate as subsidiaries of S. Norton that collects and processes metal scrap at its four facilities in Manchester, Liverpool, London, and Southampton. On acquiring Axion, S. Norton’s Chairman John Norton said, “We are pleased to...
A report from the Aluminum Association ranks the state of Kentucky No. 1 nationally in per capita jobs creation in the aluminium sector. According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, there are about 200 aluminium-related companies in Kentucky. About 100 new facilities or expansion projects in the recycling and downstream aluminium sector have been announced in Kentucky since the beginning of 2014. The state has facilitated more than $3 billion in corporate investment and created over 3,050 full-time jobs in the sector. With the curtailing of primary capacity in the US, many manufacturers shifted to recycled aluminium as their primary source material. This has driven the growth of a number of new recycling facilities and expansion of existing ones. They are primarily...
Metro Mining has announced detailed production and shipping results for the June Quarter. The company’s Bauxite Hills Mine in Queensland has experienced a steady ramp-up and is approaching the budgeted operating rates and achieving consistent results on a daily basis. Image Source:Metro Mining Metro Mining said June mining rates averaged 8,167 wet metric tonnes (WMT) per day and the trend in ship loading rates continue to rise with the last ship loading in 7.1 days. Metro also announced its bauxite project is on track to meet production and shipping guidance of 1.965 – 2.075 WMT for the calendar year 2018. Image Source: Metro Mining Metro Mining’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Simon Finnis, said: “While it was a challenging start to the quarter, I am extremely proud of...
As per the data by Shanghai Metals Market, total costs for primary aluminium plunged to 3.6 per cent in June, compared to the month ago. Until the end of June, total costs for primary aluminium stood at RMB 13942 per tonne, with the average price hovered at RMB 14221 per tonne throughout the month. Both term and spot prices of primary aluminium lowered in June. Alumina costs and pre-baked anode costs for primary aluminium declined 8.1 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively, compared to the previous month. Alumina price averaged at RMB 5505 per tonne. In the background of pre-baked anode price fall in June, Weiqiao Group lowered its purchasing prices for pre-baked anode by RMB 100 per tonne, marking a decline for seven months in a row, SMM learned. Oversupply in the market was also a...
The US dollar index rose above 95 with support from robust manufacturing data in the country. Base metals dipped across the board on strengthened US dollar and weaker Chinese manufacturing data. After trading higher for two days, the LME aluminium contract closed lower at US$ 2153 per tonne yesterday June 2 from US$ 2183 per tonne on June 29. Last night, LME aluminium tested support at the Bollinger lower bands and touched a low of US$2,098 per tonne near closing. Shanghai Metals Market expects the contract to trade at US$2,095-2,125 per tonne today. As on July 2, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2152per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2153 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2129 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2129.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid...
Beginning on July 1, 2018, Canada imposed tariffs worth C$16.6 billion (US$12.6 billion) on imports of aluminium, steel and other products from the USA. The Government of Canada announced that the move was in response to the USA tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium. “Canada has always been a safe, secure and reliable source of steel and aluminium for the U.S. market. The tariffs introduced by the United States on Canadian steel and aluminium are protectionist and illegal under WTO and NAFTA rules – the very rules that the United States helped to write, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said. “It is with regret that we take these countermeasures, but the U.S. tariffs leave Canada no choice but to defend our industries, our workers and our communities, and we will remain firm in doing...
Preliminary estimates from Aluminum Association indicate that the total aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) stood at an estimated 4.3 million tonnes through April 2018, up 4.7% over the same period of 2017. Demand for aluminium semi-fabricated (mill) products for the same period stood at 3 million tonnes, up 5.6% YoY. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products in the United States and Canada stood at an estimated 780,630 tonnes in April, up 6.3% over April 2017. Out of the mill products, shipments of aluminium sheet and plate stood at 940 million pounds, an increase of 5.1%. Extruded product shipments were up 10.2% YoY to 512 million pounds and estimated shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and other uses totalled...
Car companies and parts suppliers are constantly urging the United States not to impose additional tariffs of up to 25 per cent on imported vehicles, saying that this could result in job cuts, loss of investments, and even higher prices. According to the reports by The Guardian, Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters and Fortune, General Motors warned the US that its higher tariffs on imported cars and other aluminium and steel products could make it isolated from the global economy. Besides imposing additional 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on imported aluminium on the European Union, Mexico, and Canada last month, United States threatened to increase tariffs on imported vehicles, noting that there had been an imbalance in international import duty fees. The car companies fear...
Hydro Energi AS and Tonstad Vindpark AS have signed a contract for the supply of power in the period from 2020 to 2045.The contract will contribute to supplying power to Norsk Hydro’s aluminium plants in Norway. Hydro Energi AS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norway’s aluminium company Norsk Hydro. Tonstad Vindpark AS is a planned onshore wind farm in Sirdal and Flekkefjord in southern Norway. “The contract spans for 25 years, for the period 2020 to 2045. Hydro Energi AS will purchase 100% of the actual output of the wind farm and will handle all balancing and nomination from the commissioning of the wind farm and for the duration of the power purchase contract,” according to Hydro press release. Tonstad Vindpark AS is owned by Engie, a French power utility company, and SUSI Partners, a...
Today, on July 2, President Donald Trump has decided to rule out backing down on import tariffs against China. He has also threatened to impose up to US$ 500 billion worth of Chinese goods in case the two countries could not strike a fair deal sooner or later. But a couple of days before, the President had a different plan altogether, as he had decided to back down China from such hard-hitting policy. This could at least diffuse trade tensions between the US and China, even if temporary. The White House has already imposed 25 per cent tariff on US$ 50 billion worth of Chinese goods including industrially significant technologies with the aim to escalate the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. In response to China’s decision to levy heavy duties on 545 American products...
According to the international export-import statistics, bauxite export from Montenegro was estimated at 1.26 million tonnes in 2017. The country exports bauxite mainly to China, Czech Republic, Bosnia Herzegovina, Hong Kong, Poland, Slovakia and Serbia. China is the largest bauxite market for Montenegro. The top aluminium producing country from Asia imported 795,560 tonnes of bauxite from Montenegro in 2017, an increase of 105 per cent from the previous year. According to recent estimates, in the first quarter of 2018, Montenegro bauxite export reached an estimated total of 305325 tonnes. The revenue from the export stood at USD 0.82 million. The total bauxite export is expected to reach 336295 tonnes and 365633 tonnes in the second quarter and third quarter of 2018. The revenue from...
In the face of the US tariff storm, the Aluminium China 2018 exhibition and conference in Shanghai from July 11 to 13, will provide China’s aluminium industry with its first global platform since the announcement to expand business into other world markets. In particular, the event, which will bring together some 500 exhibitors and 24,000 visitors from more than 30 countries and regions, will reinforce China’s connections with the rest of Asia and strengthen business cooperation to drive further growth and development of the aluminium industry. It was in March that US President Donald Trump approved the ‘safeguard’ duties of 10% on certain aluminium products, which have huge implications for China’s aluminium industry. At the Asia Summit at Aluminium China 2018, representatives from...
According to an update from The Aluminum Transportation Group (ATG), the 2018 Lincoln Navigator and 2018 Ford Expedition won safety awards from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. The body awarded the redesigned aluminium bodied Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator perfect five-star overall crash ratings. Ford and Lincoln each said that the vehicles’ aluminium bodies have contributed significantly towards those perfect safety ratings. The 2018 Ford Expedition has received a five-star rating, the highest score, in the crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That makes the Expedition one of the only full-size SUVs to have hit NHTSA's highest safety mark. The Expedition scored perfect five-star scores in front- and side-impact...
The government of Russian Federation becomes the latest entity to file a complaint against the US tariffs on imported aluminium and steel. On Friday night, June 29, 2018, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin announced that Russia filed a lawsuit to the World Trade Organisation and sent a request for consultations with the United States over Trump’s decision to impose additional metal tariffs on the national security ground. Oreshkin noted that Russian Federation government is now the seventh entity to drag the United States to the WTO, following the European Union, China, India, Canada, Mexico, and Norway. He explained that consultations request with Trump’s administration is Russia’s first step in the process. This would offer a platform to both the governments’...
LME base metals saw mixed trading on Friday June 29. LME aluminium broke the support at US$2,150 per tonne and dipped to a low of US$2,130 per tonne last Friday. The metal closed at US$ 2183 per tonne on Friday, June 29, from US$ 2173 per tonne on Thursday June 28.SMM expects it to cease the downward trend today due to expectations of strong purchasing managers’ index (PMI) from several countries. LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$2,122-2,150 per tonne. As on June 28, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2182.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2183 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2159 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2160 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2183 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2188 per tonne. The...
China’s social inventory of primary aluminium continued to decline over the weekend ended on July 2, 2018, but on a slower rate. According to Shanghai Metals Market, including SHFE warrants across eight major Chinese markets shrank only 9000 tonnes from last Thursday, June 28, to stand at 1.84 million tonnes. Compared to the last Monday, June 25, the inventory today shrank 15000 tonnes, as SMM data showed. A little loss of procurement interest among downstream consumers could be held responsible for this week-on-week slower decline. In Wuxi and Jiangsu, the inventory today stood at 774,000 tonnes, while in Shanghai, the inventory hovered at 429,000 tonnes. In Nanhai and Guangdong and Gongyi and Henan, the inventory rallied at 241,000 tonne and 179,000 tonnes, respectively. More details...
In a summit meeting on Thursday night, June 28, 2018, the European Union leaders slapped the United States with a warning of retaliation should the Donald Trump escalate a trade war with 20 per cent higher tariffs on imported cars from the EU. The EU leaders strictly criticised US’ decisions to impose tariffs on imported aluminium and steel products and repeatedly expressed support for the bloc’s retaliatory action over those levies, which Trump justified on national security grounds. "In reaction to the United States' decision to impose tariffs on the EU for steel and aluminium products, which cannot be justified on the grounds of national security, the European Council fully supports the rebalancing measures, potential safeguard measures to protect our own markets, and the legal...
