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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Vimetco and Conef, which owns Romanian aluminium producer Alro, plan to proceed with the public offering of shares in the company. Vimetco and Conef are controlled by Russian investor Vitaliy Machitski. The company together with its subsidiaries consists of upstream and downstream divisions, from the mining and refining of raw materials to the production and sale of primary and processed aluminium products. Alro’s sales and EBITDA stood at RON 2.7 billion (approximately US$ 679 million) and RON 566 million (approximately US$ 140 million) respectively in 2017. Marian Nastase, Chairman of Alro, commented: "This is exciting news for Alro. Alro has become a key player in the global aluminium market, with strong heritage, scale and international presence. We have a strong management team, that...
China’s response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs with extra customs duties over the weekend pulled the US-China trade war tensions to the boiling point. Accusing China on Friday, June 15, 2018, with an allegation of stealing intellectual property from US technology companies, Trump decided to impose a 25 per cent tariff on US$50 billion of Chinese goods, including industrially-significant technologies. The US President said, “This includes goods related to China's Made in China 2025 strategic plan to dominate the emerging high-technology industries that will drive future economic growth for China, but hurt economic growth for the United States and many other countries." In response, China’s foreign ministry promised to impose retaliatory tariffs on US products with the same intensity,...
Economists in the US are deliberating on how Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and aluminium are expected to increase prices of aluminium and aluminium products including the finished products by end users. They see the possibility of a trade war between the US and its closest allies with the implementation of retaliatory tariffs by Canada, Japan, Mexico and other countries. They are of the view that the U.S. can slash imports of these metals by boosting the reuse and recycling of old metal products. The U.S. makes most of its steel and aluminium by recycling scrap metal from manufacturers and from discarded products such as demolished buildings, old cars and thrown away cans. The country has cut down its primary capacities to about 25% in last few years, unable to bear the cost pressure,...
South Korea imported US$ 44.3 billion worth of good in May 2018. The country also imports aluminium wire from the global market every year. Global trade data indicates that the country will import 41 per cent less aluminium wire in the first half of 2018, compared to the same period last year. The downward trend is expected to continue in the second half of 2018. India and China were the top exporters of aluminium wire in 2017. India and China exported about 2618 and 2457 tonnes of aluminium wire to South Korea. The country imported major chunk of aluminium wire from Bahrain (2207 tonnes), Vietnam (1986), United Arab Emirates (1585 tonnes) and Malaysia (1605 tonnes). As per global import-export data, South Korea is estimated to import 5441 tonnes of aluminium wire in the half of 2018,...
Rifeng, the global leading piping system supplier in China is ready to build the first aluminium pipe factory in Ethiopia by spending US$13.8 million. The company’s aim is to expand its business by tapping into the existing market in South Africa. Till date, Ethopia, despite being a prime importer of aluminium pipes, has not involved in exportation activities. Its inability to build the industrial sector has robbed the economic stability and put pressure on the currency. Rifeng Ethiopia and Rifeng China are now together looking forward to changing the trajectory of the narrative through their upcoming industrial sector. Their goal is not only to serve the local market but to turn Ethiopia into a global exporter of aluminium pipes to earn foreign exchange and strengthen the currency. This...
LME aluminium, which hit its weakest in seven weeks at $2,200.50 a tonne on Friday, recaptured the 100-day moving average as it traded at US$2215. The contract closed at US$2239.50 per tonne on Friday. Pressure from a stronger dollar pushed the contract down and a holiday in China drained buying interest from the market. As on June 15, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2238.50per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2239.50per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2231 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2233 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2245 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2250 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock slightly dropped to 1142600 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled at 920850 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 221750...
First Bauxite Corporation said that it has secured a second bridge loan for its Bonasika Bauxite Project located in Guyana. Resource Capital Fund VI L.P. (RCF VI) will provide additional financing under a second bridge loan facility to the company in the principal amount of up to US$10 million. The company has started the construction of Bonasika Project using proceeds from the second bridge loan facility. First Bauxite has notified the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission that proceeds of the second bridge loan will be used for the construction of its mine and processing operations at its project. “The Company is committed to improvements to local infrastructure and keeping Guyana working. Initial construction activity is expected to include improvements in local infrastructure including...
Business leaders in the Elk Grove Village Business Park are keeping a watchful eye on Washington’s newly imposed tariffs on imported aluminium and steel as they have started impacting the metal processing plants in the business park and machining business that use aluminium and steel to create precision parts or sell architectural steel and aluminium products. In early March, President Donald Trump had announced a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium imported from all countries except Mexico and Canada. Later that month, Trump declared tariffs exemptions for a few countries including Argentina, Australia, South Korea, Brazil and the European Union, until June 1, 2018. Then at the beginning of June, Trump removed exemptions from Canada, Mexico and the European Union,...
According to an official, India will raise duties on 30 US products, including motorcycles with engine capacity over 800cc, fresh apples and almonds, in retaliation against Washington’s move to impose higher duties on Indian aluminium and steel exports. “This is the first time that India has levied retaliatory tariffs on any country,” said the official aware of the details. According to India’s decision regarding the tariffs, motorcycles with engine capacity over 800cc is going to attract 50 per cent of duty, almonds 20 per cent, walnut 20 per cent, and apples 25 per cent. These duties are expected to collect around US$238.09 million, once come into force on June 21, 2018. On Wednesday, June 13, India intimidated the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of its decision. “This notification is...
The commercial aluminium and glass contractor Zephyr Aluminium LLC is moving from Lancaster city to East Hempfield Township next month, after purchasing a former printing plant there for US$2.95 million, courthouse record shows. Acquired from Pemcor, the new property at 2100 State Road has 54,000 square, which is more than double the size of the company’s current headquarters. “Zephyr has been limping along with the space we have because that’s what we have,” said President Doug Cornell. According to him, now the company in a bigger space can become more productive. Cornell said the Second Street building is so small that Zephyr has to reposition machinery to make room for different steps in its production process, a time-consuming handicap. It also needs to store materials outside....
Aluminium prices advanced by 0.19 per cent to INR 154.30 per kg in futures trading today as speculators engaged in building up positions, tracking a firm trend at spot market on soaring demand. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in June edged up by 30 paise, or 0.19 per cent to INR 154.30 per kg in business turnover of 177 lots. Likewise, the metal for delivery in July was trading higher by 15 paise, or 0.10 per cent to INR 154.20 per kg in 27 lots. Analysts said widening of positions by participants on the back of rising demand from consuming industries in the physical market mainly kept aluminium prices higher at futures trade.
Ever since the United States declared additional 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium imported from its three important trading allies like the European Union, Canada and Mexico, the latter started planning retaliatory measures against the US. Yesterday, on June 14, 2018, all the European Union countries unanimously backed passing retaliatory measures on 2.8 billion euros (US$3.3) worth of US products, said the European Union sources. However, the European Commission is yet to adopt the measures. The next scheduled meeting is on June 20 and the measures are expected to be in place by late June and early July. On June 7, the European Union had declared to impose 25 per cent duties on US goods such as orange juice, bourbon, jeans, and motorcycles in response to the US’...
According to the latest USGS release on Bauxite and Alumina in the First Quarter 2018 , imports of crude and dried bauxite by the U.S. in Q1 2018 were 651,000 tonnes, 28% less than the total of 910,000 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2017. However, on a YoY basis, import of bauxite drops 18% than those in the first quarter of 2017 and 57% less than those in the first quarter of 2016. When we look at the graph we, see that the imports of crude and dried bauxite by the U.S. have been on a downward trend since the first quarter of 2016. After reaching the lowest in the second quarter of 2017, the import increased in the third and fourth quarter of 2017. Crude and dried bauxite imports in 2017 were 3.43 million tons, 32% less than about 5 million tonnes in 2016 and 68% less than those in...
Canning beer is getting more expensive for breweries, thanks to the tariffs on imported steel and aluminium that went into effect in June. The price of steel went up by 25% and aluminium by 10%. Wilmington Brewing Company cans beers every alternate week with about 6,000 units of aluminium cans in one canning session. The company is bracing itself for the upcoming price rise. The company cans about 27% of its beers on draft. “When we first heard about (the tariffs), it was a little worrisome because we’re canning every other week now," Savard said. "We’re canning a lot of beer, a lot of aluminium, but it hasn’t influenced us quite yet.” Savard considers looking for other can suppliers to control the cost and so that it is not passed on to the consumers. The owner of Waterman’s Brewing...
Altech Chemicals announced yesterday, June 14, 2018, that it has signed a US$60 million stream finance term sheet with a US-based global alternative investment group for its proposed high purity alumina (HPA) project. Global HPA demand in 2016 was approximately 25,315 tonnes per annum and is likely to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7 per cent, until 2024. A stream finance facility is a structured alternative financing product whereby the facility provider agrees to pay the facility amount in advance in exchange for a percentage of future gross sales. The facility term sheet that Altech has received assures an advance of US$60 million, which would be used for the development, construction and working capital requirements of the project. It is structured to operate in...
Base metals fell with the rising US dollar and LME aluminium closed slightly lower at US$ 2277.50 per tonne on Thursday 14 June from US$ 2278 per tonne on Wednesday June 13. Over the night trading, LME aluminium rebounded back to around the 20-day moving average after being dragged down by its SHFE counterpart to a low of US$2,252 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market sees it trading at US$2,240-2,270 per tonne with limited upward room given a stronger US dollar. As on June 14, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2277per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2277.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2266 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2266.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2275 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2280 per tonne....
After a rise in A00 aluminium ingot price from RMB 14540 per tonne to RMB 14560 per tonne on June 14 on the face of primary aluminium inventory dip, it dwindled drastically on June 15, to RMB 14340 per tonne, Shanghai Metals Market believed. The prices are expected to range between RMB 14320 per tonne and RMB 14360 per tonne, with spot discounts still settled at RMB 20 per tonne. Since the beginning of the week, the aluminium ingot price has been incessantly witnessing ups and downs, as on June 11, the price plunged from RMB 14740 per tonne to RMB 14720 per tonne, followed by a growth to RMB 14750 per tonne on June 12. The next day on June 13, the price fell straight to RMB 14540 per tonne; while on June 14, it rose to RMB 14560 per tonne. All the major Chinese markets also saw a plunge...
The Canadian province of Quebec will offer C$100 million ($77.1 million) in loans and guarantees on loans to steel and aluminum companies hit by recent U.S. tariffs, the province’s economy minister said on Monday. Companies that transform the metals will benefit from the program after the United States recently slapped a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. Economy Minister Dominique Anglade told reporters in Montreal that the program came after aluminum and steel companies received feedback from clients who are not willing to pay the tariffs. “What they’re telling us is some of their contracts were canceled,” she said, adding some had already slowed down production. Anglade said the impact of the tariffs on metals had been felt quicker than when the...
