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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Constellium has planned to expand its operations in Decin, Czech Republic, to support increasing demand for hard and soft alloy profiles and bars from automotive customers across Europe. The expansion, which is scheduled for completion by October 2019, will include a new casthouse and extrusion press, and will increase the plant’s recycling capacity. Constellium Decin, Europe’s largest integrated manufacturer and processor of hard and soft alloys profiles, manufactures customized aluminium extrusions primarily for automotive and industrial applications. With this added capacity, the plant will broaden its product portfolio to include sections for Crash Management Systems and for new aluminium applications for hybrid and electric vehicles. “As the auto industry increasingly turns to...
Gervais Jacques, Managing Director – Atlantic, at Rio Tinto Aluminium, has been appointed Chair of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), at the 93rd meeting of its Board of Directors in Hong Kong. Jacques has over 25 years experience across all facets of Rio Tinto's aluminium operations. Prior to his current role, Jacques was Chief Commercial Officer - Rio Tinto Alcan, responsible for all the commercial and marketing activities worldwide for bauxite, alumina and aluminium. As IAI Chair he succeeds Hilde Merete Aasheim, Executive Vice President of Hydro’s Aluminium Metal business, at the end of her two-year tenure. "The role of the Institute, representing the interests of the global aluminium industry, is more important than ever,” says Jacques. “I am grateful to my fellow Directors...
Aluminium-producing companies have moved the government to impose quantitative restrictions on imports as their demand to levy anti-dumping duty on cheap imports has not materialised for the last two years. Imports account for 54 per cent of total aluminium consumption in India, up from 52 per cent earlier. Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, said levy of anti-dumping duty seems to be a time consuming effort and would not have much impact as most of aluminium imports are from ASEAN countries with which India has signed a free trade agreement. The industry, he said, is now demanding that the Government impose quantitative restrictions so that the interest of domestic producers are protected, particularly when the demand is picking after a gap of several years. The...
As we had published the news earlier that China government had been taking sincere steps towards green car by increasing subsidies on electric vehicles, under the new subsidy rules, which took effect from February 12, 2018, to ensure that a large number of automakers in China initiate producing more electric vehicles with enhanced features on a single charge and make the EVs more affordable. This move was taken by the government so that more and more people could afford EVs and substitute gas fuel cars with them, as this, in turn, would curb the air pollution as well. The subsidy was applicable to electric vehicles that could travel with a range of 400 kilometres (249 miles) and more on a single charge, to 50,000 yuan ($7,900) from 44,000 yuan. Subsequently, the new rules came into effect...
Tradelink Window Solutions has doubled its aluminium manufacturing capacity with the inauguration of new dedicated facility. The company said that the aluminium facility will deliver aluminium glazing products to local installers even faster. The new plant means that Tradelink can offer aluminium bi-folds in four colour-ways. Image Source: tradelinkdirect.com Jim Moody, Managing Director at Tradelink explains: “We have expanded our facility in March and taken on another unit next-door to create the new dedicated aluminium site which now covers 18,000 sq. ft. We knew that we needed to invest in more space to make sure that we could maintain our fast and efficient service to installers.” This facility uses lean manufacturing processes and a thorough checking process to ensure that all...
Alro S.A., one of the largest vertically integrated aluminium producers, by capacity in Europe, announces consolidated financial results for the first quarter of 2018. Its net profit stood at RON 125 million in Q1 2018, up 39% from RON 90 million in Q1 2017.The Group's turnover increased 10% to RON 749 million, from RON 681 million in Q1 2017. The Group reported primary aluminium sales of 33,000 tonnes in Q1 2018, up 6% from 31,000 tonnes in the same period last year. Processed aluminium sales stood at 27,000 tonnes in Q1 2018, down 7% from 29,000 tonnes in Q1 2017. "In the first quarter of 2018 we continued to implement our strong investment programme aimed at improving the output and products’ quality, while reducing the overall consumption rates",said Marian Năstase, Chairman of the...
Aluminium inventory had been plunging over a week but Thursday, May 17 broke all the record of the year 2018, as it witnessed the largest week-on-week decline. According to Shanghai Metal Market, China’s inventory of primary aluminium, including SHFE warrants, fell 58,000 tonnes to stand at 2.138 million tonnes on May 17, while on May 14; the inventory was at 2.15 million tonnes, dipped right from 2.196 million tonnes on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Most of the major Chinese cities had also witnessed a shrink in the inventories, with relatively low deliveries and stable shipments. This indicates there’s a balance maintained between production, deliveries and consumption all across the major cities in China. More details are as follows: However, against this positive sentiment in the market,...
LME aluminium prices faced pressure overnight as Chalco called for a lift of China's tariff on primary aluminium's export, as seen by SMM. Base metals mostly inched up last night, but LME aluminium fell nearly 1% as inventories grew. The metal closed at US$ 2280 per tonne on May 17 from US$ 2319.50 per tonne on previous closing. As on May 17, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2279 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2280 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$2260 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2260.50 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$2205 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2210 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1249450 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled at 996875 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 252575 tonne....
As another milestone in the development of bauxite/alumina industry in the West African nation, Guinean lawmakers approved a $2.9 billion deal with China’s TBEA Co Ltd for the development of a bauxite-alumina project there. The project will include development of a bauxite mine and the construction of a port, railroad and power plant to facilitate the supply chain. The project is estimated to generate $406 million in annual revenue for Guinea. On Tuesday, a spokesman for parliament’s mines and industry commission, Dian Bailo Diallo, explained the significance of the project to the lawmakers in the Guinean capital, Conakry. Guinea is the next big contender to Australia as the biggest exporter of bauxite to China after Indonesia and Malaysia have slipped from the list. The country also...
Shanghai Metal Market observed poor trading in East China early morning today, on 17 th of May, 2018, because of plunging demands for downstream aluminium, which in turn deterred the processors from purchases. Compared to South and Central China, processors in East China made a very few purchases on receiving fewer orders. Guangdong province, in contrast, witnessed encouraging trade as processors purchased on demand with stable orders. Some even purchased to stockpile for the future weekend as well. Owing to this overall positive sentiment in Chinese major markets other than the east, the SHFE 1806 contract has witnessed a jump to as high as RMB 14,845 per tonne on May 17, 2018, while on May 16 the SHFE 1806 contract was at the highest level of RMB 14755 per tonne. Smelters in east and...
Malaysia’s Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018.The company’s revenue increased from RM1.93 billion in Q1 2017 to RM2.13 billion in Q1 2018, driven by higher aluminium prices. The company’s profit before tax rose 5.5 per cent to RM210.2 million, from RM199.3 million in the same quarter of the preceding financial year. The increase was mainly due to the higher metal price during the current year quarter under review. Group Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Paul Koon said: “We are pleased with our results despite headwinds in the first quarter. We recognise that there will be continuous shifts and reactions in global aluminium markets caused by unsettled development from U.S. sanctions.” “Recent production volume disruption from...
Aluminium Corporation of China Limited (Chalco) targets to export 30,000-50,000 tonnes of alumina in May, company’s president reported to Reuters on Thursday, May 17, 2018. Lu Dongliang, the vice president of Chalco also confirmed the news while speaking on the sidelines of the LME Asia Week conference in Hong Kong, adding, that its overall exports of raw materials, used for smelting aluminium, would be a little higher this month. Lu was, however, unable to say that to which countries China was exporting its alumina, explaining, “We sell to international companies and they do it.” Lu also could not give an estimation of Chalco’s total alumina exports in 2018, since the company evaluates the market situation only on a monthly basis. He added that the company could export a portion of its...
Imports of aluminium household articles by Italy have been increasing in the last three years. China and Romania are the key countries from where Italy sourced maximum volume of aluminium household articles. According to recent statistics, in 2017, China and Romania exported about 16376 tonnes and 1670 tonnes of aluminium household articles respectively. Italy imports good amount of aluminium household articles every year. the country imported about 22124 tonnes of aluminium household articles in 2017, up from 21325 tonnes a year ago. The total import of aluminium household articles by Italy is estimated to shrink to around 17740 tonnes by the end of this year. Italy's total import of aluminium household articles was valued at US$131 million in 2016. In 2017, the country imported...
Britain’s poultry production increased 1.4 per cent in 2017, which is increasing the food wastage issue often associated with higher production. Global aluminium packaging supplier Advanta, has successfully done a pilot run of a unique skin pack aluminium poultry tray and film combination. A first on the foil packaging market, the product combines the convenience of a chicken-shaped aluminium foil tray, and shelf-life extension to cut down food wastage. In this packaging process poultry is vacuum packed in the foil tray to increase shelf-life of refrigerated poultry by up to 300 per cent and reduce supply chain waste. Other than the increase in shelf-life, Advanta's new poultry package also offers convenience in cooking and serving. "Both consumer demand for convenience and retailers'...
The NHK channel reports that Japan government is all set to impose retaliatory tariffs against the US for not receiving an exemption from the imported aluminium and steel tariffs. It also says that the country is taking final steps to notify the World Trade Organisation (WTO) about the plan and necessary procedure under global trade rules later this week. Being one of the major allies of the United States and having a close tie between its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the US President Donald Trump, Japan is under a complete shock as it failed to secure a waiver from US imported aluminium and steel duties, says the source. Tokyo’s decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on US exports is part of its planned move so that Washington considers adding Japan to the list of exempted countries....
Base metals saw mixed trading on higher US dollar price, but LME aluminium went up slightly. LME aluminium received support and closed at US$ 2319.50 per tonne on May 16 from US$ 2313 per tonne on previous closing. After that the contract dipped to a low of US$2,302 per tonne during the European trading session last night, but closed slightly higher at US$2,311.5 per tonne. As seen by Shanghai Metals Market, the contract is likely to trade rangebound at US$2,280-2,320 per tonne today. As on May 16, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2319 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2319.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2312per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2312.50per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2260 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands...
Hindalco Industries Ltd, a producer of aluminium and copper products, posted 25 per cent decrease in profit in the fourth quarter ended March 31.The company's profit stood at INR 377 crore, from INR 503 crore a year earlier. Revenue stood at INR 11,681 crore in the three months through March 31. For FY2018, Revenue for Hindalco’s India operations reached INR43, 451 crore. Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) increased 11 per cent to INR 7,154 crore, supported by higher aluminium and copper volumes and better realisation. The company said its aluminium (Hindalco plus Utkal) revenue for FY2018 stood at INR 21,089 crore, driven by higher sales of aluminium metal, better realisations and supportive macros. Hindalco achieved record production of aluminium at...
At Asia Metals Seminar, jointly organised by Shanghai Metal Market, Bloomberg and HKEX on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, Ian Roper, general manager of SMM Singapore was of opinion that SHFE aluminium prices would likely to remain on the cost curve this year, while alumina prices would be dependable on the recommencement of Hydro’s Alunorte refinery. This year until May, China has exported around 300,000 tonnes of alumina, according to SMM. On Wednesday, May 16, analyst of Macquarie Bank Lynn Zhao shared her aluminium market forecast at the seminar saying that global aluminium market might undergo a deficit in 2021 and 2022 but the surplus will come from China’s continuous build-up of capacity. Added to this, she also opined that winter cuts in China this year are going to leave some impact on the...
