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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China’s inventory of refined aluminium has been oscillating between 2.231 million tonnes and 2.227 million tonnes since more than a week. After a plunge to 2.227 million tonnes on April 8, 2018, the inventory including SHFE warrants once again soared to 2.231 million tonnes on Thursday April 12, 2018, with increased transactions in some of the major Chinese cities like Wuxi and Jiangsu, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing. More details are as follows: According to another update from Shanghai Metal Market, average A00 aluminium ingot price jumped conspicuously from the previous day to close at RMB 14450 per tonne. Although aluminium ingot price was more or less on a rising spree over a couple of weeks from RMB 13960 per tonne on April 4 to RMB 14080 per tonne on April 9 followed by RMB 14200...
Benchmark aluminium price on London Metal Exchange dropped to close at US$ 2220.5 per tonne on Thursday, April 12, down from the previous day’s close at US$ 2253 per tonne. According to Shanghai Metals Market, US sanctions on Russia buoyed LME aluminium as investors added their long bets overnight. This followed after prices fell to a low of US$2,203 per tonne under pressure from a higher US dollar as LME aluminium inventories surged 90,000 tonnes to 1.25 million tonnes. SMM expects the contract to trade at US$2,275-2,315 per tonne today. As on April 12, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2219 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2220.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2211 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2212 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price...
More aerosols were manufactured in the UK last year than ever before according to latest industry figures. The statistics were announced by the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA) which revealed a record 1.562 billion cans were filled in 2017. The personal care sector accounted for the largest volume of products (1.13 billion aerosols filled). Anti-perspirants were the biggest seller in this sector and across the industry overall with BAMA data showing that 470m anti-perspirants were manufactured in 2017 – 13m more than the previous year, representing 3% growth.Patrick Heskins, BAMA chief executive, said: “This year’s filling figures are welcome news and proof that UK aerosol manufacturing is thriving. We believe the record numbers are thanks to a combination of organic...
Anglo-Swiss miner and commodity trader, Glencore Plc has decided to terminate 50,000 tonnes of contract specifying metal of Russian origin, Rusal in particular, as reported by anonymous sources. In the recent time, amidst a series of news clouding the internet relating to the US slapped punitive sanctions on Rusal, Glencore to declare force majeure on aluminium supply from Russia has not missed to grab the attention of many stalwarts in the industry. Initially, it was not very clear what volume would come under force majeure or which buyers would be affected. On Tuesday April 10, Glencore reported while evaluating the contracts that those contracts with Rusal were not very “financially material” to the company. However, the declaration of force majeure did not appear as a surprise to most...
Vedanta Resources reports record aluminium annual production at 1.7 million tonnes for the Full Year ended 31 March 2018. Aluminium production for the fourth quarter FY2018 was at 477,000 tonnes, up 35% YoY and 7% QoQ. The growth was primarily driven by the ramp up at the Jharsuguda-II smelter. It followed the complete ramp up of the Balco II smelter in Q1 FY2018. The exit monthly run rate stood at c.2.0 million tonne. Stabilised aluminium production (i.e. production excluding trial run) was 468,000 tonnes in Q4 FY2018. Ramp-up of line-1 and line-2 at Jharsuguda-II were completed in Q3 FY2018 and Q4 FY2017 respectively. At line-3, 220 pots are powered on and the full ramp-up was delayed due to infrastructure development works undertaken by the railway authorities for capacity enhancement....
Shanghai Metal Market reports that according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), China’s new-energy vehicles sales ascended more than double this quarter. This is a year-on-year growth as the country has been facing an overall growing demand for new-energy vehicles. In the period January to March, China witnessed around 154 per cent of growth in new-energy vehicle sales, totalling 143,000 units compared to the corresponding period last year. On the other hand, output closed at 150,000 units, up 157 per cent year-on-year. To say the truth, sales of new-energy passenger vehicles surged as well by 102 per cent to close at 55,723 units in March and 116,918 units, up 136 per cent in the entire Q1 compared to the same period of previous year, according to the data revealed...
Italy exported USD506.3 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2017. The country exports substantial amount of aluminium household articles from the global market. The exports of aluminium household articles declined last year. Three-year trend analysis suggests that aluminium household articles export will increase marginally this year. As shown by the data, Italy exported about 41658 tonnes of aluminium household articles in 2016. In 2017, the amount dropped to stand at about 38435 tonnes. Considering the data for the last two year, Italy is estimated to export 39135 tonnes of aluminium household articles in 2018. The export of aluminium household articles delivered USD 310 million revenue to the exporters in 2016. In 2017, the export generated revenue of USD 51 million. For 2018,...
Vedanta Resources releases production results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year ended 31 March 2018. The company reports record production performance in the Lanjigarh refinery that was lagging behind due to issues related to raw material sourcing. Alumina production for the fourth quarter 2018 was 351,000 tonnes, higher 22% quarter on quarter and 12% Year on year. This was primarily because the company has been able to clear the bottlenecks surrounding the refinery operations during third quarter 2018 and made availability of bauxite consistent. Alumina production for the full year 2017-18 stood at 1.2 million tonnes, almost flat from the volume produced in 2017. Recently, Vedanta announced that Odisha Government has approved expansion of its Lanjigarh refinery production capacity to...
Owing to the unwillingness of East China sellers to move following the rebound of the SHFE 1806 contract, trading in China’s aluminium spot market dipped on Wednesday April 11, 2018, learned Shanghai Metal Market. As a result, the average A00 aluminium ingot price dropped drastically from RMB 14,230 to RMB 14,170 per tonne today April 12, 2018. The prices are expected to range between RMB 14150 and RMB 14190 per tonne with spot discounts to settle at RMB 80 to RMB 40 per tonne. While the transactions at Shanghai and Wuxi hovered at RMB 14,200 to 14,230 per tonne with spot discounts ranged between RMB 70 to RMB 60 per tonne, Hangzhou and Guangdong witnessed transactions at RMB 14,210 to RMB 14,230 per tonne and RMB 14,240 to 14,280 per tonne respectively. However, in Guangdong, although...
LME aluminium registered five consecutive days of gains as the US imposed sanctions on Russian aluminium giant Rusal. It hit US$2,277.5 per tonne overnight, a record high since early January 2018. After testing a record high the metal contract finally closed at US$ 2253 per tonne on Wednesday April 11, up 3.7% from US$2,172 on Tuesday April 10. According to Shanghai Metals Market, LME aluminium is likely to remain strong in the short term and to trade at US$2,220-2,260 per tonne today. As on April 11, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 2251 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 2253 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 2243 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 2245 per tonne; Dec 19 bid price stands at US$ 2232 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands...
Aeromet International, a leading supplier of aluminium and magnesium castings and fully-finished, assembly ready cast parts for the aerospace and defence industries, has secured funding from the National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) to further develop the innovative A20X advanced aluminium powder for additive manufacturing (AM). Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded NATEP funding for this exciting project. By working with our partners, we hope to further develop our powder technology and create a new option for high strength additive manufactured parts. NATEP is a great way for innovative companies to come together to develop cutting edge technologies”. Aeromet International provides major...
Albras Alumínio Brasileiro, the second largest aluminium producer in Brazil is going to curtail aluminium production by 50 per cent at its Albras Aluminium Plant, decided yesterday April 10, 2018 by the company’s board of directors. After curtailment, Albras will produce only around 230,000 tonnes against its earlier annual production of 460,000 tonnes. This decision is primarily taken due to Alunorte’s indisposition to supply all the required alumina to Albras after being forced by the state environment office of Para to halve the production in March, 2018 because of non-compliance relating to residue leak from bauxite deposition through clandestine tubes. However, the Brazilian aluminium smelter has a plan to recommence its full production once Alunorte also resumes its production like...
The announcement of the first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification, bagged by Rio Tinto’s integrated aluminium facilities in Quebec, Canada and Northern Territory, Australia, for meeting the industry’s highest standards in respect to environmental, social and governance practices across the aluminium lifecycle has taken the internet by storm. Rio Tinto's five aluminium smelters, the Vaudreuil refinery, casting and spent potlining treatment centres and associated infrastructure such as power, port and railway facilities in Quebec, Canada, along with the Gove bauxite mine in Australia have received the award. Rio Tinto was also the first founding member of the ASI, the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain to ensure...
After prolonged attempts to bring down the incessant rise of carbon dioxide discharge in the European transport sector, Patrik Ragnarsson of European Aluminium trade body expects the lighter aluminium-built cars to curb the emissions, said himself. While other European Industrial sectors have been significantly reducing CO2 discharge, transport sector kept failing to curb the emissions, said the EA's Senior Manager of Automotive and Transport division at the S&P Global Platts European Aluminum conference in Dusseldorf, Germany. According to EA data, transport sector in Europe leads in CO2 discharge, with emissions 25 per cent higher than 1990 levels. Ragnarsson held the mileage surge on roads and shift from diesel to petrol responsible for the continued rise of emissions. Now, the action...
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) presented awards to two individuals recognizing their outstanding contributions to the Council during the 2018 AEC Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference held in March in Coronado, CA. Each year, AEC recognizes one or more individuals for their excellent service and achievements as an AEC volunteer. The Distinguished Service Award, the Council’s highest honour presented only to an AEC leader who has shown exceptional dedication and service, was awarded to Lynn Brown, Managing Principal for the mid-Atlantic office of Consulting Collaborative, a consultancy specializing in market planning and strategy implementation. Prior to his consultancy work, he was responsible for Strategy, Marketing and Sales at Hydro’s extrusion operations in the U.S. and Mexico,...
The sanctions imposed on Rusal and its main owner, metals magnate Oleg Deripaska is creating huge concern in the world aluminium market. According to data by LME on Monday April 9, Eastern Europe accounted for 36% of LME aluminium inventories, the majority of which is supplied by Russia. The sanctions imposed on Rusal and its main owner, metals magnate Oleg Deripaska, mark the first time a major international company has been targeted by Washington. After the sanctions, London Metal Exchange said it would suspend Rusal's aluminium from its list of approved brands from April 17. Rusal, the leading aluminium producer that churned out 3.7 million tonnes of aluminium in 2017, supplies about ten per cent of total US aluminium import. Rusal accounts for about 17% of supply outside of China,...
Since when the Trump administration has announced punitive sanctions against a list of Russian individuals and entities including the aluminium-giant Rusal, every individual associated with aluminium industry has been anticipating the most dreadful conditions to come. One of them was Rusal’s suspension from the London Metal Market’s brand list, which is going to turn true very soon as the London Metal Exchange approves suspension of Rusal’s metal from its brand list. This would be put into effect from April 17, 2018, according to a report. From that date onwards, any metal owner wanting to place warrants on aluminium under any brand of Rusal will have to provide written evidence as a proof to not violate sanctions. Otherwise, the LME warehouses will not accept it for storage. This is a...
Aughinish Alumina is Europe's largest alumina refinery at the Shannon estuary in Ireland and a major alumina asset of RUSAL contributing about 30 per cent of alumina produced in the EU; The crisis engulfing Aughinish Alumina's Russian owner Rusal is affecting the customers and employees of one of the world's most energy efficient and technologically advanced alumina refineries worldwide. An Ireland government spokeswoman was not in a position to determine what the sanctions would mean for the Rusal refinery and its employees. "The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is assessing the potential implications that new US sanctions, targeting certain Russian individuals and firms, may have for both Irish and overseas companies operating in Ireland. The Department is also in close...
