
PV aluminium extrusion: This week, operating rates among sampled PV frame enterprises showed divergence. Some top-tier PV frame enterprises in Anhui and Hebei continued to run at relatively full operating rates; some other small and medium-sized integrated industrial extrusion enterprises reported that, for profitability considerations, they have proactively controlled production and reduced PV frame orders after the holiday, but their PV frame orders are limited, having little impact on the overall PV aluminium extrusion operating rate. From the downstream module side, October module scheduled production is expected to edge up from September, but the growth falls short of expectations, with China's scheduled production increasing by only 1-2 GW, providing limited support for PV-related...
This week, the overseas aluminium market overall remained in the doldrums. Weak demand continued to be the core issue across major markets, with offer prices in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the US, and China generally under pressure. Trading activity was sluggish, and the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers persisted, with the market lacking clear directional guidance overall. Japan: MJP negotiations continue, market sentiment remains subdued The Japanese market remained relatively quiet this week, with focus still on the progress of Q4 MJP negotiations. Some sellers are still negotiating premiums with buyers, but the two sides have significant differences in price expectations, and negotiations are progressing slowly. As a result, the MJP market remains subdued, with limited spot...
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Fresh tensions surrounding aluminium scrap procurement befalls a nation that sources 80-85 per cent from overseas to meet its domestic aluminium scrap demand. India could face restrictions on importing aluminium scrap and other metal waste from the European Union (EU) under a new Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) framework scheduled to take effect in May 2027. The European Commission has proposed an exemptions list for non-OECD countries and opened a public consultation that will run until October 16. India is currently among the countries that would not qualify for an exemption, thereby potentially limiting its access to EU aluminium scrap. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge Dyszel. The proposal has emerged after India...

National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), India’s Navratna aluminium major, has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from joint venture partners, manufacturers, investors and collaborators to establish production facilities for aluminium fluoride (AlF₃), calcined petroleum coke (CPC) and coal tar pitch (CTP). Issued on September 21, the three EoIs form part of NALCO’s backward integration strategy to secure critical raw materials for aluminium smelting , reinforce its Angul expansion and reduce import dependence. Submissions are open until October 12. The requirement for these materials will rise alongside NALCO’s smelting capacity, which is being expanded from 460,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) to around 960,000 TPA through a brownfield project. To learn about the market potential of...

US tariffs on aluminum are raising the cost of beer cans in Canada, putting pressure on breweries that rely on a closely linked cross-border supply chain. Walkerville Brewery in Windsor, Ontario, have so far avoided passing the higher costs on to customers. However, owner Mike Brkovich said the brewery may have to raise prices in the next three or four months as costs continue to increase. He said, “We’re going to have to increase the prices, I think, in the next three or four months. But we’re trying to hold the prices.” One of the clearest impacts is on aluminum cans. Brkovich said the cost of a 473 ml beer can has increased from around 31 cents to 35 cents following the tariff changes. Walkerville Brewery uses about 40,000 cans a month and buys them from a Canadian supplier. To learn...

Hindalco Industries, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has made a record in environmental upkeep and performance. It has received two 2026 pollution control awards from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Odisha), recognising the company’s pollution control measures, environmental management and responsible industrial practices at its Odisha operations. Hindalco’s Hirakud Smelter & Power received the “Pollution Control Appreciation Award 2026” in the Industry Category, and Aditya Aluminium secured the “MK Rout Pollution Control Excellence Award 2026” in the Industrial Township Category. Join the fourth edition of the webinar "Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours" by Jorge Dyszel. The Pollution Control Appreciation Award 2026 recognised Hirakud Smelter &...

London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices moved lower on September 18, with cash, three-month and Dec-27 contracts declining from the previous session. The LME aluminium price overview also showed the Asian reference price falling, while cancelled warrants increased. Opening stocks and live warrants edged lower. The LME aluminium cash bid price fell 0.60 per cent to USD 3,283 per tonne from USD 3,302.5 per tonne , while the cash offer price declined 0.56 per cent to USD 3,285 per tonne from USD 3,303.5 per tonne. The three-month aluminium bid price fell 0.08 per cent to USD 3,281.50 per tonne from USD 3,284 per tonne. The offer price declined 0.09 per cent to USD 3,282 per tonne from USD 3,285 per tonne. For the Dec-27 contract, both the bid and offer prices fell 0.25 per cent. The bid...

Spanish racing driverFernando Alonso has added a one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse to his growing collection of rare cars. Known as chassis 8.100, the car is distinguished by bespoke aluminium bodywork that required more than 20 tonnes of aluminium to produce, along with dedicated CAD programmes developed by Bugatti. Its history is equally distinctive, being produced after an original customer pushed Bugatti to create something it had initially considered too expensive. For Alonso, the automobile fits closely with an approach to luxury he outlined in 2024 about choosing manufacturers that treat individual customers differently rather than simply producing cars in larger numbers. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report "Global...

China Rare Earth Group is in talks to acquire a controlling stake in Shenghe Resources, a move that could bring the Chinese rare earth producer under tighter state control while giving Beijing influence over Shenghe’s overseas holdings, including a stake in US rare earths company MP Materials. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that discussions between the companies have been underway since earlier this year. One source said China Rare Earth Group is seeking a controlling stake, although neither source knew when the acquisition could be announced or completed. If the deal goes through, China Rare Earth Group would take control of Shenghe’s interests in foreign companies, including its 3 per cent stake in MP Materials. The US rare earths company counts the US Department of...

The supply question is becoming particularly relevant as North American extrusion demand becomes more diversified. Construction remains an important consumption base, but transportation, electrical and electronics, industrial applications and digital infrastructure are creating additional requirements for higher-performance aluminium extrusion profiles. The shift is also changing what buyers need from suppliers, with greater emphasis on precision, complex geometries, automotive-grade alloys and thermal-management capabilities. North American aluminium extrusion usage is estimated at 2.91 million tonnes in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 2 per cent . The region is therefore set for incremental demand, even as its extrusion supply chain continues to evolve. North America’s...

Novelis is cutting roughly one-third of its workforce at its Kingston, Ontario, aluminium facility, with the company citing the impact of US tariffs on aluminium imported from Canada. The company is reducing its salaried workforce by 10 employees and temporarily laying off approximately 70 hourly workers, according to a statement issued by Novelis on Friday, September 18. The cuts affect roughly one-third of the facility's workforce. “These are difficult decisions that affect our colleagues and their families, and we are supporting those impacted through this transition,” Novelis said. Novelis pointed to the Section 232 duties imposed by the US on aluminium imported from Canada as the reason behind the workforce reduction. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of...

Saudi Arabia’s aluminium consumption could climb to as much as 1.8 million tonnes a year by 2030, as the Kingdom ramps up infrastructure and industrial development ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Ahmad Al-Alshaikh, executive vice president of Maaden’s Aluminum Business Unit, said demand is expected to reach at least 1.6 million tonnes annually by 2030, up from around 1 million tonnes currently. Consumption could potentially double over the next five to seven years, he said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference in Budapest, Al-Alshaikh said construction of 15 new stadiums for the football tournament is helping to support aluminium demand, Reuters reported. Major exhibitions and preparations for the World Cup are also expected to contribute to...

The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...

Impact Minerals Limited has raised approximately AUD 2.2 million (USD 1.56 million) before costs through a renounceable rights issue, providing additional funding to advance its two high-purity alumina projects in Australia. The company issued nearly 69 million new shares and approximately 46 million options under the capital raising, which was launched in August. Impact Minerals said the offer received strong participation from existing shareholders, including full take-up by its major German family office investor. Any remaining shortfall shares may be placed within three months, subject to the allocation policy outlined in the offer. Funding targets pilot and customer qualification work The fresh capital will support development of Impact Minerals’ Lake Hope and Alluminous high-purity...

The USD 4 billion Oklahoma aluminium smelter project planned by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum is facing a new hurdle in Inola, where the city council has extended a moratorium on smelter permits and called a referendum on the proposed facility. The 750,000-tonne-per-year aluminium smelter, announced in January, is expected to more than double current US primary aluminium production and would be the first new primary aluminium smelter in the country in almost 50 years. It would also become the largest source of primary aluminium in the Western Hemisphere. The project has taken on added importance as the US imports roughly 60 per cent of the primary aluminium it uses. Aluminium is essential to transportation, defence, aerospace and electrical infrastructure, making...

Prysmian and Rio Tinto are supplying electrical cables made with ELYSIS aluminum for installation at an Amazon data center near Columbus, Ohio, marking what the companies describe as the first known use of aluminum produced with inert-anode smelting technology in a data center. The collaboration brings together aluminum produced using ELYSIS technology, Prysmian’s cable manufacturing, and Amazon’s data center infrastructure. The cables are being produced and shipped from Prysmian’s facility in Sedalia, Missouri. ELYSIS technology is designed to eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminum smelting process, producing oxygen instead of carbon dioxide and perfluorocarbons. Prysmian and Rio Tinto previously announced the introduction of ELYSIS-produced aluminum into building...

Vedanta Aluminium Metal has appointed Abhinav Gupta as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jharsuguda, effective July 2026, adding a finance executive with more than two decades of experience across Vedanta and Hindustan Zinc to the Odisha operation. Gupta joins Vedanta Aluminium from Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore, where he served as Deputy CFO for the Iron Ore Business from December 2021 to June 2026. In his new position, Gupta will oversee the Jharsuguda unit’s financial strategy and business planning, along with cash flow, working capital, capital allocation, cost management, risk management, compliance, and governance. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: "Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows &...

Vedanta Aluminium could see a 31 per cent upside from its current market price, with Kotak Neo retaining a ‘Buy’ rating and a price target of INR 540 as it expects a firm aluminium market to support the company's earnings growth. The research house expects global aluminium markets to remain tight through calendar year 2028, with project execution challenges potentially limiting the pace of new supply from Indonesia. It said the market may be underestimating the durability of the aluminium upcycle and Vedanta Aluminium's earnings growth potential. Vedanta Aluminium Metal shares were trading 3.02 per cent higher at INR 416.50 on Friday, September 18, 2026, compared with the previous close of approximately INR 404.30. The stock has declined around 8 per cent over the past month. At INR...

US-based Strategic Bauxite Inc. is preparing to expand its refractory-grade bauxite operations in Guyana after acquiring Guyana-based First Bauxite LLC in July. The company’s plans were discussed during a recent meeting between US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot and Strategic Bauxite executives. The proposed investment is expected to expand mining and processing capacity in the country while strengthening the supply of refractory-grade bauxite. The expansion is backed by USD 85.5 million in US government equity funding through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme, alongside USD 64.5 million in private-sector co-investment. Guyana mine and calcination capacity to expand According to the US Embassy, the combined USD 150 million investment will support an...

Germany has long been one of Europe’s key markets for aluminium extrusions. Germany’s aluminium extrusion market was valued at USD 3,787.5 million in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 5.8 per cent CAGR through 2030, according to various industry sources. A large share of the Germany’s aluminium extrusion demand comes from the automotive, construction and machinery sectors. While automotive applications include EV components, chassis parts and structural assemblies, construction demand is supported by renovation and infrastructure projects, particularly for energy-efficient windows and façades. Machinery and industrial applications further broaden the market for extruded aluminium. As demand evolves, extrusion plants are also looking for more efficient ways to produce and move profiles....