Mexico hopes to secure a favourable response from the United States to its request for lower tariffs on aluminium, steel and vehicles before the end of 2026, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said. The Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Mexican aluminium and steel and 25 per cent tariffs on vehicles, with an exemption for vehicles with US content. The duties were introduced on national security grounds under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act. Speaking at a press conference in Mexico City, the Economy Minister said Mexican officials had presented technical arguments and supporting evidence to US authorities to justify reducing the tariffs. He argued that the United States runs a steel trade surplus with Mexico, making the tariffs on the metal unjustified from the...
A proposed AUD 3.7 billion data centre at the former Hydro Aluminium Kurri Kurri industrial site in New South Wales, Australia, could repurpose a major industrial property for digital infrastructure, with an estimated peak construction workforce of 1,210 people and around 254 ongoing jobs. The Kurri Kurri Data Centre project, proposed at Hart Road, Loxford, is seeking approval for the fit-out and operation of a large-scale data storage facility with a planned power consumption of 550.5 megawatts (MW). The development application, listed as a State Significant Development under reference SSD-128819490, is currently at the public exhibition stage. The proposal highlights how former aluminium industry sites could find new uses as demand for data storage and computing infrastructure expands....
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has updated the critical minerals list, which now contains 60 distinct materials, representing 80 per cent of the mined items on the periodic table. Some of these include nickel, copper and zinc. Exotic metals like gadolinium, praseodymium, and ytterbium have been added under the rare earth elements. Recognised as “vital for a modern American economy,” the spectrum of metals bears the potential to revolutionise their use. Image for representational purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The USGS comments that from aluminium to zirconium, these metals are found "essential for national security, economic stability and supply chain resilience." This reflects a subtle shift from the...
With the operational launch of the 1 GW HG14 offshore photovoltaic project, China has touched a significant milestone in renewable energy expansion. This is the world’s largest open-sea offshore solar power facility, which has been fully commissioned off the coast of Dongying in Shandong province. Developed by Guohua Investment, a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Corp. (CHN Energy), the plant received its full-capacity grid connection in late December 2025. Image for reference only (source: https://assets.ratedpower.com/) Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Spread across approximately 1,223 hectares of shallow coastal waters, approximately 8 km from the shoreline, the project is situated in sea depths ranging from 1 metre to...
Just like the US, Europe appears to be reshaping its aluminium strategy - and scrap is steadily gaining the upper hand. With recycling crossing the 50 per cent mark in 2025, the balance of the industry is shifting away from primary aluminium and moving toward secondary metal. That trend is also visible in the production numbers. Primary aluminium production across Europe, including Russia reached 6.4 million tonnes between January and November 2025. That’s only slightly higher than the 6.38 million tonnes recorded in 2024 and 6.1 million tonnes in 2023, in the same period, working out to growth of about 0.9 per cent in 2025 after a stronger 3.8 per cent growth the year before. During 2025, output moved up in stages - 1.72 million tonnes in the first quarter, 1.74 million tonnes in the...
LME aluminium prices softened between December 24 and December 29, while exchange inventories fell but showed a shift toward more live warrants. On December 29, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 2,913 per tonne, compared with USD 2,931.5 per tonne on December 24 - a decline of about 0.63 per cent. The cash offer slipped to USD 2,913.5 per tonne from USD 2,932 per tonne over the same period, down roughly 0.63 per cent. LME aluminium 3-month prices were largely steady. The 3-month bid remained unchanged at USD 2,957 per tonne on both December 24 and December 29, marking no change. The 3-month offer eased to USD 2,958 per tonne on December 29 from USD 2,959 per tonne on December 24, down around 0.03 per cent. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook,...
Odisha Mining Corporation’s (OMC) Managing Director, Shri Sudhansu Mohan Samal, has concluded a two-day tour of key mining locations in the Koraput district, utilising the visit to closely examine production performance, safety standards, and community development efforts associated with the company’s operations. The review covered two of OMC’s important sites, the Ampavalli Limestone Mine and the Kodingamali Bauxite Mine, with discussions centred on maintaining steady output while ensuring environmentally responsible and safe mining practices. This visit is the reflection of the corporation’s attempt to align industrial growth with the broader interests of the region. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The team of Shri Samal,...
As 2025 is about to wind up, United Company RUSAL secures an extension of the sales agreement with the En+ associate KraMZ Ltd. The global aluminium producer, RUSAL, has achieved milestones, securing several partnerships as well as shareholding throughout the year. These endeavours, despite geopolitical challenges and tariff obstacles, were achieved and have been marked throughout the 2025 calendar. Image for referential purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain En+ associate KraMZ Ltd to continue the RUSAL partnership United Company RUSAL has extended an existing aluminium sales contract with En+ associate KraMZ Ltd in 2026. Under this agreement, RUSAL’s subsidiary JSC UC RUSAL TH is to supply primary aluminium of...
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has tasked the newly inaugurated Governing Board of the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) with converting Ghana’s bauxite resources into concrete economic value. At the inauguration ceremony, where 10 board members were sworn in, Buah framed the assignment as extending beyond corporate stewardship, calling it a “ national and historic ” responsibility. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain “Ghana is blessed with abundant bauxite resources, and your duty is to ensure these resources are converted into tangible economic benefits that will support industrial growth, create jobs, and strengthen our economy,” he stated. The minister reminded the board that...
Chongqing Jianto Aluminium Co. Ltd., a Zhejiang-invested enterprise based in Fuling, Chongqing, is emerging as a key supplier of recycled aluminium to the city’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. Operating under the Zhejiang-Fuling cooperation framework, the company illustrates how cross-regional collaboration is significantly strengthening green manufacturing and supporting the expansion of Chongqing’s new-energy vehicles. Riding the wave of recycled aluminium demand Chongqing Jiantao Aluminium was established in Fuling in 2007 by Zhejiang entrepreneur Hu Aitao, its former general manager. Hu has lived and worked in Chongqing for more than three decades and entered the recycled aluminium business as early as 1987, long before the concept gained mainstream attention. Explore- Most...
Bhutan Agro Industries Limited (BAIL), in response to high consumer demand for better quality and convenience, have responded with a new packaging evolution. This new packaging upholds modern, easy-to-open aluminium cans, which are a flagship of the firm's "Royal Bhutan" beverage line. For the introduction of the packaging evolution, the firm is transitioning its product from the traditional tinplate with a significant investment in product excellence, sustainable innovation and consumer satisfaction. With the introduction of the new aluminium packaging, the firm is addressing the rising demand and the longstanding consumer preferences. As stated by the firm, it is addressing the consumer's preferences by offering superior portability, aesthetics and enhanced preservation of the products....
On Saturday, the Indian government shared its intention to initiate a scheme for boosting the production of sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM). This scheme by the Indian government mainly focuses on enhancing the country’s participation in the global advanced materials market while reducing its dependence on imports. According to an official statement, the scheme will release a fund of INR 7,280 crore focused on fostering long-term industrial growth by establishing a comprehensive REPM manufacturing capacity of 6 thousand metric tonnes per year. The expected output is expected to cover the full chain, starting from rare earth oxides to finished magnets. Outlining this scheme aimed towards attaining enhanced competitiveness, pool more technology-driven investments and supporting...
EGA Spectro Alloys, a post-consumer aluminium scrap processor, has reaffirmed its local community focus by announcing USD 100,000 in holiday-season donations to 30 nonprofit and charitable organisations. This initiative is part of their annual “Giving Together” programme, under which employees help determine how the funds are distributed. Each year, Spectro employees select organisations as recipients, giving staff a direct role to identify local causes for support. According to the company, this approach reflects its priority of acting as a responsible corporate neighbour and supporting organisations that address community needs. Also read: Hydro makes holiday contribution to Red Cross “‘Giving Together’ is one of our favourite traditions at Spectro,” says Luke Palen, the EGA Spectro...
Xiamen KDSBUILDING Material Co., Ltd, a China-based fenestration manufacturer, has announced its compliance with TITLE24 standards while launching new aluminium products. KDSBUILDING ensures the reliability of its aluminium fenestration systems, reinforced by strict, performance-driven regulatory standards. They aim to reduce energy consumption in construction and renovation projects. Image source: https://hansekitchen.en.made- in-china.com/ Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Adherence to the California Energy Code or TITLE24 is a widely regarded benchmark of exceptional energy efficiency. It offers products a strong edge for competitiveness in markets that opt for sustainability and prioritise reduced operating costs....
Aluminium prices recorded a historic milestone in the futures market with a consistent upward momentum, reflecting a strengthened buying interest on the back of robust spot demand and tightened supply expectations. On the Multi Commodity Exchange ( MCX), aluminium futures for December surged by INR 8.80 ( USD 0.098), thus making the close at 3.07 per cent high, equalling to INR 294.90 ( USD 3.27) per kilogram. The bullish sentiment was equally evident in the January series, with the aluminium contract price climbing by INR 9.05 ( USD 0.10), reflecting an increase of 3.14 per cent, thus touching a fresh lifetime peak of INR 297.20 ( USD 3.30) per kilogram during the trading session. Must read: Key industry individuals share their thoughts on the trending topics Market participants,...
The Supreme Court has set aside the Chhattisgarh High Court’s interference and restored the arbitral award in Ramesh Kumar Jain v. Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO) (2025 INSC 1457), reaffirming that courts exercising jurisdiction under Sections 34 and 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 are not appellate bodies. The Court held that judicial intervention is impermissible where it involves reappreciation of evidence or substitution of the arbitrator’s commercial assessment under the label of “patent illegality”. Image reference only (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/ Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Background of the dispute: a contract that outgrew its paper terms The dispute traces back to 1999, when BALCO...
On December 25, the foundation stone for Afghanistan’s first aluminium can manufacturing facility was laid in the western province of Herat. It highlighted the government’s encouragement of private-sector development and reduced dependence on imports in key consumer goods sectors, promoting self-sufficiency. Image source: https://www.niir.org/ Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Taliban authorities inaugurated the USD 120 million project in Herat, regarding it as the country’s first such plant. The foundation stone of the “Pamir” aluminium can production company was laid by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. Previously, the Pakistan Aluminium Beverage Cans Limited (PABC) shared a plan to set...
China is moving to slow the rapid build-out of its metals industry, signalling that the next five-year plan will put tighter controls on new copper and alumina capacity. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said local governments must strengthen feasibility studies for major projects and ensure approvals match national industrial policy, warning against “irrational investment and disorderly expansion” between 2026 and 2030. The commission framed copper and alumina as sectors tied not only to economic growth but also to military development, while stressing that future projects must reflect “differences in regional industrial bases, resource endowments and environmental capacity.” Beijing also wants consolidation, saying it will encourage mergers and restructuring among...
Leadership changes, shifts in policy, market trends, and innovation are subtly transforming the aluminium industry’s outlook for the near future. From strategic succession planning at major producers and increasing job opportunities in key markets to the evolving dynamics of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), along with investment-driven growth in aluminium foil and significant developments across exchanges and projects, this week’s news indicates that deeper structural changes are in motion. All these signs suggest that the global aluminium value chain is gearing up for enhanced competitiveness, resilience, and growth as we move toward 2026. Global downstream aluminium industry weekly recap by AL Circle Pvt Ltd AL leadership transforming the industry Kaiser Aluminum announced...
National Aluminium Company is in the spotlight for its shares climbed to Rs.299.7 (USD 3.61) on December 26. With this peak, NALCO recorded a 52-week high while being the highest price the stock has recorded till date. The move came despite a subdued broader market tone and underlined the company’s sustained outperformance in the non-ferrous metals segment. The wider equity market opened on a cautious note, with the Sensex starting the session at INR 85,225.28 (USD 948.69), down 183.42 points or 0.21 per cent, and later trading near INR 85,255.94 (USD 949.08), a decline of 0.18 per cent. Despite this softness, the benchmark index remains close to its 52-week peak of INR 86,159.02 (USD 959.13), just 1.06 per cent below that level. In fact, its 50 day average is more than its 200 day...
