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 recent uptrend in US alumina imports has had less to do with an increase in demand and more to do with refinery closures - the trend that has quietly escalated over the last few years. USGS data on alumina imports from 2023 to 2025 shows the market adjusting, with imports rebounding sharply in H1 2025. Over the first six months of 2025, US alumina imports grew to 906 thousand tonnes, registering an increase of 49.3 per cent from the same six months in the previous year. This follows fairly strong import levels in the latter half of 2024, with imports being around 730 thousand tonnes. It is evident that there has been a marked shift away from the first six months of 2024. Over this period, imports were lower by 7.3 per cent from the previous year, declining to 607 thousand tonnes from...
Guinea strengthened its dominance in the global bauxite market in 2025, driven by record shipments to China. Exports to China reached 127.11 million tonnes in the first 10 months of the year, up 38.47 per cent year-on-year, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. The shipments accounted for 74 per cent of china bauxite imports during the period. These increased inflows of Guinean bauxite to Chinese alumina refineries have led to an oversupply of the ore and thus the depression of alumina prices. According to Fastmarkets analysis, this trend is expected to continue into the near term, putting pressure on refineries to control raw material costs. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain “In the absence of significant...
The US State Department announced a vital defence agreement to Taiwan worth USD 11.1 billion. The arms deal was announced in a nationally televised press conference addressed by Donald Trump, President of the United States, on December 17. Upon completion, it would be the greatest sales package covering advanced equipment such as HIMARS and ATACMS, with a considerable amount of aluminium content in them, from the US to Taiwan, as well as plant a seed of doubt in the heart of China. Image for representational purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Still awaiting approval from the US Congress, the contract was announced by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency, which handles the sales of US foreign military. The aim is...
As per the latest data from the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO), Iran had shown a total output of 665,189 tonnes of aluminium hydrate. This output has been recorded in the first eight months of the Iranian calendar year, which is from March 21 to November 21. Iran’s alumina powder output In the first eight months of 2025 of the Iranian calendar, the country’s alumina powder output surpassed 155 thousand tonnes . With reference to the data of IMIDRO, a total of 155,410 tonnes of alumina powder were produced between March 21 and November 21. It had been pointed out in earlier reports that the trend is moving in a positive direction, where the powder production reached 114,153 tonnes in the first half of the year, spanning from March 21 to...
Aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) moved sharply higher on November 19, driven mainly by gains in nearby contracts, while the forward curve showed mixed signals. The LME aluminium cash bid price climbed to USD 2,895.50 per tonne on November 19, up USD 43.50, or 1.53 per cent, from USD 2,852 per tonne on November 18. The cash offer price also rose to USD 2,896 per tonne, marking an increase of USD 43.50, or 1.52 per cent, from the previous day’s USD 2,852.50 per tonne. In contrast, prices for the three-month aluminium contract weakened. On November 19, the three-month bid and offer stood at USD 2,852 per tonne and USD 2,852.50 per tonne, respectively. This represented a decline of 1.52 per cent and 1.57 per cent drop, respectively from November 18 levels, when the...
Impact Minerals Limited ( ASX: IPT) has taken a step forward towards building a fully integrated high-purity alumina business, following a fresh tech collaboration with Technology Collaboration Agreement with Charge CCCV LLC (C4V), a US-based battery technology firm. The partnership is essentially signed between Alluminous Pty Ltd., where Impact holds 50 per cent share and a leading battery firm with an objective to advance and qualify Alluminous’ HiPurA® HPA process for use in advanced battery systems, an area of growing demand as global battery supply chains continue to evolve. The agreement aligns with Impact’s broader strategy of linking upstream feedstock from its Lake Hope project with downstream HPA production , creating a vertically integrated operation capable of supplying...
Kaiser Aluminum has confirmed a leadership change within its commercial team, naming Hugh (Jack) J. Barger III as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, effective from January 1. The appointment forms part of a planned succession process and follows the decision of Blain A. Tiffany, the company’s current Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, to retire in the near term. Mr Barger will assume full responsibility for the role as the transition is completed. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Mr. Barger has stepped into the position of Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Since then, he has progressively taken on wider duties within the commercial organisation, preparing for the leadership handover....
After years of trailing in the PC market, Google is gearing up for a grand comeback with the brand-new Android-based operating system. Rumoured to be named Aluminium OS, it is the outcome of merging its two platforms - Android OS and Chromebooks. Aluminium, which is used in the physical casting for many of Google’s devices, is now being incorporated into the internal codename for its next-gen OS. Not giving up to Microsoft and Apple dominance, Google is optimistic about the new OS, reportedly expected to launch in a few months, in 2026. Image for representational purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Despite the dominance of Android OS in the smartphone sector, Google has lagged in the PC race, stuck in the 3 rd...
The global aluminium and bauxite markets are currently experiencing a week filled with significant changes. New resource discoveries, swift project rollouts, capacity expansions and shifting trade policies are quietly altering the industry's short-term outlook. From innovative mining techniques and advancements in refineries to increased production in key regions and adjustments in global trade due to tariffs, all these factors indicate a transformation in cost structures, supply priorities and competitive landscapes. Upstream weekly recap by AL Circle Pvt Ltd Projects this week that cannot be missed The Novas Minas Project, powered by Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN), achieved a milestone in Brazilian mining, revealing the fourth-largest bauxite deposit in the Pará state . This project...
The LME aluminium price trend over the past 3 years shows a market rebounding from earlier weakness, trading within a varied price range and settling near a multi-year high by year-end. According to Westmetall’s LME aluminium cash price cache, 2025 kick-started with aluminium pricing of USD 2,500s per tonne, reached USD 2,685.50 per tonne by March 20, 2025, and was around USD 2,545 per tonne on August 1, 2025, amid tightening fundamentals and sustained supply concerns. LME primary aluminium cash price is closing in the year 2025 at around USD 2,800, with expectations of further increases in the coming year. Image for reference only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2026 LME aluminium prices before 2025 Before entering 2025, LME...
Turkey’s aluminium foil industry has expanded quietly but consistently over the past few years. Production increased steadily over the period, rising 26.3 per cent from 155.18 thousand tonnes in 2020 to 196 thousand tonnes in 2023, before recording a further 8.7 per cent year-on-year increase to 213 thousand tonnes in 2024. Roughly half of this output is shipped overseas, with the remainder absorbed by the domestic market. That balance has helped Turkey to become of the top exporters of aluminium foil in the global aluminium foil market which is valued at USD 38.55 billion in 2024 and forecast to grow at a 5.05 per cent CAGR through 2030. To access the data, download: Aluminium Foil and its End Uses Current Trends and Forecast till 2030 . Image source: AL Circle Foil export picture of...
China's imports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products fell by 14 percent in November compared to the previous year, customs statistics revealed on Thursday.The General Administration of Customs reported that the country imported 240,000 metric tonnes. This fall brought an end to the five straight months of Y-o-Y growth, pointing to year-end weaker downstream demand from all the major sectors like transportation, construction and packaging where aluminium is widely used. In addition, analyses suggest import appetite was poor because the arbitrage incentives remained muted. Also read: Subtle LME aluminium uptick lifts cash offer to USD 2,852.5 per tonne Despite the monthly drop, China’s total imports in the first 11 months of 2025 rose 4.4 per cent Y-o-Y to 3.6 million tonnes. The...
Bill Lee, the Governor of Tennessee, Stuart C. McWhorter, the deputy governor and commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, and representatives of ALUKO Group announced today that the South-Korean firm has chosen Halls, Tennessee, for its second US manufacturing facility. ALUKO Group will invest USD 107.7 million to retrofit the former Tupperware building in Halls, Lauderdale County. The project will create 285 new jobs. The facility will house integrated aluminium manufacturing operations to support industries like electric vehicles (EV), solar energy, construction and building markets. The Halls project follows ALUKO Group’s first US site announcement in Jackson, Tennessee, made in December 2024. Together, the two locations signal a long-term commitment to...
On December 16, South32 announced the shutdown of Mozambique’s Mozal aluminium smelter in 2026 due to the government’s failure to acquire a new power deal. Denting the global aluminium supply by pulling back its 560,000-tonne annual capacity, the smelter leaves Europe grasping for replacements. Image for referential purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Trade Data Monitor reports that in the first 10 months of 2025, the smelter shipped the EU customers almost 430,000 tonnes, securing the top position in supplying almost 20 per cent of primary aluminium to the bloc. Internationale Nederlanden Groep (ING) had made a prior estimate of a 200,000-tonne deficit in the 2025 international aluminium market. As the shutdown is...
For the three consecutive sessions, Ola Electric Mobility's shares hit a fresh all-time low, dropping by almost 5 per cent in the early trade on Thursday. The firm's stock has fallen by nearly 16 per cent in the third session because the investors became worried soon after the promoter and founder Bhavish Aggarwal sold almost 6.8 crore shares worth INR 234 crore (USD 28 million) in two days via the open market transactions. On Thursday, the electric car company's share price dropped by almost 4.6 per cent, marking the lowest price at INR 31.41 (USD 0.38), where the previous day's close was marked at INR 32.92 (USD 0.40) and this is all happening whilst the trading volume was deemed to be high. The trading volume spiked, with over 98 lakh shares changing hands, significantly surpassing the...
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) invited the Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe (FACE) to respond and offer clarifications prior to updating its June 2025 position paper on aluminium scrap. On December 12, FACE published a document based on a survey conducted across 7 value-chain companies. The questions addressed a vast spectrum of aluminium scrap in the European Union - starting from its availability, through circulation, to its quality. These are to be used in the preparation of the Circular Economy Act, with the primary focus remaining on aluminium in the sector of construction. Image for representational purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The document highlights concerns regarding...
A proposed final air quality permit for Aluminum Dynamics has been initiated by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to start the construction of the recycling plant in Benson. The proposed permits mark a crucial step for the firm as it gears up to construct a large-scale facility in southern Arizona. As per the draft of ADEQ's permit, the firm is not allowed to start with the facility operations. This is because the firm is required to wait for ADI's approval for the completion of the regulatory review process, alongside any federal or state approvals, before commencing the operations. For completing the review of ADEQ's proposed permit, the Environmental Protection Agency is deemed to have only 45 days. It has been highlighted by ADEQ that if the proposed permit is approved...
On December 18, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices showed a very minimal uptick from the previous day’s close. However, at the inventory front, the LME opening stock showed a slight decline. Both the LME cash bid and offer price went up by USD 1 per tonne or 0.03 per cent, where the bid reached USD 2,852 per tonne and the offer at USD 2,852.5 per tonne. The 3-month bid rose by USD 2 per tonne or 0.07 per cent to USD 2,896 per tonne, up from USD 2,894 per tonne. On the other hand, the 3-month offer increased by USD 3.5 per tonne or 0.12 per cent, from USD 2,894.5 per tonne to USD 2,898 per tonne. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain At the forward contracts, the December 26 bid and offer escalated by USD 3 per...
