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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Pakistan’s National Tariff Commission has opted to keep anti-dumping duties on imported aluminium beverage cans in place for another three years, extending measures first imposed on suppliers from Jordan, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. The decision follows the conclusion of a Sunset Review that examined whether lifting the duties would expose the domestic industry to renewed harm. Pakistan Aluminium Beverage Cans Limited informed the Pakistan Stock Exchange that the extension will take effect on February 19, 2025. The review itself began on February 8, 2024, and assessed market data from January 2022 through December 2024. According to the Commission’s findings, removing the existing duties would leave the local sector vulnerable to continued dumping and the sort of material...
Brazilian rare earths’ shares jumped 8 per cent after the company released its first scoping study for the fully owned Amargosa Bauxite–Gallium Project in Bahia. The assessment offers the clearest view yet of how the deposit could take shape, outlining a large-scale direct-shipping bauxite operation with a 17-year mine life and operating costs positioned in the first quartile globally. The company has emphasised that scoping studies are preliminary and rely heavily on assumptions tied to cost inflation and operating inputs, meaning more work is needed before the project moves toward feasibility. Even so, the study provides investors with an initial sense of the project’s scale and economic potential. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value...
Ford CEO, Jim Farley has expressed his concern that the shifting EV rules and industrial policies as imposed by the European Union (EU) are highly steep and extremely stringent, leaving no room for flexibility or realistic approach for the European automakers to the market. He warns the European Commission against undermining its own automakers and jeopardising the future of the European automotive industry. Image for representational purpose only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The EV landscape of Europe is shaped by ambitious environmental goals and equally stringent directives that are being thrust upon the European market of automobiles. These range from CO2 targets to End-of-Life vehicles regulations. Corporate Average...
S&P Global Energy Horizons says the coming year will expose the strain within the world’s energy and sustainability systems, as governments and industries try to navigate rapid technological change, shifting geopolitical alliances and mounting climate risks. The report points to a world moving at different speeds. The US is setting its own priorities as artificial intelligence expands at a startling pace. Europe is trying to balance competing policy goals, and China is pushing further ahead in clean technology, drawing more of the global market into its orbit. A surge in electricity demand from AI is placing heavy pressure on grids, business models and environmental targets. Whether countries can make headway will depend heavily on how quickly they can expand and modernise network...
Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation is preparing a major scale-up of its clean-energy footprint in India, with plans to invest 200 billion yen (USD 1.3 billion) in renewable power projects developed through its joint venture with Indian startup Ampin Energy Transition. The commitment, reported by Nikkei, represents a doubling of Sumitomo’s initial outlay as the company positions itself for the rapid expansion of India’s corporate renewable power market. Through the partnership, Sumitomo and Ampin intend to build more than 2 gigawatts of combined solar and wind capacity across more than 10 Indian states by fiscal 2027. Projects are already operational in Haryana and Karnataka, with power destined mainly for Japanese companies operating in India. According to the report, nearly 10 such firms have...
We were all happy when we heard about the scrap exemption from the CBAM regime. But instead, it turned out to be a two-edged sword. If an EU business imports scrap and manufactures secondary aluminium, it will have to pay the tax for the secondary aluminium manufacturing, in accordance with the ETS system. If the business decides to import secondary aluminium, it still has to pay for CBAM. So, is shelter from tax a mere illusion for European aluminium businesses? Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain From January 1, 2026, Fastmarkets will include the European Union’s (EU’s) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) costs in its secondary aluminium billet premium, DDP Europe (MB-AL-0383) and primary 6063 extrusion billet premium,...
Novelis is strengthening its European logistics network with a EUR 43 million (USD 50.4 million) investment aimed at shifting more aluminium transport from road to rail. The company has purchased 220 new Shimmns railcars as part of its long-term sustainability strategy built around the principle of “rail instead of road.” Rail already accounts for 95 per cent of material movement between Novelis’ 10 European sites, and the new fleet is designed to further reinforce that system. Image source: Novelis Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The Shimmns wagons add flexibility to Novelis’ network as they can carry aluminium coils, scrap and ingots — unlike the previously rented railcars that could handle only a single material type. This...
Mexico has approved a major tariff overhaul that will raise duties on imports from China and several other Asian countries by about 50 per cent targeting a broad range of goods from metals to automobiles. The Senate backed the decision on Wednesday, supporting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s plan to encourage local manufacturing. The measures, due to take effect on 1 January 2026, will affect products from China and several Asian economies including Thailand, India and Indonesia, the countries without a free trade agreement. Lawmakers voted 76 in favour, five against and 35 abstentions, endorsing tariff increases of up to 50 per cent on imports such as autos, auto parts, clothing, plastics, textiles and steel. The proposal, earlier passed by the lower house, is a scaled-down version of a...
LME aluminium prices saw modest gains on December 11 across cash, 3-month and deferred contracts compared with the previous session, while exchange inventories continued to ease. The cash bid price rose to USD 2,862 per tonne, up from USD 2,836 per tonne on December 10 — a 0.92 per cent increase. The cash offer price moved to USD 2,864 per tonne, compared with USD 2,836.5 per tonne previously, marking a 0.97 per cent rise. The 3-month aluminium contract also strengthened. The 3-month bid price reached USD 2,885 per tonne on December 11, up from USD 2,865 per tonne — a 0.70 per cent increase. The 3-month offer advanced to USD 2,886 per tonne, compared with USD 2,867 per tonne a day earlier, up 0.66 per cent. Further along the curve, the December 26 contract posted firmer levels. The bid...
On December 10, Wednesday, Vidya Wires IPO made a flat debut at the stock market, settled at INR 52.13 on BSE, and sold the shares with a microscopic premium of 0.25 per cent from the issue price of INR 52 apiece. The stock is to embark on its maiden trade session on its very issue price on NSE. Image for representational purpose only (source: https://www.alcircle.com/) Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The Gujarat-based wire manufacturer has been listed much below the lines of expectation, indicating an underperformance. Prior to the debut, in the unofficial market, the IPO commanded the grey market premium (GMP) of INR 4 apiece. This initially indicated the listing price to be around INR 56, fetching a premium of 7.69 per...
Tajikistan has entered a new phase of industrial growth with the launch of the Aluminiy Avvalin (first aluminium) plant in Tursunzoda. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon inaugurated the facility on December 9, 2025, ahead of Tajikistan’s 35th independence anniversary. Built through a partnership between Treks Muhandislik and local entrepreneur Khurshed Azizov, the plant spans 6.2 hectares and houses modern production lines capable of producing 40 types of aluminium profiles. News sources state that the facility’s 10,000-tonne annual capacity positions it as a future anchor in Tajikistan’s aluminium-processing landscape. The plant has already created 160 jobs, offering rare industrial employment opportunities for local residents. During the same visit, President Rahmon opened Secondary...
REM Surface Engineering has set up a fresh collaboration that centres on improving polishing techniques. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Germany-based Nikon Advanced Manufacturing (Nikon AM) Inc. and aluminium producer Constellium. Under this agreement, the three firms plan to refine finishing methods for Constellium’s Aheadd CP1 aluminium alloy, which is intended for use in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) systems. The agreement also brings the three organisations together to refine REM’s chemical polishing and chemical-mechanical polishing methods for PBF-LB components made from Aheadd CP1. By strengthening the post processing stage, the collaboration aims to accelerate the alloy’s adoption in demanding areas such as aerospace structures, RF waveguides and heat...
Lindian Resources has begun diamond drilling at its North Knoll prospect in Malawi, marking the first real test of a target that has been drawing interest since early sampling returned rare earths grades as high as 7.15 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO). North Knoll sits just 800m north of the company’s Kangankunde project, one of the world’s premier undeveloped rare earths deposits outside China, and the similarities between the two are already attracting attention. Earlier work at North Knoll delivered rock chip assays containing high-grade neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), with NdPr/TREO ratios ranging from 19.2 to 28.8 per cent. Those ratios match what is seen in the main Kangankunde deposit and suggest the mineralisation may continue between the two areas. Field mapping has...
The partnership of French-Swiss firm IB2 and Shanxi Senze Energy Technology Group results in a breakthrough technology of converting low-grade bauxite into high-quality feedstock that can be applied in aluminium production. This innovation will not only revive exhausted bauxite mines but also enable the extraction of rare earth elements and critical minerals used in electric vehicles, semiconductors, and national defence. Image for referential purpose only (source: https://www.mindat.org/) Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain A paper published in Minerals Engineering in May, a peer-reviewed journal, observed that 3 per cent of the total bauxite reserves in the world are located in China. Here, the Chinese researchers suggested the...
Aluminium fluoride (AlF3) has long been a critical ingredient in aluminium production – vital for efficient electrolysis yet scrutinised for its environmental and economic costs. On one hand, it is a necessity, on the other, a dilemma. Functionally, aluminium fluoride is a cornerstone of the Hall–Héroult process as it reduces electrolyte’s melting point from ~2000°C to <1000°C, cuts energy consumption, increases the bath’s conductivity, and helps dissolve alumina into the electrolyte. In short, this additive allows for efficient electrolysis of alumina (Al₂O₃) into molten aluminum metal. But its utility comes at a cost, both literally and environmentally. The price of aluminium fluoride, although varies by purity and supplier, typically ranges between USD 1,000 and USD 1,800 per tonne in...
With demand rising for low carbon aluminium, producers in several regions are accelerating plans to increase their secondary capacity. Much of the new capacity scheduled is concentrated in billets, slabs and ingots, which are increasingly becoming the main focus of recycling investments. Between 2022 and 2026, secondary additions are dominated by billets, which make up 11 million tonnes of the 22-million-tonne total. Their growing importance mirrors the expansion of extrusion and construction activity, where demand has remained consistently strong. Slabs follow with 8.8 million tonnes of new capacity, supported by rolling demand and a sharp increase expected in 2025 tied to automotive and packaging needs. SFA (Ingot) capacity, at 2.2 million tonnes, reflects the maturity of the ingot...
Japan’s aluminium market may be heading into a much firmer pricing environment next year, with Marubeni Corp signalling that buyers could be paying USD 85 to USD 203 per tonne in premiums through 2026. The trading company expects international price strength to divert metal away from Asia, tightening availability for Japanese importers. Image source: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/ Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Although Japan relies heavily on overseas aluminium and typically negotiates quarterly surcharges above the London Metal Exchange cash price, those premiums have slipped to USD 86 per tonne in the current quarter, far below USD 228 agreed at the start of the year. That downward stretch may not last long. Talks for the...
The Canyon Minim Martap bauxite project at Cameroon that combines superior quality of bauxite ore with strategic infrastructure positioning can lead to an improved level of regional commodity flow to meet geological excellence. In the current market situation that prefers high-grade deposits to minimise the refinery processing cost and raise the pricing of aluminium, Cameroon makes a strategic entry with bauxite. With Canyon Resources' Minim Martap development, it delves into large-scale mineral extraction, laying a foundation for future mining investments. This marks Cameroon’s possibility for moving beyond agricultural export dependence toward a diversified market. Image generated through AI tool (for referential purposes only) Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions...
