Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Tasmania has secured a five-year extension, with federal and state governments providing a USD 200 million support package to keep the facility operating until the end of 2031. The agreement ends months of uncertainty over the smelter’s future, with its existing electricity supply agreement with Hydro Tasmania due to expire on December 31. Under the new arrangement, Hydro Tasmania will continue supplying power to Bell Bay through 2031, while government support will help maintain the smelter’s competitiveness. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said, “ The outcome we have today is the security of over 500 jobs at Bell Bay Aluminium. ” Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite &...
LME aluminium prices extended their decline on September 30, with cash and futures contracts moving lower. The Asian Reference Price also fell, while LME stocks remained broadly unchanged. Alumina Platts prices, however, rose sharply. The cash bid fell 0.68 per cent to USD 3,203 per tonne from USD 3,225 per tonne previously , while the cash offer declined 0.67 per cent to USD 3,204 per tonne from USD 3,225.50 per tonne. Three-month aluminium prices also weakened, with the bid down 0.71 per cent at USD 3,208 per tonne from USD 3,231 per tonne. The offer slipped 0.68 per cent to USD 3,210 per tonne from USD 3,232 per tonne. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade...
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According to SMM's weekly premium assessment as of August 28, 2026, 6063 aluminium billet premiums in Southeast Asia remained stable overall in August. Premiums for homogenized aluminium billet in Cambodia were maintained at USD 275-325 per tonne, with a midpoint of USD 300per tonne; premiums for homogenised aluminium billet in Malaysia were maintained at USD 250-275 per tonne, with a midpoint of USD 262.5 per tonne. Premiums for homogenised aluminium billet in Thailand remained stable throughout August at USD 210-250 per tonne, with a midpoint of USD 230 per tonne; premiums for non-homogenized aluminium billet in Thailand were maintained at USD 170-210 per tonne, with a midpoint of USD 190 per tonne. Vietnam was the only market in August to see a notable adjustment. Starting from the...
Aditya Birla Group has entered the wires and cables business with an investment of INR 18 billion (USD 190 million), launching the new business under the name Ultravolt. Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said the group's experience with aluminium and copper will be important in the new business, particularly for maintaining product quality, performance and consistency. He added, "Our core right to win is rooted in a deep understanding of the product and its underlying components.” According to the group, copper and aluminium together account for around 80 per cent of the cost of wires and cables. Explore aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report " Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032: Plant Economics, Alloy Segmentation, Pricing Intelligence,...
LME aluminium prices moved higher on September 3 compared with the previous trading day, while exchange stocks edged lower and cancelled warrants recorded a sharper decline. On September 3, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,302 per tonne, up 1.46 per cent from USD 3,254.5 per tonne on September 2. The cash offer price rose to USD 3,303 per tonne from USD 3,255.5 per tonne, marking a 1.46 per cent increase. The LME aluminium 3-month bid price stood at USD 3,303 per tonne on September 3, compared with USD 3,253 per tonne on September 2, an increase of 1.54 per cent. The 3-month offer price rose to USD 3,303.5 per tonne from USD 3,253.5 per tonne, also increasing by 1.54 per cent. Further along the forward curve, the December 27 bid price increased to USD 3,215 per tonne on...
While precious metals tumbled sharply in response to the Fed Chair's hawkish remarks, aluminium bucked the trend, holding up relatively well and even exhibiting intermittent strength. On August 28, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who had been in office for approximately 100 days, delivered his first full policy framework speech at the Jackson Hole central banking conference. He clearly stated that the Fed's current primary task remains price stability, inflation needs to return to the 2 per cent target, and room remains for further rate hikes in the coming months. On the same day, U.S. Treasury yields rose, the precious metals sector tumbled, and gold futures fell by more than 3 per cent. However, aluminium diverged significantly from gold and silver. This divergence does not imply...
Secondary aluminium is increasingly central to Europe’s decarbonisation plans. It is used in automotive castings, construction profiles, packaging and consumer goods and is valued because it can deliver similar mechanical properties to primary metal while requiring a fraction of the energy and emitting far less carbon dioxide. The European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) have made low-carbon aluminium a strategic priority. As India’s scrap aluminium imports have continued to rise, from 0.88 million tonnes in CY15 to nearly 2 million tonnes in CY25, with a long-term CAGR of about 8.6 per cent, stronger traceability and licensing requirements are becoming increasingly important across the secondary aluminium supply chain. For this...
India’s aluminium recycling sector has matured significantly over the past decade. Secondary aluminium, produced by remelting and refining scrap, now accounts for a growing share of the country’s total aluminium consumption. Recycling aluminium requires up to 95 per cent less energy than smelting primary metal from bauxite, and that energy advantage flows directly into pricing: secondary alloy ingots are consistently priced below equivalent primary material, often by a meaningful margin, without compromising performance for most industrial applications. The Indian market has a wide spread of recycled-aluminium suppliers, from fully integrated, ISO-certified recyclers operating multi-location facilities and supplying global customers, to informal remelters working from single furnaces...
The US Department of Justice has urged a court to dismiss Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s lawsuit filed on the proposed USD 4 billion Oklahoma aluminium smelter, arguing that the project would strengthen national and economic security. The move comes as the joint venture of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum facility in Inola faces separate legal roadblocks over environmental impacts and federal funding. In court filings, the Justice Department stated the federal government has worked with Oklahoma “to ensure compliance with federal laws” and argued that the project’s environmental concerns should be addressed through the permitting process. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to...
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated Ottawa’s readiness to resume Canada-US trade talks and reach a deal with President Donald Trump, as the tariff debate continues to pressure deeply integrated supply chains. Tariff uncertainty could also pressure aluminium trade, costs, aluminium extrusion and downstream industries on both sides of the border, reiterating the essentiality of a stable Canada-US trade framework. Speaking in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on Thursday, Carney stated that Canada was prepared to negotiate when the US was ready, while stressing that any agreement must offer stability and credibility. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report “Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032: Plant Economics, Alloy Segmentation,...
Iron ore remains Rio Tinto's financial anchor, but growing exposure to aluminium, copper and lithium is changing how investors assess the diversified miner. Rio Tinto is attracting renewed attention among UK-listed metals and mining stocks as its expanding commodity mix creates a valuation picture that looks different depending on the financial measure used. The London-listed mining group remains heavily anchored by its established iron ore operations, while aluminium and copper provide additional exposure to major industrial markets. At the same time, lithium and other critical minerals are becoming increasingly important to its longer-term strategy. That combination makes Rio Tinto's valuation less straightforward than a simple comparison of its earnings multiple with those of other...
Germany and Italy have long been closely linked in Europe’s aluminium extrusion trade. Italy remains a significant source of extruded aluminium for the German market, but the flow has changed considerably over the past few years. The latest numbers raise an interesting question: is Germany simply buying fewer Italian extrusions, or is the country’s demand for the product itself going through a broader transformation? German aluminium extrusion imports from Italy stood at 43,496.98 tonnes in January-May (YTD) 2022. By YTD 2023, that had fallen to 35,197.76 tonnes, down 19.08 per cent year on year. Imports declined again in YTD 2024 to 30,420.46 tonnes, a further 13.57 per cent decrease. Then the fall appeared to pause. Imports in YTD 2025 were almost unchanged at 30,397.72 tonnes,...
Oceania’s primary aluminium industry is facing a fragmented energy transition. While Australia, the leading aluminium producer of the continent, has abundant renewable resources and a well-established aluminium value chain, its smelters remain significantly more dependent on fossil-fuel-based electricity than the broader Oceania region. New Zealand, another major aluminium producer in the region, tells a different tale. The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) classifies Australia and New Zealand together as Oceania, but their smelting power profiles are markedly different. In the Australia dataset for 2023, coal accounted for 58 per cent of primary aluminium smelting electricity, compared with 36.4 per cent from hydropower and 5.2 per cent from other renewables. The 2024 Oceania...
Ireland’s Department of Enterprise has withheld the release records of discussions between its secretary general and Aughinish Alumina management, citing “highly confidential information” shared by the company. The decision comes as scrutiny intensifies over the Limerick refinery’s alumina exports to feed the Russian defence sector and a possible inclusion of alumina shipments in the European Union’s (EU) 21st Sanctions Package on Russia. Department of Enterprise Secretary General Declan Hughes and Aughinish Alumina Managing Director Ciaran Kelleher held several discussions in June and July, including a meeting on June 12 and three recorded phone calls. The discussions took place while Irish officials were finalising a review into Aughinish Alumina’s exports to Russia. The investigation...
India-based Lumino Industries made its BSE debut at INR 109 (USD 1.15) per share, 32.93 per cent above its issue price. The stock later touched a high of INR 113.65 (USD 1.2) and a low of INR 106.48 (USD 1.13), with more than 7 million shares traded on the exchange. Lumino Industries operates in the power transmission and distribution sector. It manufactures aluminium conductors, power cables and electrical wires, including HTLS conductors. It also undertakes EPC work in power transmission and distribution, EHV substations, re-conductoring, railway electrification, solar power and water management. The company’s IPO was subscribed 117.78 times. Bidding opened on August 27 and closed on August 31, 2026, with a price band of INR 78-82 (USD 0.83-0.87) per share. The INR 7 billion (USD 74...
Vedanta Aluminium is using artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital tools across its operations as part of its efforts to improve day-to-day decision-making, logistics, safety and equipment monitoring. At BALCO in Korba, Vedanta Aluminium has introduced four AI-enabled Control Towers to keep track of coal transport, finished goods deliveries and ash management. Using GPS, IoT-based tracking, geofencing, video telematics and real-time data, the system helps teams monitor vehicle movement and manage logistics more closely. The company is also using AI in safety training at its Lanjigarh refinery. ‘Aluminati’, an AI-powered robot, provides real-time guidance and multilingual support. This makes safety training easier to understand. The plant also uses a Heavy Motor Vehicle Driver...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that Amcor Flexibles Kreuzlingen AG, Switzerland has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3.1 (2023). The facility produces lacquered, laminated and printed aluminium and composite foils, as well as transparent inorganic barrier films, for food, pharmaceutical and technical packaging applications, with an annual production capacity of approximately 260 million square metres. The ASI Certification program was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. The ASI Performance Standard V3 and ASI CoC Standard V2 were launched in May 2022 following a multi-year revision process. The ASI...
Eural Gnutti , the world’s leading manufacturer of drawn aluminium alloy bars for machining and one of the main players in the production of extruded bars and profiles – is taking part in ALUMINIUM (Stand 3A13), the sector’s most important international event, scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf from 6 to 8 October. The company’s presence at the trade fair will provide an opportunity to highlight the three key elements of its evolution: the innovation embodied in LEAD-FREE alloys, the expansion of aluminium’s fields of application as a substitute for brass and steel, and a production model increasingly geared towards the principles of the circular economy – fully in line with the themes at the heart of the 2026 Exhibition. Sustainability, recycling and technological transformation are...
A clean surface is essential for strong adhesive bonds, reliable sealing systems, and durable aluminum components. As demands for functionality and quality continue to rise, surface treatment and corrosion protection are becoming increasingly important. In fields such as automotive and mechanical engineering, electronic assemblies, and battery housings for energy storage systems, cleaning and corrosion protection are essential steps in ensuring consistently high component quality. At ALUMINIUM 2026 in Düsseldorf, Plasmatreat GmbH will demonstrate how to achieve this in a cost-effective, resource-efficient, and reliable manner. In the Surface Pavilion in Hall 3, Booth 3F70-01, Plasmatreat will present plasma technologies for cleaning, activating, and functionalising aluminum components...
Major aluminium producers have offered Japanese buyers premiums of USD 310-325 per tonne for primary aluminium shipments in the October-December quarter. The bar is 18-22 per cent lower than the USD 395 per tonne premium agreed for the current July-September quarter. The premium paid by Japanese buyers over the LME cash price is closely watched as a benchmark for aluminium pricing in Asia. The latest offers come after two quarters of rising premiums, driven by tighter physical availability and supply disruptions. Premiums increased from USD 195 per tonne in January-March to USD 350-353 per tonne in April-June and further to USD 395 per tonne for July-September , as geopolitical disruptions affected aluminium supply routes and spot availability, while low LME inventories added to pressure...
