The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) has launched a new Reindustrialising UK Aluminium briefing, developed through its Trade Committee, setting out the immediate trade and industrial priorities facing the UK aluminium sector. The briefing comes as aluminium takes on increasing strategic importance within UK Government policy. Aluminium is recognised within the UK’s Critical Minerals framework and as a Growth Mineral, reflecting its importance to future UK manufacturing and economic growth. Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy describes critical minerals as foundational inputs to the Industrial Strategy’s growth-driving sectors. ALFED’s latest economic modelling estimates that the UK aluminium industry supports a wider economic footprint of £8.18 billion (USD 11.03 billion) in GVA and...
European Aluminium and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) are calling on the European Parliament and the Council to make low-carbon aluminium eligible alongside steel under the proposed material-credit mechanism for vehicle CO2 standards. The joint industry statement focuses on the revision of Regulation (EU) 2019/631, under proposal 2025/0420 (COD). The two organisations want both materials covered by a single, technology-neutral mechanism with harmonised carbon-intensity thresholds and verification rules. They said the approach would give automakers greater flexibility in meeting regulatory requirements while supporting European markets for low-carbon materials. It would also allow vehicle engineers to continue selecting materials based on technical and economic...
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India’s Navaratna Central Public Sector Enterprise National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), in partnership with Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), is revitalising the Angul Aluminium Park to strengthen Odisha’s industrial ecosystem. A roadshow on 23 September 2025 will highlight opportunities for MSMEs in downstream and ancillary industries, aiming to attract investment, create jobs, and boost value addition. Image for representational purposes only Also read: Nalco maps green alumina path by 2030, but coal expansion on cards too A high-level meeting, chaired by Shri Brijendra Pratap Singh, CMD NALCO, and co-chaired by Shri Jagdish Arora, Director (Projects and Technical), brought together leading associations. Representatives from the Utkal Chamber of...
The 44 Chinese alumina producers under Mysteel's regular tracking produced 1.82 million tonnes of metallurgical-grade alumina over the week of August 29-September 4, down by 1.4 per cent from a week earlier, according to the results of Mysteel's latest survey. This marked the second consecutive weekly decline and was sharper than the prior week's 0.3 per cent dip, Mysteel Global noted. Last week's output drop was largely the result of short-term production cuts lasting one to two days at some refineries in Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces around September 3, according to market watchers. In addition, one refinery in Shanxi province reduced production on its 500,000 tonnes per year line during the same week due to tight domestic bauxite supplies. Production and deliveries of the ore...
The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) is pleased to share that it has confirmation that aluminium will be included in both the critical and growth categories within the UK Government’s forthcoming Critical Minerals Strategy, due for publication in October. This recognition places aluminium at the centre of the UK’s industrial and economic future, confirming its role as a material that is both essential for resilience and a driver of sustainable growth. This change has not happened by chance. Over recent years, ALFED has worked to consistently highlight aluminium’s strategic importance to Government and positioned it as a material at the heart of UK resilience and industrial growth. Through the development of the UK Aluminium Alliance (UKAA) developed alongside Dr Mark Jones of CONETZ...
Global aluminium scrap trade is undergoing a major reshuffle, with shifting demand patterns, tariff pressures, and regional recycling dynamics driving sharp changes in import rankings . Latest UN Comtrade data for the first half of 2025 shows India rising to the top as the largest importer, while China’s share has fallen dramatically. Image used for representational purpose The US has surged into second place on the back of tariff-driven demand, Germany has held steady despite industry headwinds, and Thailand has entered the top five, displacing South Korea. India leads the market India imported aluminium scrap worth USD 1,961 million in the first six months of 2025. That compares with USD 1,589 million during the same period in 2024. The increase of more than 23 per cent lifted India’s...
Victoria Falls stands as one of Zimbabwe's premier tourist destinations, drawing over a million visitors annually and serving as a pillar for the country's tourism industry. While this influx benefits the local economy, it's also resulted in a significant increase in plastic waste, particularly single-use water bottles. Addressing this challenge, the Victoria Falls-based startup EcoDrop has introduced a practical and sustainable alternative, a reusable aluminium water bottle embedded with QR codes. Victoria Falls is facing mounting challenges due to a surge in single-use plastic waste, mainly from the vast number of tourists. The local waste management systems are struggling to keep up and the consequences are already visible. Wildlife, including elephants, have been found ingesting...
Thane police in Maharashtra are probing a big theft, with aluminium plates worth INR 3.95 million (around USD 45,000) being robbed from a construction site in the Bhiwandi district. The theft reportedly happened in early April but was officially reported by the general manager of the construction company on September 1, almost five months after the incident. This delay has added another mystery to the case. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/ Also read: Outlook for the Indian Aluminium Idustry As authorities try to track down the unknown culprits, the multi-million-dollar heist highlights the rising price and demand for aluminium, especially in India's thriving construction and infrastructure industries. The plates form an essential part of contemporary construction, utilised in...
Canyon Resources is strategically pushing forward in the global bauxite market, with its Minim Martap project in Cameroon taking centre stage. CEO Peter Secker describes this project as "the largest high-grade undeveloped bauxite deposit worldwide". The company is positioning this asset as a prime opportunity for investors aiming to get a piece of the aluminium supply chain, especially as demand from the electric vehicle and aerospace sectors keeps ramping up. The Minim Martap bauxite project stands out for over a billion tonnes of reserves, each grading at 51.2 per cent alumina with less than 1.7 per cent silica. That's impressive by any industry standard. Compared to other projects in the global market, these numbers give Minim Martap a solid edge. The Minim Martap project has been on...
China’s aluminium story has always been a study in contradictions. On paper, the country dominates the industry. It produced nearly 43 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2024, more than half the world’s supply. Yet in the same year, it imported over 3 million tonnes of primary aluminium, largely from Russia. Even more puzzling, China simultaneously exported about 6 million tonnes of semi-manufactured aluminium products, making it the world’s largest exporter of value-added aluminium. Image source: https://www.omfif.org/ Watch exclusively on AL Circle: Aluminium and Other Base Metals: Understanding Risk Management and Hedging by Jorge Eduardo Dyszel The paradox raises pressing questions as to why the world’s biggest producer and consumer of aluminium needs to import. Why does it...
After a sharp decline on September 4, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price gained momentum. However, the price of aluminium platts further fell from the previous day by USD 1.23 per tonne. On September 5, both the LME cash bid and offer price gained by USD 10 per tonne or 0.38 per cent, where the bid went up from USD 2,605.5 per tonne to USD 2,615.5 per tonne and the offer went up from USD 2,606 per tonne to USD 2,616 per tonne. The 3-month bid and offer price also saw a steady upward movement, where the bid went up by USD 12 per tonne or 0.46 per cent, totalling to USD 2,612 per tonne, up from USD 2,600 per tonne. Similarly, the offer price grew by USD 11 per tonne or 0.42 per cent, adding up to USD 2,613 per tonne from USD 2,602 per tonne. December 26 bid and offer price...
9.8 SMM cast aluminium alloy morning comment Futures: The most-traded cast aluminium alloy AD2511 contract opened at RMB 20,315 per tonne on Friday night, hitting a high of RMB 20,375 per tonne and a low of RMB 20,255 per tonne, before closing at RMB 20,265 per tonne, down RMB 15 per tonne (0.07 per cent) from the previous close. Trading volume stood at 555 lots, while open interest reached 7,731 lots, with bulls dominating the position reduction. Basis report: According to SMM data, the theoretical spot premium of SMM ADC12 over the most-traded cast aluminium alloy contract (AD2511) was RMB 520 per tonne based on the 10:15 AM closing price on September 5. Aluminium scrap: Spot primary aluminium prices edged up w-o-w on Friday, with SMM A00 closing at RMB 20,610 per tonne, while aluminium...
Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a financial regulatory body, has approached Swiss-based energy and commodity trading firm Mercuria over its unusually large aluminium holdings on the London Metal Exchange (LME). Two witnesses who were familiar with the matter said the position has distorted near-term aluminium prices. It has left manufacturers in the transport, packaging and construction industries exposed to volatility and lacking transparency. Image for referential purposes only While no rules appear to have been broken, the FCA wants to understand why Mercuria is holding so much metal. It also wants to know what it intends to do with it and when it might release stocks. “As per its policy relating to position management, the LME has a number of arrangements in place to...
Campbell Soup Co . said Wednesday that new tariffs will weigh heavily on its results for fiscal 2026, with profits expected to fall short of Wall Street forecasts. Image for representational purpose The New Jersey-based company estimates tariffs will add about 4 per cent to its cost of goods sold next year. Executives said they expect to offset roughly 60 per cent of that hit through price hikes and internal savings, but the remainder will squeeze margins. The added strain comes at a time when packaged food makers are already grappling with slowing demand, as consumers pull back on discretionary spending. Chief Executive Mick Beekhuizen noted that shoppers are becoming more selective and are opting for more at-home meals, adding pressure to the company’s profitability. Also read:...
HENAN SUNHO COAL & POWER CO., LTD has achieved ASI Performance Standard V3.1 (2023) and Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V2 (2022) Certification for the manufacture of aluminium and aluminium alloy foils at their subsidiary facility, Sunho New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. in Shangqiu, China. Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that Sunho New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3.1 and Chain of Custody Standard V2. The facility has an annual production capacity of 115,000 tonnes of light gauge aluminium foil and battery foil. Its operations are supported by equipment including aluminium foil rolling mills, roll grinders, slitting machines, precision cutting machines, and annealing furnaces. The ASI Certification...
Precision engineering company Drurys Engineering, part of the manufacturing and engineering business Amcouri Group, has taken a decisive step towards reducing waste and boosting recycling revenue. At its Hitchin base, the company has installed a new centralised swarf processing system from J&S Engineering. The machine is built around the iSwarf50 briquetting machine supplied by German manufacturer Hocker Polytechnik. Image source: https://jandsengineering.com/ Metal swarf Metal swarf has long been a costly burden for many manufacturers. Storage skips eat up space, fluids are lost, and recycling returns fall short of potential. Drurys faced all these issues until the new system was commissioned. With the installation, the company has reduced waste but also unlocked new efficiencies,...
Ardagh Group has announced it will be exhibiting at Drinktec 2025, a leading international event for the beverage and liquid food industry. The trade fair takes place in Munich from September 15 to 19. The firm's participation in the event underscores its ongoing commitment to innovation and industry leadership. The company is set to present its latest metal and glass packaging innovations to customers, partners and key players in the industry. They're putting their newest developments front and centre, making sure everyone in the business gets a look at what's next. Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) and Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP) will both be on display at the event, highlighting their leadership in sustainable, high-quality packaging. Attendees can expect to see a broad selection of...
The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) has recently had a meeting with the European Commission to extend the scope of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to include solar trackers, photovoltaic modules, and similar other finished solar products in its portfolio. The concern is that while raw materials like aluminium fall under CBAM, finished imports escape scrutiny – undermining EU producers. Expanding coverage and promoting the use of green aluminium could close this loophole and cut carbon leakage. ESMC authorities believe that leaving these products outside the CBAM portfolio can have a credibility impact on the EU manufacturers, and at the same time, it will be a disadvantage for the business in the long run. The loophole CBAM is dealing with at present As of now, CBAM...
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced on Monday that the deadline for comments on the proposed aluminium recycling plant in Benson has been extended. Originally set to end on August 21, the new deadline is now September 16, following requests from community members for more time to review the draft permit materials in greater detail. This plant, which is being developed by Aluminium Dynamics, Inc., a subsidiary of Steel Dynamics, will be a significant recycling operation capable of processing up to 300,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap annually. Also Read: Comment period ends for Benson aluminium recycling project The 174,000-square-foot facility will be situated on a 200-acre site and is designed to produce recycled aluminium ingots for downstream users across...
A major customer of billionaire Wes Edens’ New Fortress Energy Inc . has taken the company to arbitration, alleging delays in natural gas deliveries and seeking nearly 376 million reais in damages. Image for representatioanl purpose The dispute was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Friday. According to the company, Alunorte Alumina do Norte do Brasil SA — one of the world’s largest alumina producers — initiated arbitration in the first quarter. Alunorte is demanding 375.7 million reais (USD 68.9 million as of 30 June) over what it says were delays in gas supplies at the Barcarena import terminal. New Fortress Energy, which has been under pressure from mounting debt and cash flow constraints tied to project delays, said it intends to contest the claims. In its filing, the company stated...
