Domestic spot alumina prices edged down slightly last week amid flat trading activity. Recent alumina price movements were mainly attributed to earlier concentrated restocking by downstream buyers, which has led to accumulating inventories at rail stations and smelters. Coupled with supply-side maintenance-driven output cuts that are still building, readily available spot volumes have tightened relatively. Only sporadic tender deals were heard recently, leaving prices in a temporary steady phase. On the bauxite front, domestic ore prices saw limited movement last week. Supply-side bottlenecks are unlikely to ease in the near term, with mines prioritising captive supply, leaving little excess spot material available. For imported ore, freight rates rebounded slightly and consecutively last...
Japan imported 1.36 million tonnes of downstream aluminium products in January–August 2026, down 6.2 per cent from 1.45 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. The latest figures show lower overall imports, with shipments from the UAE seeing the biggest decline among the five leading exporters listed, while imports from Australia also fell. Japan’s total imports decline Japan’s downstream aluminium imports stood at 1.36 million tonnes through August 2026, a drop of around 90,000 tonnes, compared to shipments in 2025 during the same period. However, annual imports remained broadly stable over the previous three years, rising from 2.11 million tonnes in 2023 to 2.12 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 0.3 per cent. In 2025, imports edged up by a further 0.1 per cent to 2.12 million...
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Slovalco has begun restarting its Žiar nad Hronom smelter after more than three years offline, with 75,000 tonnes of annual primary aluminium capacity targeted by February 2027. Slovalco has begun the gradual restart of its primary aluminium smelter in Žiar nad Hronom, Slovakia, bringing production back after the plant's remaining furnaces were shut down in early 2023 amid high electricity prices and insufficient compensation for energy-intensive industry. The first pots have already been restarted, with 100 of the smelter's 226 electrolytic pots expected to be operating by the end of February 2027. That first phase will restore approximately 75,000 tonnes per year of primary aluminium capacity, compared with the plant's total capacity of about 175,000 tonnes per year. The restart is...
The US aluminium industry’s dependence on Canada extends far beyond primary aluminium imports. While Canada supplies around 75 per cent of US imported primary aluminium, covering roughly 60 per cent of the country’s annual aluminium usage, it is also a major supplier of crude oil, natural gas and electricity to the US. With 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian aluminium, the resulting pressure could therefore extend beyond metal costs, raising broader questions about energy security, industrial competitiveness, data-centre expansion and the feasibility of rebuilding US aluminium capacity. Canada supplies more than just US aluminium The scale of the US–Canada relationship becomes clearer when energy is added to the aluminium equation. In 2025, Canada exported around 6.5 million barrels of oil...
What does the building and construction market mean for aluminium extrusion industry? The answer may depend less on how much the world builds and more on where it builds and what those buildings require. As construction activity picks up across regions, aluminium extrusion is set to follow - but with the strongest opportunities emerging in different ways across markets. The global construction market was valued at about USD 11.4 trillion in 2024 and is estimated at USD 12.1 trillion in 2025. It is forecast to expand to around USD 16–17 trillion by 2030, representing a 5-6 per cent CAGR over the next five years, according to various industry sources. This expansion matters for aluminium extrusion because building and construction is already the largest end-use sector for extruded...
Trimet is bringing aluminium scrap sorting and processing in-house at a new German facility, using laser technology to improve recycled metal quality and raw material security. Trimet Aluminium is preparing to open a new aluminium recycling site in Hamm, Germany, as growing demand for recycled metal puts greater pressure on international scrap markets. The facility, which is scheduled to start operations in October, will process and sort aluminium scrap at a planned capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year. Trimet said the site will strengthen supplies of high-quality recycled raw materials to foundries and remelting plants while reducing its reliance on external processing partners. Laser technology sorts 150 pieces of scrap per second The centrepiece of the new operation is an automated...
Chandni Machines Limited has begun work on its new aluminium ingot manufacturing project at Kuvada GIDC in Rajkot, Gujarat. For the project, the company has leased an industrial factory building covering around 22,000 square feet for the facility. It has an existing electricity connection of around 37 KW. It has also placed machinery and equipment orders worth approximately INR 15 million (USD 158,000), with the required payments already made. Once operations stabilise, the facility expects to produce around 300 tonnes of aluminium ingots per month. Based on its current internal estimates and an average cost assumption of around INR 315 per kg (USD 3,320 per tonne), a monthly revenue of around INR 94.5 million (USD 996,000) is estimated. The machinery will begin arriving in phases from...
International investor interest in Ghana’s bauxite industry has intensified, with Coal India becoming the latest overseas company to evaluate opportunities in the country as it seeks to diversify beyond coal and secure mineral assets abroad. The Indian state-controlled miner’s interest remains at an early evaluation stage. No specific Ghanaian mine, deposit or company has been identified, and there is no indication that formal negotiations with the Ghanaian authorities have begun. Coal India’s Ghana interest forms part of a broader international expansion strategy focused on minerals including bauxite, lithium, iron ore, rare earths and other critical minerals. The company is also working towards establishing its first overseas trading office in Singapore, which could serve as a base for...
Alcoa has moved its proposed acquisition of South32's bauxite, alumina and aluminium interests forward with a US SEC filing, with the transaction carrying an implied enterprise value of up to USD 5.6 billion. Alcoa Corporation has filed a Form S-4 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with its proposed acquisition of South32 Limited's interests across the bauxite, alumina and aluminium value chain. Under the transaction agreed on June 30, 2026, Alcoa will pay South32 USD 3.1 billion in upfront cash and about USD 1.0 billion in Alcoa shares, while also assuming around USD 750 million in net debt and lease liabilities. A further USD 750 million in contingent cash consideration could become payable depending on alumina and aluminium prices...
DCM Shriram Limited has commissioned its Main Aluminium Extrusion Plant at its Kota Unit on September 1, 2026, marking a key step in the company's expansion into aluminium extrusion and surface finishing. The company said the extrusion plant became operational at 10:30 AM. following the Board of Directors' earlier approval for the establishment of an Aluminium Extrusion and Surface Finish plant. This marks the completion of Phase 1 of DCM Shriram's building materials expansion strategy. The accompanying surface finish plants remain under installation and are scheduled to be launched in phases. The project involves an investment of INR 1.5 billion (USD 15.7 million) for establishing the plant at DCM Shriram’s Kota Unit. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of...
Construction of the first US aluminium smelter since 1980 at the Tulsa Port of Inola is faced with another test. Four nearby residents have filed a lawsuit, claiming that the US Department of Energy (DOE) was funding the project without undertaking the site-specific environmental review. This adds a fresh layer of scrutiny to the Trump-backed aluminium smelter that was being pushed to boost the domestic aluminium industry. The proposed aluminium facility under the lens , with a 60-40 joint venture of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum , respectively, is being developed by Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, with a projected annual production capacity of more than 750,000 tonnes of aluminium. Join the webinar by Alberto Monje Gama to learn about recycled aluminium, CBAM and trust...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium market recorded higher prices across its cash and futures contracts on September 1 compared with the August 28 session, while opening stocks remained largely stable. The LME aluminium cash bid increased 1.21 per cent from USD 3,221.5 per tonne on August 28 to USD 3,260.5 per tonne on September 1. The cash offer also rose 1.21 per cent, from USD 3,222 per tonne to USD 3,261 per tonne. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The three-month contract also moved higher. Both the bid and offer climbed 0.62 per cent. Bid from USD 3,240 per tonne to USD 3,260 per tonne, and the offer rose from USD 3,241 per tonne to USD 3,261 per...
National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) has reported its highest-ever operational and financial performance for FY2025-26 as the state-run aluminium producer moves ahead with major expansion projects and a broader push into critical minerals and resource security. National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) has delivered its highest-ever operational and financial performance in FY2025-26, with the state-run aluminium producer also preparing to expand production capacity across its alumina, bauxite, aluminium and captive power operations. Addressing NALCO's 45th Annual General Meeting, Chairman-cum-Managing Director Brijendra Pratap Singh said the company achieved record performance across key operational parameters during the year, resulting in its highest-ever revenue from operations, profit...
Canyon Resources' independent board committee says A2MP's AUD 0.05 (USD 0.036) offer materially undervalues the Cameroon-focused bauxite developer as questions also emerge over A2MP's potential ties to another major shareholder. Canyon Resources' independent board committee has recommended that shareholders reject a takeover offer from majority owner A2MP Investments, arguing that the bid materially undervalues the company and its Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon. A2MP, which controls 55.56 per cent of Canyon through associates, launched a conditional cash offer on July 29 to acquire the Canyon shares it does not already own for AUD 0.05 (USD 0.036) per share. The offer values Canyon at approximately AUD 103 million (USD 73.8 million). The independent board committee, including...
Indonesia's Attorney General's Office has seized assets worth IDR 338.36 billion (USD 19.1 million) and named five suspects in an alleged corruption case involving a bauxite mining permit in West Kalimantan. Indonesia's Attorney General's Office (AGO) has seized IDR 338.36 billion (USD 19.1 million) in assets belonging to Sudianto, also known as Aseng, the beneficial owner of PT Quality Success Sejahtera (QSS), as part of an alleged corruption investigation into the company's bauxite mining business permit. The seizure was carried out by investigators from the AGO's Special Crimes division and the Asset Recovery Agency between August 25 and 29 at several locations under the jurisdiction of West Kalimantan. The assets include land, buildings, mining equipment, barges, tugboats and vehicles...
CREA estimates that Chinese investment in Indonesia's aluminium industry currently stands at between USD 5.5 billion and USD 6 billion, and forecasts that figure could rise to USD 30 billion by 2030. China currently produces around 60 per cent of the world's aluminium. Chinese companies began expanding into countries such as Indonesia after Beijing imposed a domestic cap on aluminium production in 2017 as part of efforts to address overcapacity. Putra Adhiguna of Jakarta-based Energy Shift Institute said Indonesia's relatively fewer restrictions have helped attract investment. The expansion also benefits from Indonesia's classification of aluminium and nickel as “transition minerals”, given their use in technologies such as electric vehicles and solar panels. But that classification has...
In the trade of aluminium semi-fabricated products such as sheets, plates, foils, extruded profiles, tubes, and wire, the import volume of the US in the January-March or first quarter of 2026 marks a significant year-on-year rise, driven by strong demand and limited domestic smelting capacity. According to the data recorded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), as of Q1 2026, the volume of US imports of semi-fabricated aluminium products amounted to 423,000 tonnes . This marked a drastic year-on-year surge of 30.56 per cent , as the figures jumped from 324,000 tonnes imported in Q1 2025. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report “The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035” The month-on-month growth chart Comparing...
Kaiser Aluminum shares rose 0.3 per cent in Monday's trading after climbing as much as 4 per cent earlier in the session, following an upgrade from UBS to Buy from Neutral. UBS also raised its price target on the aluminium producer to USD 184 from USD 179. The upgrade came after Kaiser Aluminum's shares had fallen 19 per cent from their August highs, despite what UBS described as a strong second-quarter performance. UBS analyst Alex Stansbury said the decline had created an attractive entry point as the company's earnings power continues to improve. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report " The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035 " Kaiser's second-quarter EBITDA increased 60 per cent year-on-year, rising by USD 41...
South Korea’s Russian aluminium imports reached a record high in 2025, making Russia the country’s largest aluminium supplier for the first time. The sharp increase has strengthened Korea’s dependence on Russian metal even as the US and Europe tighten sanctions against Moscow. The exposure is significant for Korea’s defence industry, where aluminium and its alloys are used in missiles and other weapons systems. Korea imported 483,084 tonnes of aluminium from Russia in 2025, according to Korea Customs Service data, representing a 41 per cent increase year on year. The volume exceeded imports from Australia at 408,657 tonnes and China at 394,837 tonnes. The shift has become increasingly pronounced since 2022. Compared with the 120,629 tonnes imported from Russia in 2021, last year’s volume...
Leading Russian aluminium producer RUSAL is considering mothballing four alumina and bauxite facilities as the company faces combined annual losses of around USD 800 million. The move hints at the growing pressure on the economics of domestic raw-material production. RUSAL is also estimating losses of approximately USD 400 per tonne of aluminium from processing at the affected facilities. Four facilities face an uncertain future The facilities under consideration are the Pikalevo alumina refinery, the North Urals bauxite mine, the Bogoslovsky alumina refinery, and the Uralsky alumina refinery. RUSAL has informed Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin about the possibility of mothballing the four sites. The Pikalevo, Bogoslovsky and Uralsky refineries produced 2.1 million tonnes of alumina in...
