Novelis is cutting roughly one-third of its workforce at its Kingston, Ontario, aluminium facility, with the company citing the impact of US tariffs on aluminium imported from Canada. The company is reducing its salaried workforce by 10 employees and temporarily laying off approximately 70 hourly workers, according to a statement issued by Novelis on Friday, September 18. The cuts affect roughly one-third of the facility's workforce. “These are difficult decisions that affect our colleagues and their families, and we are supporting those impacted through this transition,” Novelis said. Novelis pointed to the Section 232 duties imposed by the US on aluminium imported from Canada as the reason behind the workforce reduction. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of...
Saudi Arabia’s aluminium consumption could climb to as much as 1.8 million tonnes a year by 2030, as the Kingdom ramps up infrastructure and industrial development ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Ahmad Al-Alshaikh, executive vice president of Maaden’s Aluminum Business Unit, said demand is expected to reach at least 1.6 million tonnes annually by 2030, up from around 1 million tonnes currently. Consumption could potentially double over the next five to seven years, he said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference in Budapest, Al-Alshaikh said construction of 15 new stadiums for the football tournament is helping to support aluminium demand, Reuters reported. Major exhibitions and preparations for the World Cup are also expected to contribute to...
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In a bold move that merges high design with eco-conscious innovation, Ideal Standard has launched Alu+, a cutting-edge shower system crafted from 84 per cent recycled aluminium. Captured in a stunning video by Dezeen, this latest offering is a testament to how sustainability and luxury can effortlessly coexist. Crafted to reduce environmental impact without compromising performance, Alu+ features advanced water-saving technology that limits flow to just eight litres per minute for the hand spray and 12 litres for the overhead faucet. The system is entirely free from chrome, lead, and nickel materials often used in traditional fittings but flagged for their potential risks to water quality. Every plastic component is crafted from water-compliant polymers, while the packaging is recyclable...
Alfiniti, Inc., a leader in aluminium manufacturing, has expanded its production capabilities to support the fabrication of aluminium corona rings. These capabilities enable Alfiniti to produce components to customer specifications, utilising advanced techniques in bending, flattening, punching, sandblasting, and welding of aluminium tubes and flat bars. Key Facts: Expanded capabilities: Alfiniti can now fabricate aluminium corona rings in-house using bending, flattening, punching, sandblasting, and welding of tube and flat bar. Customer focus: All rings are produced in customer-supplied designs, with options for custom geometries, surface treatments, and sizes. “Our focus is on meeting our customers’ unique design needs,” said Steve James, Managing Director of Alfiniti. “By enhancing our...
In a blow to Australia’s aggressive multinational tax crackdown, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has abandoned its six-year-long legal fight with Alcoa over alleged transfer pricing abuses, marking a rare high-stakes defeat for Canberra in its broader battle against US corporate giants. With Alcoa now set to receive USD 107 million in tax refunds, the decision has reverberated through both the aluminium sector and the global tax justice landscape. Image for representational purposes only But beneath the surface of a billion-dollar ruling lies a deeper narrative, one that cuts across resource nationalism, transfer pricing frameworks, and a geopolitical tug-of-war over who gets to tax global profits in the age of cross-border supply chains. The dispute and what was at stake At the...
UP Fintech Holding Ltd., better known as Tiger Brokers, has roared into 2025 with a results sheet that not only redefines its growth narrative but signals a paradigm shift in how next-generation fintech platforms are competing for global capital and investor mindshare. For a company that began its journey as a cross-border brokerage, Tiger has now emerged as a full-stack wealth-tech player, integrating AI, crypto, derivatives, IPO syndication, and portfolio management into one sprawling global investment ecosystem. Image is for representational purposes only Revenue hits historic high For Q1 2025, Tiger clocked USD 122.6 million in total revenue, marking a staggering 55.3 per cent year-over-year (Y-o-Y) growth. More impressively, its non-GAAP net income hit USD36 million, up 145 per cent...
Environment over everything. Apple has made a secure transition from the use of two generations of premium titanium to aluminium for the production of its latest iPhone 17 Pro Max. Both the performance and the environmental implications are intensive, representing a strategic masterstroke reshaping the next-generation smartphone manufacturing process. Image source: zeera wireless Owing to Apple's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, the transition to aluminium from titanium will have a more positive environmental impact than marginal performance. As per the report by materials science data, by incorporating aluminium, the company has reduced their carbon footprint by 67 per cent if compared with production using titanium. Irrespective of titanium providing a 6:1...
South Australia’s Nepenthe Wines is raising the bar on sustainable packaging with a smart, simple innovation featuring a fully recyclable tearaway cap across all its still wines. As a certified B Corp and proud member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, Nepenthe knows that small changes can drive big impact. The new cap design lets consumers easily separate aluminium from glass, boosting recycling rates and keeping valuable materials out of landfills. Following three months of rigorous testing to ensure product quality and storage standards, Nepenthe Wines has now introduced fully removable aluminium tearaway capsules across all its still wines. The change, timed to coincide with World Environment Day on 5 June 2025, marks a permanent shift in the winery’s packaging approach. “With...
Amid growing concerns over its reliance on imported bauxite, China is quietly adjusting its industrial strategy. Several major aluminium producers are now turning to IB2, a French technology co-developed by entrepreneur Romain Girbal and chemist Yves Occello, to tap into the country’s vast but underused domestic bauxite reserves. Image Source: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/romaingirbal/) The shift follows Beijing’s March release of its 2025-2027 roadmap for critical raw materials. One of its stated goals is to reduce reliance on imports, which currently account for more than 60 per cent of China’s bauxite supply, while significantly increasing the use of local ore. Recent permit cancellations in Guinea, China’s top supplier, have only heightened the urgency of this reorientation....
Primary Aluminium Imports: According to data from the General Administration of Customs, domestic primary aluminium imports in April 2025 reached approximately 250,500 tonnes, up 12.8 per cent M-o-M and 14.6 per cent Y-o-Y. From January to April, cumulative primary aluminium imports totaled about 634,300 tonnes, down 11.2 per cent Y-o-Y. Primary Aluminium Exports: Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that domestic primary aluminium exports in April 2025 were approximately 13,700 tonnes, up 54.6 per cent M-o-M and 643.0 per cent YoY. From January to April, cumulative primary aluminium exports totaled about 34,500 tonnes, up approximately 139.6 per cent Y-o-Y. Net Primary Aluminium Imports: In April 2025, domestic net primary aluminium imports were 236,800 tonnes, up 11.1...
Futures Market: Overnight, the most-traded alumina 2509 futures contract opened at RMB 2,952 per tonne, with a high of RMB 2,986 per tonne, a low of RMB 2,941 per tonne, and closed at RMB 2,954 per tonne, down RMB 10 per tonne or 0.34 per cent, with an open interest of 353,000 lots. Ore: As of May 29, the SMM Import Bauxite Index was reported at USD 74.11 per tonne, up USD 0.23 per tonne from the previous trading day. The SMM Guinea Bauxite CIF average price was reported at USD 74 per tonne, unchanged from the previous trading day. The SMM Australia Low-Temperature Bauxite CIF average price was reported at USD 70 per tonne, unchanged from the previous trading day. The SMM Australia High-Temperature Bauxite CIF average price was reported at USD 65 per tonne, unchanged from the previous...
For the second consecutive quarter, the premium offered by Japan’s primary aluminium buyers has further depleted, said two sources directly involved in quarterly pricing talks. Mirroring a similar20 per cent decline as seen in the previous quarter, the proposed premium for Q3 2025 has reached USD 145 per tonne versus USD 182 per tonne. This continued downturn marks not only the second straight quarterly decline within the year but also the second such drop in the past five years. After a strong start to the year, when the premium surged to USD 228 per tonne for the March quarter, representing a 30 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase, Japan’s aluminium premium has steadily weakened with each subsequent quarter. When compared to the Q1 2025 premium, Japan’s outbound trade premium for Q3...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced an expansion of its partnership with Hyundai Mobis, the global automotive parts manufacturer, to increase the supply of CelestiAL solar aluminium. This enhanced agreement builds on their existing relationship, which began in 2015. Under the updated terms, the annual supply of CelestiAL to Hyundai Mobis will grow from 8,000 tonnes this year to as much as 15,000 tonnes by 2026. Looking ahead, EGA and Hyundai Mobis plan to explore a long-term supply arrangement beyond 2026, focusing on value-added products such as billets, primary foundry alloys, and recycled aluminium. The two companies will also collaborate on developing innovative, exclusive alloys tailored for advanced automotive applications. Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer...
On Tuesday, May 27th, Dong-A Otsuka (CEO Park Chul-ho) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Novelis Korea, the world's leading aluminium rolling and recycling company. The partnership aims to promote resource recycling and sustainability for THE Masinda, Dong-A Otsuka's canned drinking water product, in alignment with its role as an official sponsor of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. As part of the agreement, Dong-A Otsuka will add QR codes to the packaging of THE Masinda products. These cans are made from aluminium sheets with a high recycled content, produced at Novelis' Yeongju facility. Recycling aluminium saves up to 95 per cent of the energy and greenhouse gas emissions compared to primary production from bauxite. These QR...
On May 29, 2025, the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) announced its collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to facilitate a smooth and efficient transition of the industry to a circular economy. With this collaboration, both firms shall focus on improving the aluminium beverage can collection systems and validating closed-loop recycling. Collaboration focus The collaboration between the two firms has been done by constituting two major initiatives, which are WBCSD's Critical Materials Collective and IAI's Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA). IAI and WBCSD will design aluminium products which would be easy to recycle as well as prevent downcycling and attain good quality recycled aluminium covering the entire value chain. The...
Yet another dramatic twist has unfolded in the US tariff corridor! Within just 24 hours, the same US Federal Court delivered two starkly opposite rulings. In one moment, the court struck down Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, deeming them unjustified and labelling them as mere safeguard measures not rooted in genuine national security concerns. The other moment, it repealed the verdict, effectively reinstating the tariffs. After even commenting that the tariffs “exceed any authority granted to the president”, this unprecedented move by the US Federal Court arrives as a big surprise for the entire global trade communities. What exactly did the court say? The US Court of International Trade delivered the judgement this week that Donald Trump wrongly used the presidential authority under the...
Aluminium prices slipped by 0.48 per cent, settling at ₹236.45 (USD 2.85), as seasonal domestic weakness and ongoing global trade uncertainties continued to dampen market sentiment. Despite the bearish trend, downside pressure is limited with a rise in alumina prices, driven by supply constraints and refinery maintenance in key Chinese regions, such as Shanxi and Guizhou. Image source: istockphoto Environmental restrictions and limited bauxite supply have tightened the alumina spot market, driving up production costs. According to the WBMS, global primary aluminium output in March reached 6.1609 million tonnes, with consumption at 5.8836 million tonnes, resulting in a monthly surplus of 277,300 tonnes. Continuing the oversupply trend, the global aluminium market recorded a Q1 2025 surplus...
Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in the bauxite, alumina, and aluminium industry, has announced a major update on its ongoing proposal to expand mining operations (Huntly mine) near the Serpentine Dam, a key source of drinking water for Perth. Aimed at supplying the Pinjarra alumina refinery until 2045, the proposal to expand mining operations near the Serpentine Dam has been opened for public comment by Western Australia's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). With this expansion, Alcoa plans to increase production at its refinery in Pinjarra over the next 20 years. Alcoa has put forward plans to expand mining in three regions, namely Myara North, Holyoake, and O'Neil, and to increase alumina production at its Pinjarra refinery through to 2045. In addition, the...
India and the United Kingdom have recently concluded negotiations on a long-anticipated Free Trade Agreement (FTA) aimed at unlocking bilateral trade potential and reducing tariff barriers. The deal is expected to usher in smoother market access for Indian goods, from textiles and engineering products to aluminium and steel. But even before implementation begins, an invisible tariff threatens to erode these gains: the United Kingdom’s upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Image for representational purposes only (Source: https://x.com/narendramodi/) Set to take effect from January 1, 2027, the UK CBAM is designed to level the playing field between domestic and imported goods by placing a carbon cost on high-emission imports. In doing so, it mirrors the European Union’s CBAM,...
On May 30, 2025, customs data showed that China's aluminium wire and cable exports reached 21,300 tonnes in April 2025, down 5.3 per cent MoM and up 8.43 per cent YoY. From January to April, cumulative exports totalled 82,800 tonnes, a 16.08 per cent increase from 71,400 tonnes in the same period of 2024 (HS codes: 76141000, 76149000). Image for representational purposes only In terms of product structure, exports of steel-core aluminium stranded wire reached 15,500 tonnes, accounting for 72.7 per cent, with exports maintaining an upward trend, reflecting the continued resilience of overseas power grid renovation demand. In contrast, exports of aluminium stranded wire were 5,800 tonnes, accounting for only 27.3 per cent, indicating slightly weaker performance in export orders related to...
