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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Tirupati Graphite, a UK-based, fully integrated specialist in graphite and graphene production, has developed a revolutionary development that could serve as a greater alternative to copper and profoundly impact the global industries. The company is pushing boundaries with its Graphene-infused aluminium composites (Al-Gr), the new kind of material that can be called a lightweight, cost-efficient alternative to copper in vital applications. Copper, the current king for electrical use, is highly expensive, heavy and in demand. This discovery of Graphene-infused aluminium composites forms a next-generation composite that significantly enhances aluminium’s inherent properties. A quiet revolution is underway in materials science, with far-reaching implications for global industries. This...
On May 8, 2025, Bosnia's FEAL Group inaugurated a EUR 32 million aluminium processing plant in Croatia. Located in Karlovac, this facility is FEAL's first manufacturing site outside Bosnia and Herzegovina. The investment aims to enhance the company's regional presence and production capabilities. Image source: feal.ba The new plant specialises in advanced pressing, plasticising and mechanical processing of aluminium profiles. This expansion will boost FEAL's production capacity and meet growing market demands. FEAL's decision to invest in Croatia aligns with its strategy to strengthen its position in the aluminium industry. The Group expects to produce around 6,600 tonnes of aluminium profiles in the plant’s first full production year, said marketing head Vjekoslav Boskovic. The plant is...
Plenty has been ensuing between China and the US since February, as the US President imposed tariffs on China phase by phase. Starting with a 10 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium, the US tariffs for importing goods from China eventually range between 145 per cent and 245 per cent, leading to an unavoidable trade war impacting the entire global economy. Sensing the heat on both sides of the table, the nations have finally decided to talk it out! Image for representational purposes only In what could be a pivotal ice-breaker moment, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and top trade envoy Jamieson Greer are set to meet China’s economic czar, He Lifeng, in Switzerland this weekend. The high-stakes talks come as tensions between the world’s two largest economies spiral into what Bessent...
On May 8, 2025, Hydro, a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, announced the closure of two of its extrusion sites in the United Kingdom (UK) and France. Decreased demand and subdued recycling margins in the downstream aluminium market are the major causes behind the site closures. Image source: Wikipedia.com The two facilities that Hydro is planning to close include an anodising facility in Luce, France and an extrusion site in Birtley, UK. Apart from this, the firm is also planning to cut down nearly 30,000 tonnes of its recycling capabilities in Puget, France. The relevant people have informed that the closure at the Birtley site will be completed by the end of June, and the Luce site will be down by the end of September. The Luce facility manufactures around 62,000 tonnes...
The Indian government has unveiled a national portal for recycling non-ferrous metals, including aluminium, copper, lead, and zinc. The launch, held in New Delhi, was officiated by Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy. This initiative aims to enhance sustainability and reduce reliance on imported raw materials. Image source: coal.gov.in Aluminium recycling is pivotal due to its energy efficiency and environmental benefits. Recycling aluminium consumes up to 95 per cent less energy than producing primary aluminium, significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, India's aluminium recycling rate stands at 30-35 per cent, lagging behind the global average of 65-75 per cent. Historically, India has maintained low import duties on aluminium scrap, currently at 2.5 per cent,...
Home is where life unfolds—and it all begins at the front door. More than just an entryway, it's a gateway to the moments that matter. And this is what Larson Manufacturing, the US-headquartered company, has been delivering for 70 years. Carrying on its legacy, the company has recently unveiled its latest innovation – the 60 MT Maximum View storm door. Merging minimalist style with exceptional strength, the brand new launch features a heavy-duty aluminium frame. It delivers 5 per cent more glass area than comparable models, inviting more natural light and offering panoramic views. The aluminium door and window market is largely propelled by rising consumer demand for energy-efficient and sustainable building materials. Additionally, government policies encouraging green construction and...
India's secondary aluminium market saw an increase in prices in April 2025, driven by rising demand and persistent shortage in raw material availability. This supply-demand imbalance pushed alloyed ingot prices higher, particularly in the northern and southern parts of the country. Meanwhile, despite the shortage in scrap availability, aluminium scrap prices saw a minor correction aligning with LME aluminium prices. However, the prices were still on the higher side amid supply concerns and had not corrected as much as buyers expected. BigMint's last assessment for April for OEM-approved ADC12 in Delhi was at INR 226,000 per tonne and in Chennai at INR 228,000 per tonne, an increase of up to INR 12,000 per tonne m-o-m from March settlement levels. India's largest automaker announced in May...
Futures : Yesterday, the most-traded SHFE aluminium 2506 contract opened at RMB 19,560 per tonne, with a high of RMB 19,615 per tonne, a low of RMB 19,530 per tonne, and closed at RMB 19,570 per tonne, up 0.46 per cent. Trading volume was 48,000 lots, and open interest was 191,000 lots. LME aluminium opened at USD 2,408 per tonne yesterday, with a high of USD 2,414 per tonne, a low of USD 2,408 per tonne, and closed at USD 2,410 per tonne, down USD 2 per tonne, or 0.08 per cent. Macro : (1) The UK and the US reached an agreement on the terms of a tariff trade deal, with the UK government agreeing to make concessions on imports of US food and agricultural products in exchange for the US reducing tariffs on UK car exports. The US will lower tariffs on UK-made cars to 10 per cent and reduce...
China has been adorned with the title of ‘undisputed heavyweight’ in aluminium production for the past few years. It churns out over 50 per cent of the world’s aluminium and more than half of its alumina. But its towering lead rests on a weak foundation, i.e. imported bauxite. Despite sitting on a billion tonnes of the red rock, China has never truly cracked how to use it owing to its low grade. But it is time that could be about to change. All thanks to an unlikely saviour, a low-profile French tech firm, IB2, says it can turn China’s low-grade ore into high-value alumina, without the environmental or economic pain. For decades, China’s aluminium industry has thrived by importing better-quality bauxite from overseas. Guinea, Australia, and Indonesia have been the backbone of this...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter on one site, has etched a new precedent in the industry’s history books by achieving a historic milestone of 35 million safe working hours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI) on 08 May 2025, reaffirming its position as safety leader both regionally and globally. Commenting on this new safety benchmark, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Ali Al Baqali, stated: “35 million safe working hours is a groundbreaking achievement in the global aluminium industry. This milestone is a testament to the thousands of moments of mindful action, the collective responsibility embraced wholeheartedly by each and every member of our dedicated workforce and the power of a shared vision for a safer tomorrow.” Alba’s foundational ‘Safety First’...
There was widespread speculation that US aluminium imports might surge ahead of the 25 per cent tariff implementation on March 12, driven by businesses rushing to bring in shipments before the duty took effect. At the same time, concerns mounted over the potential impact of the tariffs on aluminium inflows, particularly from Canada, the United States’ largest supplier, accounting for 57 per cent of its total aluminium imports. Major American producers like Alcoa, which manufactures 70 per cent of its aluminium in Canada, also raised serious alarms about the possible consequences of the policy. Now, with the US import data for January and February 2025 available, it’s time to assess what actually happened. Did aluminium imports spike ahead of the tariff, or did the impending duty already...
US-based Carroll Shelby Engine Company, known for manufacturing specialised high-performance aluminium engines, has recently announced a major upgrade for its 289 V8 crate engine. The engine has been bored and stroked to increase its displacement to 364 cubic inches. As a result, it now produces over 470 bhp on 91-octane pump gas. This engine is a modern, high-performance reproduction of the same engine used in the legendary Shelby Cobra, one of the most iconic sports cars of the 1960s. The upgraded engine is equipped with SCAT H-beam connecting rods, Mahle PowerPak 4032 aluminium pistons, a custom-ground hydraulic roller camshaft, a Quick Fuel Brawler 750 CFM carburettor, a Moroso Performance oil pan, and an MSD ignition system. Most of the engines from the Carroll Shelby Engine Company...
Century Aluminum Company, boasting a potent market capitalisation of USD 1.47 billion, reported its first-quarter 2025 earnings, revealing a substantial miss in earnings per share or EPS (USD 0.29 vs USD 0.44 last year) compared to expectations. The company’s adjusted EPS stood at USD 0.36, falling short of the projected USD 0.61. Revenue surpassed forecasts, coming in at USD 634 million against an anticipated USD 577.2 million, marking a 0.48 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) uptick from USD 630.9 million in Q1 2024. Following the announcement, Century Aluminum’s stock declined 5.18 per cent in after-hours trading, closing at USD 15. With a beta of 2.7, the stock demonstrates higher volatility relative to the broader market. The stock’s movement positions it closer to its 52-week low of USD...
No matter what industry it is, the demand for aluminium is skyrocketing alongside the urge to attain products which are sustainable, recycled and environmentally friendly. Rising demand for aluminium is surging due to the sectoral shift towards reducing GHG emissions. Hence, rapid aluminium usage is done in the renewable energy sector and electric vehicles (EV). For this, China has set their production cap to 45 million tonnes as their initiative to achieve low-carbon production. In 2024, the global low-carbon aluminium production stood at 55.2 million tonnes indicating the rapid shift. Demand from renewable energy sector Key features of aluminium, likely corrosion-resistance, durability and lightweight strength, are contributing towards the global demand for the same in the renewable...
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK in Berlin, Mecklenburger Metallguss GmbH in Waren, and Technische Universität Berlin have published a paper in Additive Manufacturing that examines the processability, microstructure, and mechanical properties of nickel-aluminium-bronze (NAB) grinding chips. Nickel-aluminium bronze (NAB) is a copper-based alloy known for its strength and exceptional corrosion resistance particularly suited for marine environments. Typically, these alloys comprise 9-12 per cent aluminium, up to 5 per cent iron, and 3 per cent nickel. These chips, a by-product of ship propeller production, were tested as feedstock for Directed Energy Deposition (DED) Additive Manufacturing. The study compared the 'chip-powders'...
According to SMM data, China's metallurgical-grade alumina production in April 2025 (30 days) decreased by 6.17 per cent M-o-M but increased by 6.31 per cent Y-o-Y. As of the end of April, China's existing capacity of metallurgical-grade alumina was around 109.22 million tonnes, with the actual operating capacity decreasing by 3.22 per cent M-o-M and the operating rate at 78.76 per cent. The operating capacity of domestic alumina plants varied in April. On one hand, the commissioning and ramp-up of some new capacities led to an increase in operating capacity; on the other hand, under the pressure of losses, maintenance and production cuts at alumina enterprises occurred in a concentrated manner, causing a decline in operating capacity. Overall, the national operating capacity of...
Cloud Beauty Innovation Hub will unveil its latest sustainable packaging solutions at LUXEPACK New York 2025, which will take place on 7-8 May at the Javits Centre. The company aims to showcase eco-conscious designs for the beauty and personal care industry. Image source: parispackagingweek A key highlight is their all-aluminium cosmetic and accessories packaging line. Crafted entirely from 100% recyclable aluminium, it offers a minimalist aesthetic. This design aligns with circular economy principles, ensuring durability and sophistication. Another innovation is 'Sludge', a material composed of over 70 per cent pre-consumer recycled reservoir mud from Taiwan. With a metallic-like texture and stone-like appearance, it's suitable for luxury applications like perfume caps. Sludge has been...
AL Circle presents an online course, " Aluminium and Other Base Metals: Understanding Risk Management and Hedging " . This exclusive course will be led by one of the world's leading risk management consultants for base metals, Jorge Eduardo Dyszel. Designed for beginners, the course offers in-depth insights into effective trading strategies and hedging techniques for the base metals market. So if you are aspiring to be a trader and learn from the best, it’s the right start for you. What's the webinar about? This is a month-long beginner-level course which has been exclusively designed by Jorge Eduardo Dyszel, known for his years of experience as a risk management consultant for base metals. The webinar will address the unique dynamics of the London Metal Exchange (LME) as well as the...
