
Aluminum investment has been spreading across the entire value chain, from primary smelting and alumina refining to recycling, rolling, extrusion and battery foil, building more integrated and higher-value supply chains. During the past 5 years, the US and Canada in North America and China in Asia have been grabbing headlines pertaining to the aluminum industry. These updates have involved growth stories or have shed light on volatile market situations. How have these headlines contributed to a greater picture for the benefit of the aluminum industries of the two continents? Between 2021 and 2026, major projects across North America and Asia have targeted new primary capacity, lower-carbon production, recycled aluminum and higher-value downstream products. But the investment pattern is...
Nautor Swan has unveiled new details and official renderings of its 43.5-metre Swan Alloy 44, the Finnish yacht builder’s first aluminium supermaxi, with construction now underway in the Netherlands. The yacht is being built at Gouwerok Shipyard, where hull and deck construction are currently in progress. Once this stage is completed, the vessel will move to Viareggio, Italy, for final outfitting, launch and delivery, which is scheduled for 2028. The project will also become the largest yacht ever built by Gouwerok Shipyard and its first all-aluminium supermaxi. Although construction is taking place outside Finland, Nautor Swan’s team will continue to oversee key aspects of the programme, including its design philosophy, performance studies and supply-chain coordination. The Swan Alloy 44...
Grow with
AL Circle

Chinalco has increased its stake in Aluminum Corporation of China Limited, known as Chalco, after purchasing shares worth CNY 659 million (USD 97.7 million). According to a Hong Kong filing dated August 11, 2026, Chinalco and parties acting in concert acquired 77.4 million Chalco shares, comprising 47.6 million A-shares and 29.8 million H-shares. Following the purchase, Chinalco and its affiliated parties held approximately 5.83 billion shares, representing 34.01 per cent of Chalco’s total issued share capital. This acquisition strengthens Chinalco’s position as the controlling shareholder of Chalco, one of China’s major producers of bauxite, alumina and aluminium. The transaction included shares listed on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. The A-share purchase accounted for...

The European Commission has approved a EUR 84 million Danish state aid scheme to expand clean-tech manufacturing and support the production of new and recovered critical raw materials. The European Union is stepping up efforts to strengthen its domestic clean-tech manufacturing base, with the European Commission approving a EUR 84 million (USD 96.87 million) aid scheme for Denmark. The scheme will provide direct grants to companies investing in additional manufacturing capacity for net-zero technologies and their main components. It will also support investments in the production of new or recovered critical raw materials needed for clean technologies. The funding is approved under the Commission's Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), which was adopted in June 2025....

Packfine (Yantai Zhuyuan Environmental Tech Co., Ltd.)'s aluminium slim cans are aimed at Saudi Arabia's growing demand for innovative beverage packaging, particularly for juice and other non-alcoholic drinks. The company supplies 180ml and 250ml slim cans designed to meet both the design and performance needs of beverage producers in the Middle Eastern market. The packaging format is also being considered as brands look for lighter, more distinctive containers for an increasingly competitive market. Slim cans and beverage presentation The appearance of beverage packaging is an important consideration for brands competing in the premium segment. Slim cans have a different shape from conventional beverage cans and offer more vertical space for branding and product information. Packfine...

The BMW Group and its consortium partners have demonstrated that a larger share of material recovered from end-of-life vehicles could return to new automotive applications, increasing the project’s “Car2Car rate” from 6 per cent to 51 per cent under expanded processing and sorting conditions. The rate, as defined by the project, measures the percentage of material from an end-of-life vehicle that can potentially be recovered at a quality suitable for reuse in new industrial applications. It does not mean that 51 per cent of every scrapped vehicle can currently be recycled into a new car under standard commercial conditions. The results are based on research and demonstration work conducted under optimised processing conditions. They show the potential of improved material separation,...

Manaksia Aluminium Company Limited reported a net profit of INR 28.5 million (USD 299,000) for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 83 per cent from INR 15.6 million (USD 163,000) a year earlier. Revenue from operations rose 3.9 per cent to INR 1.4 billion (USD 14.6 million) from INR 1.34 billion (USD 14 million). Profit before tax increased to INR 39.4 million (USD 413,000) from INR 20.5 million (USD 215,000) in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Cost of materials consumed declined to INR 1 billion (USD 10.5 million) from INR 1.13 billion (USD 12 million). Basic earnings per share increased to INR 0.43 (USd 0.0045) from INR 0.24 (USD 0.0025) a year earlier. To know the production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium casting, explore our report " Global Aluminium...

According to the SMM survey, the operating rate of China's secondary aluminium industry rebounded slightly to 34.6 per cent in Jul 2026, up 1.4 percentage points M-o-M from June, while it fell 7.0 percentage points Y-o-Y. Operating rates among secondary aluminium alloy enterprises showed mixed performance, with the overall industry recovering modestly from a low base. Raw material side, the shortage of compliant aluminium scrap and invoices remained the core factors constraining production. Many enterprises faced invoice and material shortages due to tight domestic tax-included scrap supply or price inversion of imported aluminium scrap, controlling output through production cuts, phased shutdowns, or reductions in low-processing-fee orders. Although some regional policies showed marginal...

Jaya Hind Industries Pvt. Ltd. (JHI), a fully vertically integrated company and a leading global supplier of precision aluminium die-cast components, today announced a phased investment of INR 600 crore over the next two years to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities and capacity across High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) and Gravity Die Casting (GDC). Further to the announcement of INR 200 crore towards the Chennai facility expansion, Jaya Hind Industries has decided to undertake an additional investment of INR 400 crore, taking the total planned investment to INR 600 crore. The additional investment will be deployed in a phased manner over two years from FY2026–27 to FY2027–28 across its key manufacturing locations, including Akurdi & Urse in Pune, and Chennai. The expansion includes...

Emirates Global Aluminium reported resilient financial performance for the first half of 2026 despite logistical and geopolitical disruptions arising from the regional conflict in the Gulf since March. EGA delivered Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of AED 4,506 million (USD 1,227 million), up 11 per cent from AED 4,065 million (USD 1,107 million) in H1 2025. The increase was driven by higher realised aluminium prices, stronger regional premiums, lower alumina prices and disciplined cost management. Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 33 per cent in H1 2026 from 27 per cent in H1 2025, an increase of 6 percentage points. After recognising an AED 84 million (USD 23 million) impact related to an Iranian attack on KEZAD that led to an emergency...

Australia’s largest aluminium smelter, Rio Tinto-controlled Tomago Aluminium, appears set for a major government-backed lifeline, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns expected to announce a support package worth up to AUD 2.5 billion over 10 years on Thursday. The proposed deal comes as Tomago’s future beyond 2028 remains tied to its ability to secure reliable and competitively priced electricity. Its existing power supply agreement with AGL expires in December 2028, and the smelter has warned that significantly higher power costs could make continued operations economically unviable. A AUD 2.5 billion package to keep Tomago running According to reports, Albanese and Minns are expected to visit Tomago near Newcastle on Thursday to announce a joint...

US imports of bauxite declined to 644,000 tonnes in Q1 2026, down 15.8 per cent from 765,000 tonnes in Q3 2024. The decline reflects longer-term pressure on the US primary aluminium and alumina industries, including reduced refining capacity and weaker demand for imported raw materials. Trade uncertainty and the increasing use of recycled aluminium have added to the changes reshaping the country’s bauxite supply chain. Despite remaining below the level recorded in Q3 2024, Q1 2026 imports increased 7.9 per cent from 597,000 tonnes in Q4 2025. On a year-on-year basis, however, imports were down 17.9 per cent from 784,000 tonnes in Q1 2025. The value of US bauxite imports stood at USD 38 million in Q1 2026, compared with USD 50 million in Q3 2024 and USD 46 million in Q1 2025. This...

HOMEFOIL, the kitchen essentials brand from LSKB Aluminium Foils Pvt. Ltd., has launched its latest campaign featuring brand ambassador Kareena Kapoor Khan. Produced by Dharma 2.0 and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Punit Malhotra, the campaign comprises two television commercials that reimagine everyday food wrapping through premium, food-safe and innovative packaging solutions. The campaign comprises a series of two TVCs and aims to transform the way India perceives food wrapping. It is more than just a product campaign and is an effort to elevate an everyday commodity into a premium, trusted and food-safe category. Through relatable, humour-led storytelling, the campaign showcases HOMEFOIL's Golden Embossed Aluminium Foil and Golden 2-in-1 Paper & Aluminium Foil, highlighting features...

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that Amcor Flexibles Italia S.r.l., Lugo di Vicenza has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3.1 (2023). The facility produces aluminium, plastic film and paper-based flexible packaging for the pet food, healthcare and beverage sectors, using covering, printing, laminating, slitting, sealing, barrier coating and labelling processes. The plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 315 million m2 of flexible packaging. The ASI Certification programme 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...

The solar industry has moved from a niche technology to one of the world’s fastest-growing sources of renewable power. But as installations surge, another question is becoming harder to ignore: what happens to all those panels when they break, lose efficiency or are replaced by newer technology? There were 2.4 terawatts of solar PV capacity generating electricity worldwide at the end of 2025, enough to power more than one billion homes. It took almost 70 years to reach the first terawatt, but just two more years to reach the second. The International Energy Agency expects solar PV to account for 80 per cent of the 4,600 gigawatts of renewable energy deployed between 2025 and 2030. This rapid growth also means more panels will eventually need to be repaired, reused or recycled. Solar...

The UK will struggle to build a resilient circular aluminium economy if protectionist trade measures restrict access to recycled metal markets and overseas processing capacity, according to Tom Bird, executive chairman at Enicor. Bird argues that free and fair trade in recycled aluminium is essential at a time when demand is rising, energy prices are increasing and geopolitical tensions are disrupting global supply chains. Although more countries are seeking to retain recycled metal within their domestic markets, he says restricting cross-border flows could undermine the investment needed to expand recycling capacity. Demand is set to rise sharply The UK’s aluminium demand is projected to increase from approximately 1.8 million tonnes currently to around 8 million tonnes annually by 2035....

Shares of aluminium companies NALCO, Hindalco Industries and Vedanta Aluminium Metal surged on Wednesday, August 12, after Norsk Hydro ASA reported that its Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil had reduced production to 50 per cent of capacity due to a shortage of natural gas. The production cut has pushed aluminium prices to a seven-week high. On the London Metal Exchange (LME), spot aluminium prices are currently around USD 3,373 per tonne, compared with an average of USD 3,565 a tonne in Q1 FY27. NALCO shares surged around 8.8 per cent to INR 422.20 apiece in early trade, while Hindalco jumped around 3.7 per cent to INR 1,087.95 on the NSE. Vedanta Aluminium Metal shares were also trading higher, with the stock advancing 2.9 per cent to INR 476.95 on the NSE. Alunorte cuts output as gas...

Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) handled a record 71 bauxite rakes in July 2026, surpassing its previous monthly benchmark of 69 rakes recorded in March, in another sign of strengthening bulk cargo and rail-handling operations at the eastern Indian port. The July performance marks a new high for bauxite rake handling at Visakhapatnam Port, with the latest benchmark coming only four months after the previous record. According to the information provided by VPA, the achievement emulates the port's focus on operational efficiency, cargo evacuation and rail connectivity. The handling of 71 rakes in a single month is significant because bauxite movement through a port involves multiple interconnected stages, including vessel operations, cargo handling, yard management, rail placement and...

LME aluminium prices advanced on August 11, with cash and three-month contracts rising by more than 1 per cent as LME stocks continued to edge lower. The LME aluminium cash bid price increased to USD 3,372 per tonne on August 11 from USD 3,327 per tonne on August 10, marking a rise of 1.35 per cent. The cash offer price also climbed to USD 3,373 per tonne from USD 3,327.5 per tonne, up 1.37 per cent. The three-month bid price stood at USD 3,373 per tonne, compared with USD 3,320 per tonne a day earlier, representing an increase of 1.60 per cent. The three-month offer price rose to USD 3,374 per tonne from USD 3,320.5 per tonne, up 1.61 per cent. The December 27 bid price rose to USD 3,260 per tonne from USD 3,227 per tonne on August 10, an increase of 1.02 per cent. The December 27 offer...

Futures: SHFE aluminium closed at RMB 24,320 per tonne, up 0.58 per cent, with the price well above all key moving averages (MA5=24,117, MA10=23,907.5, MA30=23,377.83, MA60=23,716.17). Moving averages were in a bullish alignment and accelerating divergence, signalling a strong mid-term uptrend. The MACD indicator’s DIF stood at 216.999 and DEA at 104.835, maintaining a golden cross above the zero line. The histogram expanded to 224.329 (from 216.589 the previous day), with bullish momentum continuing to strengthen. Trading volume slightly expanded to 57,400 lots but remained at a low level. The suggested core trading range for SHFE aluminium is 23,900-24,500. LME aluminium closed at USD 3,364.5 per tonne, edging up 0.06 per cent, with the price well above all key moving averages...