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
Mysteel's price assessment showed that China's aluminium prices demonstrated a clear recovery trend entering July 2026. On one hand, the previous oversold conditions provided technical momentum for a rebound; on the other, fundamentals offered robust support. During the price correction phase, the destocking of aluminium ingots accelerated markedly, as downstream enterprises actively replenished inventories at lower levels. This concentrated release of demand effectively neutralised downward price pressures, jointly driving the stabilisation and rebound of aluminium prices throughout July. On the supply side, Mysteel's full-sample survey of Chinese primary aluminium producers indicates that China's primary aluminium production in July 2026 came in at 3,878,700 tonnes, representing a...
Oceania produced 8.194 million tonnes of alumina in H1 2026, down 3.23 per cent from 8.467 million tonnes in H1 2025. The region’s average daily production also declined to 45.27 thousand tonnes, from 46.78 thousand tonnes a year earlier, a decrease of 3.23 per cent. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, production declined from 4.142 million tonnes in Q1 2026 to 4.052 million tonnes in Q2, a decrease of 90,000 tonnes, or 2.17 per cent. The daily average fell from 46 to 44.5 thousand tonnes, down 3.26 per cent. Compared with Q1 2025, production in Q1 2026 was 4.142 million tonnes, down 170,000 tonnes, or 3.94 per cent, from 4.312 million tonnes. The daily average also fell from 47.9 to 46 thousand tonnes, a decline of 3.97 per cent. In Q2, production stood at 4.052 million tonnes, compared with...
US steel and aluminium imports fell 8.5 per cent from August 2025 to May 2026, as Chinese imports dropped sharply while Thailand and other Asian suppliers gained ground. US imports of steel and aluminium declined 8.5 per cent between August 2025 and May 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data from the German Economic Institute (IW). China saw one of the sharpest declines, with imports falling 34 per cent, equivalent to roughly USD 7.9 billion. Germany also recorded a 10.5 per cent decline, or nearly USD 1.2 billion. The shift comes as exporters face different tariff burdens in the US. China faced an effective tariff of 48 per cent, compared with 21 per cent for Germany, making Chinese metal significantly more expensive to bring into the US market. To know the...
Aluminium prices have climbed to their highest level since June as stalled US-Iran talks over the Strait of Hormuz raise fresh concerns about supply, while global inventories remain near their lowest level in decades. Aluminium is climbing again, and this time the market's attention is firmly back on the Strait of Hormuz. The latest rise comes as negotiations between the US and Iran over reopening the key shipping route appear to have stalled, raising concerns that disruptions to aluminium supplies from the Middle East could last longer than previously expected. LME aluminium futures rose 1 per cent on Monday, August 10, reaching their highest level since June 23. The metal was trading at around USD 3,337 per tonne on Tuesday, August 11, up 0.6 per cent at 13:15 Shanghai time. The move...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) is assessing how its energy strategy could evolve through 2050 as energy markets, fuel dynamics and decarbonisation requirements continue to change. A new strategic study by the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) examines the pathways available to the aluminium producer, focusing on the balance between costs, emissions and energy security. Titled “Alba’s Energy Transition and Decarbonisation Pathways,” the study provides an integrated framework for Alba’s long-term energy transformation. It assesses the implications of evolving energy sources, contractual structures, and emerging technologies for operational costs, carbon footprint, and energy security amid shifting global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets and...
Press Metal Aluminium Holdings is still benefiting from a tight aluminium market in 2026, but cooling prices and a potential supply surplus in 2027 are making the outlook more balanced. The aluminium rally that helped lift expectations for Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd is beginning to lose some of its momentum. Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) remains positive about the company's underlying fundamentals but believes much of Press Metal's benefit from elevated aluminium prices has already been reflected in the market. With aluminium prices now easing and the market potentially moving into surplus next year, the risk-reward picture is becoming less one-sided. HLIB has therefore retained its 'Hold' rating on Press Metal while lowering its target price to MYR 8.34 from MYR 8.77....
Alunorte has temporarily cut alumina production to 50 per cent after disruptions in natural gas availability affected operations at the refinery. Natural gas supply constraints have prompted Alunorte to introduce contingency measures at its alumina refinery, as the company works to manage the impact of reduced gas availability on operations. Following a notification from its gas supplier, Alunorte introduced a series of contingency measures aimed at limiting the impact on production. These include purchasing gas from the spot market, seeking direct access to the Barcarena LNG receiving and regasification terminal, and adjusting alumina output in line with the available gas supply, as communicated by CELBA. The refinery plans to gradually restore production to full capacity once natural...
Jamalco has switched on a new power turbine at its Jamaican alumina refinery, allowing the plant to generate all its electricity independently of the national grid and potentially cut production costs by around USD 28 million a year. Jamalco has taken a major step towards reducing the cost of producing alumina after bringing a new power-generation turbine online at its refinery in Clarendon, Jamaica. The turbine, known as TG4, allows the refinery to generate all of its own electricity, reducing its reliance on purchases from Jamaica's national grid. Century Aluminum, which owns a 55 per cent stake in the Jamalco joint venture, expects the change to deliver savings of around USD 20 per tonne of alumina. With Jamalco capable of producing around 1.4 million tonnes of alumina a year, that...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that Shyam Sel & Power Limited has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3.1 (2023). The facility manufactures bare aluminium foil in a range of grades, sizes and thicknesses, including ultra-gauge foil, using rewinding, rolling, slitting, annealing and packing processes. The plant has an annual production of approximately 21,600 tonnes of saleable products. The ASI Certification program 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 following a multi-year revision process. The ASI Performance Standard V3...
Aluminium was Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Maaden)'s best-performing business in Q2 2026, with revenue rising 49 per cent to USD 1.01 billion and EBITDA more than doubling to USD 411 million. This helped push the company’s total quarterly revenue up 16 per cent to USD 2.9 billion. For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Maaden posted EBITDA of USD 1 billion, up 3 per cent from a year earlier, while net profit attributable to shareholders increased to USD 600 million. The aluminium business delivered its best quarterly financial performance since operations began, recording an EBITDA margin of 41 per cent. Average realised aluminium prices increased 51 per cent year-on-year to USD 3,915 per tonne, supported by strong regional premiums. Aluminium production, however, eased slightly to 242,000...
China accounted for nearly half of the world’s aluminium dross generation, underlining the scale of its primary aluminium production, secondary aluminium recycling and downstream processing industries. In 2025, the country generated approximately 2.75 million tonnes of aluminium dross, representing 47 per cent of the global total of 5.86 million tonnes Aluminium dross is an inevitable by-product of aluminium melting, smelting, alloying, casting and recycling. When molten aluminium comes into contact with atmospheric oxygen, a surface layer forms. This layer contains aluminium oxides, entrapped metallic aluminium, nitrides, carbides, chlorides, fluorides and other impurities and is commonly known as aluminium dross. The quantity and composition of dross can vary depending on the furnace...
The overseas primary aluminium spot market remained subdued this week. Although limited restocking briefly improved trading activity in South Korea at the beginning of the week, the recovery was not sustained, and transactions weakened again from midweek. Elsewhere in Asia, the traditional downstream off-season continued to restrict purchasing activity. Thailand recorded few inquiries and particularly weak trading, while Japan’s spot MJP moved lower as sellers faced increasing difficulty securing transactions. In the United States, the Midwest DDP premium showed little change from the previous week. Review of spot premiums by region According to SMM data, overseas primary aluminium spot premiums remained under pressure this week as weak seasonal consumption continued to limit downstream...
MCX aluminium prices are entering the second half of August with supply-side risks once again becoming a key market driver. ICICI Direct expects the August aluminium futures contract to find support near INR 344 per kg and move towards INR 356 per kg. Aluminium has been through a sharp correction-and-recovery cycle in 2026. After touching around INR 393 per kg (USD 4.12 per kg) on MCX in early June, prices fell towards INR 330 (USD 3.46) per kg before recovering. MCX aluminium finds support as global supply remains vulnerable Global primary aluminium production reached 5.98 million tonnes in June 2026, according to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), with China accounting for an estimated 3.712 million tonnes. China therefore remained by far the world's largest source of primary...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has submitted its Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) for FY2025-26 to the stock exchanges. The document forms part of the company's Annual Report for the financial year. The filing was made in accordance with the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. TÜV SÜD South Asia Pvt. Ltd. independently verified NALCO's sustainability disclosures. This was carried out between June 30 and July 20, 2026. To know the production, demand and consumption forecasts on bauxite and alumina, explore the report " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook " Based on the assessment and evidence collected, TÜV SÜD concluded a reasonable level of assurance on the...
Futures: SHFE aluminium closed at RMB 24,190 per tonne, up 0.64 per cent, hitting a new recent high. The price stood well above all key moving averages (MA5=23,998, MA10=23,815, MA30=23,312, MA60=23,720), with the MA system in a bullish alignment, confirming a clear medium-term uptrend. The MACD indicator showed DIF at 184.13 and DEA at 75.84, maintaining a golden cross above the zero axis, with the histogram bar expanding to 216.59, indicating growing bullish momentum. Trading volume contracted slightly to 43,800 lots, showing a minor volume-price divergence. The suggested core trading range for SHFE aluminium is 23,800-24,500. LME aluminium closed at USD 3,346.5 per tonne, up 0.34 per cent, extending its strong performance. The price was well above all key moving averages (MA5=3,292.9,...
LME aluminium prices strengthened on August 10 compared with August 7, with both cash and three-month prices moving higher. The rise came alongside a decline in exchange stocks, while cancelled warrants also fell. The LME aluminium cash bid price increased to USD 3,327 per tonne on August 10 from USD 3,279 per tonne on August 7, marking a rise of USD 48 per tonne, or 1.46 per cent. The cash offer price also rose to USD 3,327.5 per tonne from USD 3,279.5 per tonne, up 1.46 per cent. The three-month bid price climbed to USD 3,320 per tonne from USD 3,279 per tonne, an increase of USD 41 per tonne, or 1.25 per cent. Meanwhile, the three-month offer price increased to USD 3,320.5 per tonne from USD 3,280 per tonne, gaining 1.23 per cent. Further along the forward curve, the December 2027 bid...
Hindalco Industries expects aluminium prices to remain firm at around USD 3,200–3,400 per tonne during the rest of 2026, supported by supply disruptions in the Middle East that continue to keep the global market tight. Managing Director Satish Pai said the company expects its upstream aluminium EBITDA per tonne to remain close to USD 2,000 for the remainder of the year. He added that downstream aluminium volumes are expected to improve over the coming quarters as recently commissioned rolling and extrusion projects continue to ramp up. Aluminium business delivers record quarter Hindalco's upstream aluminium business reported a record EBITDA of INR 74 billion (USD 775 million) in the April-June quarter of FY27, compared with INR 41 billion (USD 428 million) a year earlier. EBITDA per tonne...
Last week, domestic spot alumina prices moved steadily with a weak bias, and market trading sentiment was muted. As of July 31, the weighted national average spot price for smelter-grade alumina with a minimum purity of 98.6 per cent stood at RMB 2,731/tonne, dropped RMB 13 per tonne from a week earlier, according to Mysteel's price assessment. On the supply side, domestic alumina operating capacity stands at approximately 97.7 million tonnes per year. No widespread news of concentrated production cuts or maintenance has emerged recently, while resumption efforts at plants in some regions are progressing steadily. In Guangxi, a major alumina refinery, which had been operating below capacity for an extended period due to a boiler malfunction, is recovering smoothly, with daily output now...
