In the first half (H1) of 2026, the US imported a total of 1.68 million metric tons of unwrought aluminum (HSN code: 7601), of which 16.96% was sourced from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). How has H1 2026 fared for the momentum of unwrought aluminum exports from the UAE to the US? Year-on-year cooling in trade can be noticed, largely owing to the temporary shutdown of the Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA’s) Al Taweelah smelter for repair and maintenance. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” H1 aluminum trade snapshot: 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024 Comparing the H1 2026 figures of unwrought aluminum exported by the UAE to the US, a mixed result...
Norsk Hydro’s earnings outlook for 2027 is facing mounting pressure from falling aluminium premiums, rising operating costs and easing supply tightness in Europe, prompting Goldman Sachs to downgrade the Norwegian producer from ‘buy’ to ‘neutral’ and reduce its price target from NOK 100 (USD 10.71) to NOK 79 (USD 8.46). Goldman said weaker premiums and higher costs were making further earnings growth harder to achieve in 2027. The bank also lowered its core earnings (EBITDA) forecasts for 2026 and 2027 by 6 per cent each, citing lower aluminium prices and rising costs. The changing market conditions come as additional metal from the Middle East reaches the market and Indonesian aluminium supply expands faster than expected, easing European supply constraints sooner than Goldman had...
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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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
