Germany’s aluminium foil export market is showing a shift after two years of steady recovery. The upward trend that had returned after the 2023 downturn failed to hold, with shipments slipping again even as some markets continued to show resilience in H1 2026. The change becomes clearer when the recent history is put together. Germany exported 151,000 tonnes in H1 2022, but the volume dropped to 138,000 tonnes in H1 2023, down 8.6 per cent. Exports then began to recover, reaching 141,000 tonnes in H1 2024, up 2.2 per cent, and 144,000 tonnes in H1 2025, an increase of 2.1 per cent, according to ITC data. In H1 2026, however, exports fell back to 140,000 tonnes, down 2.8 per cent year on year. The decline is relatively modest, but it marks a break in the recovery - raising the question of...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, today announced a technology upgrade pilot at the company’s Al Taweelah smelter, which will further improve productivity and efficiency. The pilot upgrades to 13 DX technology reduction cells will be used to prove the performance of the new technology, called E40, before industrialisation across all 808 DX technology reduction cells at potlines 1 and 2 at Al Taweelah. If applied to all 808 reduction cells, EGA’s E40 technology has the potential to increase hot metal production from the two potlines by 67 thousand tonnes per year, while reducing net specific energy consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions from power generation by approximately six per cent per tonne of...
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Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has reportedly put forward the proposal of imposing an anti-dumping duty of up to INR 577 per tonne on aluminium frames originating from China. The news came last week after the Directorate stated the plan, explaining its aim to combat unfair trade practices and protect the domestic aluminium industry from the adverse effects of cheap imports. The Directorate further alleged that China is flooding the Indian market with its low-quality aluminium frames, which are being sold at prices below fair market value, impacting domestic Indian manufacturers and leading them to face distorted market and financial losses. The proposed duty intends to make the domestic market more competitive and safeguard India’s...
The previous trading day, LME aluminium opened at US$2,275 per tonne, hit a high of US$2,298 per tonne and a low of US$2,270 per tonne, and closed at US$2,281 per tonne, up US$3.5 per tonne, or 0.15 per cent. On Friday, July 26, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price moved up by US$10.5 per tonne or 0.47 per cent to settle at US$2,228.50 per tonne and US$2,229 per tonne. As per the LME data, 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price added US$13 per tonne or 0.57 per cent to clock at US$2,288 per tonne and US$2,289 per tonne. December 25 bid price and December 25 offer price ascended by US$17 per tonne or 0.69 per cent to dock at US$2,447 per tonne and US$2,452 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock came in at 943675 tonnes. Live warrants and...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers have come up with an interesting discovery focussing on aluminium, soda cans and caffeine. The team led by Douglas Hart, is developing efficient and sustainable methods to produce hydrogen gas, considered a "green" energy source for powering engines and fuel cells without emitting climate-warming gases. They have discovered that exposing pure aluminium from soda cans to seawater results in a reaction that produces hydrogen gas, which can be used to power engines or fuel cells without emitting carbon. This reaction can be accelerated with the addition of caffeine. “We’re showing a new way to produce hydrogen fuel, without carrying hydrogen but carrying aluminium as the ‘fuel. The next part is to figure out how to use this for trucks,...
China's industrial profits experienced accelerated growth in June, despite businesses contending with diminished consumer sentiment amid an uncertain economic recovery. Official data released on July 27, 2024, indicated a 3.6 per cent year-on-year increase in profits last month, following a 0.7 per cent gain in May. First-half earnings rose by 3.5 per cent, up from the 3.4 per cent increase reported for the January-May period, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In a separate statement, NBS statistician Wei Ning said, “Relatively rapid industrial production growth, coupled with a significant easing in factory-gate price declines since the second quarter, have promoted a stable recovery of corporate revenue.” “Meanwhile, we should also see that insufficient domestic...
DUBAL Extrusion Investment (DEI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DUBAL Holding (DH), has named Faisal Sarhan as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OSE Industries, a local aluminium extrusion company fully owned by DEI. Sarhan succeeds Magdy Samoul, who has served as CEO since 2012. Samoul will transition to DEI, taking on the role of an advisor focused on strategic development and project implementation. Sarhan brings extensive experience in leading strategic initiatives and implementing innovative solutions to enhance productivity and profitability. He joined OSE as Deputy CEO in November 2023 and has been instrumental in reinforcing the company’s strategic leadership and operational excellence. Prior to his tenure at OSE Industries, Sarhan spent 18 years with Emirates Global...
According to a report by Ball Corporation, the USA recycles only about 45 per cent of the beverage cans consumed by its citizens. Since the USA consumes more than 80 billion cans per year, that's an awful lot of cans in litter and landfill. They dug up that landfill in 1000 years, and that can will still be an aluminium can. It is not going to break back down to bauxite or something. Increasing the ratio of returns would save an incredible amount of CO2 emissions - recycling the can means that new raw metal is not needed. But Ball also measured in terms of the dollar savings. According to their report, some US$6.5 billion could be saved if 100 per cent recycling were achieved. Even improving the rate by half therefore contributes huge savings. Interestingly, the report says that US States...
Saudi Arabia’s mining sector is on the cusp of a transformative era, with the Kingdom determined to become a global leader in the industry. Saudi Arabia is rich in minerals essential for various global industries. The Kingdom is transitioning into a leading exporter of diverse energy types, moving away from its traditional role as an oil producer. It has a strong potential to produce minerals crucial for the energy transition, such as aluminium, copper, and rare earth elements, as well as minerals needed for global agriculture. The strategic focus on economic diversification has placed the mining sector at the forefront of national development plans, with the Kingdom’s mineral wealth valued at an estimated $2.4 trillion (SR9.4 trillion). According to the World Risk Report 2023, released...
This week, the primary aluminium sector was under a havoc media spotlight from the entire upstream aluminium industry, featuring many crucial events and updates. Besides the global aluminium prices reaching almost a four-month low, what made several round-ups on the internet were Emirates Global Aluminium becoming the first in the world to digitise quality analysis system on LME and Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter to cut power usage by 185 megawatts due to electricity constraint. This week, on July 25, the LME aluminium benchmark price closed at US$2,218.50 per tonne, reflecting a 5 per cent decline W-o-W and marking the lowest in almost the past four months. On the same day, China’s domestic A00 aluminium ingot price decreased by RMB 190 per tonne to settle at RMB 19,010 per tonne, but...
Nivea, the brand synonymous with the colour blue, is internally transforming itself into a green company by increasing the use of recyclable aluminium as a raw material for its packaging solutions. According to the latest reports, Beiersdorf, a German multinational company, has committed to making its global skincare products more sustainable. With this, Beiersdorf, in collaboration with Novelis, has now incorporated at least 80 percent recycled aluminium into its Nivea Creme tin, a change anticipated to reduce the company's carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by approximately 8,000 tonnes between now and 2025. In 2022, the beloved Nivea Soft was reformulated to be vegan, resulting in a notable reduction of around 40 percent in CO2e emissions from the formula. As per AL Circle’s...
In the first half of the calendar year 2024 (H1CY24), India's aluminium scrap imports fell by 8 per cent compared to the H1CY'23. On M-o-M basis, the imports rose marginally by 4 per cent in June 2024. However, imports were up by 15 per cent in June 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to provisional data from BigMint. The import volume dropped to 809,102 tonnes in H1CY'24 compared with 874,868 tonnes in H1CY'23. Meanwhile, India's aluminium scrap imports in June 2024 reached 167,641 tonnes, indicating a slight improvement compared to the previous month's 161,644 tonnes. What drove scrap imports low in H1CY'24? Image source- BIGMINT The impact of Red Sea issue The crisis in the Red Sea, which began in October 2023 and escalated through December 2023, has caused a shipping...
AMAG Austria Metall AG, a leading Austrian supplier of primary aluminium, premium cast, and rolled aluminium products, announced its financial results for the first half of 2024 ended June 30, whereby it said the challenging environment in terms of demand for aluminium rolled products continued in the second quarter resulted in weaker revenue and net income. Although the increased aluminium prices in the June quarter cushioned worldwide subdued demand for aluminium rolled products, AMAG's revenue stood less in H1 2024 at EUR 707.7 million versus EUR 796.4 million in H1 2023. AMAG's net income after taxes was EUR 33.4 million in H1 2024, down 34.51 per cent Y-o-Y from EUR 51 million. EBITDA was also below the H1 2023 level, standing at EUR 95.3 million, but better than the second half of...
Rio Tinto and Aymium have formed a new joint venture named Évolys Québec Inc. to manufacture a renewable metallurgical biocarbon product to reduce carbon emissions in large scale industrial processes. This biocarbon, sourced from biomass residues, offers an alternative for anthracite currently used in ilmenite smelting processes at Rio Tinto’s metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy. The joint venture will be established on the site of a former pulp and paper mill in Thurso, Québec. The Government of Québec selected Rio Tinto and Aymium to jointly revitalize these assets. The proposed facility will use Aymium’s proprietary technology to locally produce high-quality biocarbon – a raw material in high demand, essential to fulfilling Rio Tinto’s commitments to decarbonization. Rio Tinto has...
Baotou Aluminum has achieved a significant milestone by successfully passing the national thermal coal testing capability verification for the third consecutive year. The Shandong Institute of Metallurgical Science Co., Ltd conducted this verification, which was authorised by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS). Following a thorough on-site inspection and data audit, experts have affirmed that the Baotou Aluminum Center laboratory's testing capabilities and technical proficiency are exceptional. As a result, the laboratory has been officially certified. Moving forward, the central laboratory will further enhance its inspection and testing capabilities to bolster its technical support for the green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of service...
According to the International Aluminium Institute, primary aluminium production in Africa during the first half of 2024 demonstrated a year-on-year downswing, mostly due to the bearish Q1. As per IAI data, Africa's total primary aluminium output in H1 2024 edged a fall of 2.8 per cent Y-o-Y from 788,000 tonnes to 766,000 tonnes. In the June quarter (Q2), the output amounted to 388,000 tonnes, which was 2 per cent lower than 396,000 tonnes in Q1 2023 but 2.65 per cent higher Q-o-Q compared to 378,000 tonnes. Analysis of the production downfall The above data demonstrates a quarterly rise in Africa's primary aluminium output, but it has been enough to offset the annual downtrend. The decline in Africa's primary aluminium production could be primarily attributed to Mozal Aluminium, which...
China-based Guochao Aluminum recorded a total industrial output value of RMB 820 million during the first half of 2024 (H1). In the second quarter (Q2) alone, the company produced over 12,000 tonnes of aluminium, generating an output value of RMB 615 million and surpassing the quarterly target by 2.47 per cent. The primary economic indicators demonstrated both "stable growth" and "exceeding the halfway mark." The impressive results of the second quarter are a testament to the dedication and persistent efforts of all departments at Guochao Aluminum. The General Dispatching Room effectively coordinated resources to ensure the successful achievement of quarterly targets. Meanwhile, the production department adopted a problem-solving approach, continuously optimised the product structure, and...
Aluminium Doctor, a Durban North-based company known for its aluminium and glass manufacturing and installation industry, recently achieved the SABS ISO 9001 certification. This certification distinguishes Aluminium Doctor from its competitors and validates its vision of delivering cutting-edge operations. Durban North is an area to the north of Durban in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. "Achieving our ISO certification was no walk in the park, the entire process took a year and meant re-engineering many different aspects of our business. The result is a business well prepared to deliver consistently high-quality products and services based on tried and tested systems. We feel that our ISO accreditation validates our commitment to cutting edge...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, A00 aluminium ingot price has recovered RMB 190 per tonne to close the week on Friday, July 26, at RMB 19,200 per tonne. However, despite the latest rise, the price is down week-on-week by RMB 290 per tonne and month-on-month by RMB 860 per tonne. The average prices today are estimated to range between RMB 19,180 per tonne and RMB 19,220 per tonne, with a spot contract to be traded at a discount price of RMB 60-20 per tonne. China’s domestic low-carbon aluminium price has also escalated by RMB 175 per tonne, standing at RMB 20,021 per tonne. However, on a week-on-week basis, the price has edged a fall of RMB239 per tonne from RMB 20,260 per tonne, and on a month-on-month calculation, the price stands RMB 766 per tonne lower than RMB 20,787...
Quantum Fishing has introduced its new line of budget-friendly saltwater fishing reels, the Strive Spinning Reels, at ICAST 2024. The Strive series will be available in six sizes (2500 to 8000), each featuring high-strength aluminium frames. These durable aluminium frames ensure the internal gearing remains perfectly aligned throughout the reel's lifespan. Additionally, the Strive reels incorporate Quantum's SEALOQ technology, with both the body and spool fully sealed to IPX6 standards, preventing water, salt, and grit intrusion. The reel handle is equipped with an oversized power knob, enhanced with rubber over-moulding for a secure grip even when wet. Features of the aluminium-framed fishing reels SEALOQ™ 6 Protection: Fully seals the body and spool (rated to IPX6), actively shielding...
