Europe’s beverage-can market outperformed other regions in the third quarter, prompting Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) to accelerate its investment plans with two new production lines at existing facilities in the UK and Spain. Global beverage can shipments rose 2 per cent year on year in the three months to September 30, while Europe recorded 6 per cent growth, contrasting with a 1 per cent decline across the Americas. AMP announced the expansion alongside third-quarter results that exceeded its own earnings guidance, allowing the company to raise its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook. Chief executive Oliver Graham said demand remained resilient across the company’s markets, supported by strength in key beverage categories and continued gains for cans within the wider packaging mix. The...
Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing Company (QAMCO), which holds 50 per cent of the Qatalum joint venture, reported a net profit of QAR 276 million (USD 75.88 million) for the nine months ended 30 September 2026. This marked a drastic 48 per cent year-on-year dip, despite a rise aluminium selling prices. Shipping constraints and reduced operational activity at its joint venture, Qatar Aluminium Company (Qatalum), weighed on production, sales and financial performance. The decline comes from tonnes, not price. The joint venture produced and sold far less metal because shipping constraints tied to the regional conflict reduced operational activity. Higher realised selling prices and lower operating costs partly offset the pressure on earnings, while its closing cash and bank balance, including...
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The European Union's downstream aluminium trade reveals an interesting divergence. Why are exports continuing to strengthen while imports lose momentum? The latest trade data offers insights into shifting demand patterns, evolving trade flows, and the EU's growing role in global downstream aluminium markets. January-April 2026 import graph The EU's cumulative imports of downstream aluminium products during the first four months of the past three years are as follows: YTD 2026: 635,440.94 tonnes, valued at USD 3.26 billion (volume down 8.7 per cent; value up 1.2 per cent) YTD 2025: 695,728.55 tonnes, valued at USD 3.22 billion (volume up 9.9 per cent; value up 19.3 per cent) YTD 2024: 633,106.85 tonnes, valued at USD 2.7 billion January-April 2026 export graph The EU's downstream aluminium...
During the first half (H1) of 2026, Guinea exported a record 114.8 million tonnes of bauxite, marking a 15 per cent year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, sustained demand from China continued to drive shipments despite rising operating costs for smaller miners. The world’s largest bauxite exporter shipped 114.8 million tonnes in H1 2026. The figure, as per Guinea’s Ministry of Mines data and studied by Reuters, indicates the Y-o-Y rise from 99.8 million tonnes in the corresponding period of 2025. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations In the second quarter (Q2) alone, bauxite exports climbed 5.3 per cent Y-o-Y to 53.9 million tonnes,...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The carbon legislation trap: The CBAM Omnibus 2025 update has eliminated the zero-emission loophole for pre-consumer scrap. Secondary aluminium producers using primary factory off-cuts must now declare massive upstream carbon footprints, destroying their European export margins. The geopolitical squeeze: As the EU prepares to ban metal scrap exports, import-dependent nations face a catastrophic supply deficit. Indian aluminium recyclers are uniquely crippled by a 2.5 per cent Basic Customs Duty on scrap, creating an inverted duty structure that heavily favours zero-tariff ASEAN competitors. The zero-waste imperative: Environmental regulators are aggressively shutting down informal dross processors. To survive, the industry must pivot to AI-driven LIBS precision sorting...
Athens-based aluminium manufacturer ElvalHalcor’s newly issued shares have officially started trading on Euronext Athens on July 22. The shares were launched after the successful completion of the company’s recent share capital increase, which attracted strong interest from both institutional and retail investors. To mark the occasion, ElvalHalcor Chairman Konstantinos Katsaros formally opened the trading session alongside company executives, partners and representatives of Euronext Athens. Yianos Kontopoulos, Euronext Athens CEO, commented, “ The oversubscription of ElvalHalcor’s public offering and private placement demonstrates the strong response from both institutional and private investors and confirms the market’s confidence in the group’s growth strategy.” Kontopoulos noted that...
LME aluminium prices moved higher on July 22 compared with July 21, with gains recorded across the cash, three-month and December 2027 contracts, while exchange inventories continued to decline. The LME aluminium cash bid price increased to USD 3,204 per tonne on July 22 from USD 3,183 per tonne on July 21, up 0.66 per cent. The cash offer price also climbed to USD 3,205 per tonne from USD 3,183.5 per tonne, rising 0.68 per cent. The LME aluminium three-month bid price rose to USD 3,183 per tonne on July 22 from USD 3,170 per tonne on July 21, an increase of 0.41 per cent. The three-month offer price advanced to USD 3,185 per tonne from USD 3,170.5 per tonne, up 0.46 per cent. The December 2027 aluminium bid price increased to USD 3,117 per tonne on July 22 from USD 3,105 per tonne a day...
Australasian Metals has returned encouraging results from bulk sampling at its May Queen South Bauxite Project in central Queensland, with composite samples confirming strong aluminium oxide grades ahead of the next phase of metallurgical testing. The company collected three bulk samples, each weighing more than 50 kilograms, from bauxite outcrops along a 20-metre strike. Each bulk sample consisted of 10 individual samples weighing between 5 kg and 6 kg. Analysis returned composite aluminium oxide grades of 39.5 per cent, 42.0 per cent and 43.8 per cent, while individual samples recorded grades of up to 58.7 per cent aluminium oxide. Australasian Metals said the latest results are consistent with bulk sampling undertaken at the project in 2015, providing additional confidence in the...
Steel Dynamics posted stronger second-quarter results for 2026, supported by higher steel prices, record shipment volumes and continued progress at its new aluminium flat-rolled business. The company reported revenue of USD 6.1 billion, up 33 per cent from the second quarter of 2025 and 17 per cent higher than the previous quarter. Net income climbed 79 per cent year on year to USD 534 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached USD 921 million. Diluted earnings per share came in at USD 3.69, slightly below analysts' expectations of USD 3.76, although revenue exceeded market forecasts by around 9.5 per cent. Aluminium business moves closer to profitability Steel Dynamics' aluminium division continued to gain momentum as production ramped up at its Columbus, Mississippi, flat-rolled mill....
Crown Holdings delivered higher second-quarter earnings as growing demand for aluminium beverage cans drove stronger shipment volumes across its global operations, encouraging the packaging manufacturer to upgrade its earnings outlook for 2026. The company reported diluted earnings per share of USD 2.23 for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, compared with USD 1.56 a year earlier. Adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 16 per cent to USD 2.49, while global beverage can volumes increased 5 per cent year on year. Net sales climbed to USD 3.668 billion, up from USD 3.149 billion in the second quarter of 2025. The increase reflected higher beverage can shipments worldwide, the pass-through of USD 395 million in higher material costs and favourable foreign currency movements worth USD 32...
Within the January-May 2026 timeline, a considerable year-on-year dip can be noted in Bahrain’s export of all the aluminium product categories , viz., unwrought, bars, rods and profiles, foil, pipes and tubes, plates, sheets and strip, tube or pipe fittings, and wire. January-May export comparison: 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024 As of year-to-date (January to May) 2026, Bahrain’s aluminium export trend has been like this: YTD 2026 – 454,329.83 tonnes, down 14.21 per cent Y-o-Y from the 529,558.27 tonnes in 2025 YTD 2025 – 529,558.27 tonnes, down 1.34 per cent Y-o-Y from the 536,744.35 tonnes in 2024 While the Y-o-Y difference between YTD 2024 and 2025 represents a minor dip, the YTD 2025-2026 depicts a staggering decline. Explore the extrusion segment of the global aluminium industry with The World...
Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro delivered stronger financial results in the second quarter of 2026 as firmer aluminium prices, higher product premiums and improving recycling performance offset weaker energy production and currency headwinds. The company reported adjusted EBITDA of NOK 8.923 billion (USD 927.39 million), up from NOK 7.790 billion (USD 809.6 million) in the corresponding period last year. Adjusted earnings per share increased to NOK 2.2 (USD 0.23) from NOK 1.7 (USD 0.18), while free cash flow reached NOK 4 billion (USD 415.5 million). Hydro's 12-month adjusted return on average capital employed (RoaCE) stood at 10.9 per cent. Slovalco restart strengthens European capacity A key development during the quarter was the announcement on July 1 that Hydro will restart 75,000...
On April 7, 2026, the industry got what it had waited three years for: the European Commission priced carbon at the border for the first time. A CBAM certificate for the first quarter costs EUR 75.36 per tonne of CO2 equivalent, for the second EUR 75.28. Every tonne of aluminium entering the European Union now has two prices: one for the metal and one for its origin. The logic seems obvious from here: the dirtier the metal, the more the border charges, clean producers win, coal-based producers lose. That is how the mechanism was conceived and how the market reads it. Walk through the first-year rules with a calculator, however, and the picture turns upside down. A border built to see carbon does not yet see most of it - and so it rewards not the cleanest producers but the best-organised...
China, the largest producer of primary aluminium on the global platform, continues to raise its annual output despite maintaining a 45-million-tonne production cap. So, what's powering its industry's continued growth? In the January-June phase or the first half (H1) of 2026, China produced 22.34 million tonnes. Considering historical data, the figure has gone up year-on-year. H1 2026 – 22.34 million tonnes, up 2.24 per cent Y-o-Y from 21.85 million tonnes in H1 2025 H1 2025 – 21.85 million tonnes, up 2.59 per cent Y-o-Y from 21.3 million tonnes in H1 2024 A clear growth rate is visible over the years as China solidifies its position in the global aluminium production race. On the flipside, the yearly surge makes way for another vital question to the forefront – If the 45-million-tonne...
Alvance British Aluminium is carrying out a maintenance and investment programme at its Lochaber Power Station. The hydroelectric power station provides the renewable electricity required for the production of low-carbon primary aluminium at the Lochaber Smelter in Scotland. As part of the 2026 programme, all five generators at the power station are undergoing inspection and refurbishment. The work is being planned using a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) process developed in partnership with engineering company Trillium to identify potential equipment risks and prioritise maintenance activities. The company said the maintenance programme is aimed at ensuring a safe, efficient and reliable power supply while supporting future aluminium production at the site. Explore why...
Minister of Investment and Downstream Processing and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Rosan Roeslani stated that realised investment in bauxite downstream processing reached IDR 40.1 trillion (approximately USD 2.23 billion) during Q2 2026. This is a 193 per cent increase from IDR 13.7 trillion (USD 765 million) in the previous quarter. The minister said the surge was driven by the development of several bauxite processing facilities by both domestic and foreign investors. Rosan said, “Bauxite has taken first place for the first time, surpassing nickel” as the largest downstream mineral investment category. Investment in nickel downstream projects stood at IDR 29.4 trillion (USD 1.6 billion), followed by copper at IDR 16.7 trillion (USD 932 million), iron and steel at IDR...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium market moved higher on July 21, with cash prices, futures contracts and longer-dated contracts all recovering from the previous session. The LME aluminium cash bid price increased from USD 3,155 per tonne on July 20 to USD 3,183 per tonne on July 21, reporting a 0.89 per cent rise. The cash offer price also moved up from USD 3,156 per tonne to USD 3,183.5 per tonne, gaining 0.87 per cent. The LME aluminium three-month contract recorded gains as well. The bid price rose from USD 3,147 per tonne to USD 3,170 per tonne, while the offer price increased from USD 3,147.5 per tonne to USD 3,170.5 per tonne, with both rising 0.73 per cent. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to...
Construction work on Arctic LNG 2, Russia's flagship liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, is expected to restart after two heavy-load vessels delivered Chinese-made modules to the LNG Construction Centre in Belokamenka on the Kola Peninsula. The carriers completed a journey of nearly three months from Lusi Port in eastern China. After passing the North Cape in the Barents Sea on 16 July, the vessels anchored near the Rybachii Peninsula before entering Kola Bay two days later. During the voyage, both ships listed Kirkenes, Norway, as their destination, although their cargo was bound for the sanctioned construction facility in Belokamenka. One of the vessels, Bright Ocean (IMO 9830769), is itself subject to sanctions. Previously known as Hunter Star, the carrier transported similar cargo to...
China's appetite for liquefied natural gas (LNG) strengthened in June, with imports rising for a second straight month as the country built inventories ahead of higher summer electricity demand. Official customs data showed LNG imports reached 5.68 million tonnes in June, up 8.3 per cent from a year earlier. The increase follows a recovery that began in May after imports had fallen for three consecutive months between February and April, with April marking the country's lowest monthly LNG arrivals in eight years. Chinese buyers stepped up purchases from mid-April and have maintained stronger import levels since then, reversing the slowdown seen earlier this year. Middle East disruption tightens supply China's return to the spot market is expected to tighten global LNG availability at a...
Valkyrie has entered the aluminium gaming keyboard segment with the launch of the Cyber68, a new model that replaces the increasingly popular Hall Effect magnetic switches with analog optical switches while pairing them with a CNC-machined aluminium chassis. The keyboard is scheduled to be showcased in greater detail at ChinaJoy 2026, where the company is expected to announce its remaining specifications. Rather than following the current trend of magnetic switches, Valkyrie has opted for an optical sensing system built around a U-shaped reflective sensor. The company says the setup delivers Rapid Trigger accuracy of up to 0.01 mm, enabling the keyboard to register even the slightest key movement during fast-paced games. Performance is another area Valkyrie is targeting. The Cyber68...
