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...
Neuman Aluminium has selected a 40-tonne aluminium melting furnace from industrial furnace supplier Jasper for Hirschvogel’s site in San Juan del Río, Mexico, to expand aluminium production at the facility. After Neuman’s melting furnace upgrade at its Marktl headquarters in Austria , the company is deepening its footprint in North America. Neuman Aluminium recently partnered with Hirschvogel for the project. Construction has begun on two production halls, each spanning 7,500 square metres, with production scheduled to start at the beginning of 2028. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The furnace will be a tiltable 40-tonne melting furnace equipped with...
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The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom came into force today, giving Indian exports zero-duty access to 99 per cent of tariff lines in the UK market. The Agreement on Social Security, also known as the Double Contribution Convention (DCC), also took effect on the same day, supporting the mobility and competitiveness of Indian professionals working in the UK. Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal described the agreement as one of India's most comprehensive trade pacts, covering a wide range of sectors and reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers. He said CETA marks a new phase in trade and investment relations between India and the UK and reflects their commitment to a deeper strategic partnership. The...
Constellium today announced that its extrusion and automotive structures plants in Gottmadingen and Singen, Germany, will source locally produced solar electricity under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the community of Gottmadingen. Under the agreement, Constellium will receive the full electricity output of the Katzental solar park over a 10-year period, produced locally in the immediate vicinity of the Gottmadingen and Singen plants. The electricity will be used exclusively by Constellium’s Gottmadingen and Singen extrusion and automotive structures plants, covering over 25 per cent of the plants’ combined total needs. The agreement is expected to avoid approximately 3,500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. “This initiative is an important step in our efforts to reduce...
Tom Bird, executive chairman at Enicor, explains why the free and fair global trade of recycled aluminium is essential in the development of a robust, resilient, circular supply chain. As protectionist tariffs, tighter regulation, rising energy prices and geopolitical tensions disrupt recycled metal supply chains at a pivotal time in the market, a fresh approach is vital to deliver greener, high-quality supplies at a time of increasing demand. While global recycled aluminium output continues to rise, cross-border trade is starting to tighten, with more countries than ever putting in place measures to retain material within their domestic market. These changes are largely being driven by recycled aluminium no longer being seen as a surplus to be traded, but instead as a strategic resource...
In the morning session, the trading centre of the SHFE aluminium 2606 contract was below the level at the same time of the previous trading day. Affected by the off-season, market procurement sentiment remained weak today, with mainly just-in-time procurement and ample circulating goods. Transactions were concluded at a discount of RMB 10-20 per tonne against the SHFE aluminium Aug contract. The shipment sentiment index in east China today was 3.11, up 0.03 from the previous trading day; the procurement sentiment index was 3.00, down 0.16 from the previous trading day. The overall trading atmosphere in the central China market today turned subdued compared with the previous two days. Some downstream processing enterprises began to make small-scale purchases today, but traders' hedging...
The demand for aluminium wire rod, in the next decade, will not be defined by how much the market grows but rather by where that growth happens and what drives it. The demand will no longer be defined by conventional power infrastructure; it will move beyond due to the rapid expansion of renewable energy, electrification of transport, urban development and the modernisation of electricity grids. With more investments in cleaner, smarter and more resilient infrastructure by governments and industries, aluminium wire rod is emerging as critical to supporting the world’s energy transition, resulting in heightened demand. According to AL Circle's report, " ALuminium Wires & Cables - Insights & Forecast to 2030 ", from 8 million tonnes in 2023, the global aluminium wire rod usage is expected...
USA Rare Earth has produced commercial-grade dysprosium (Dy) oxide and neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide samples from recycled rare earth magnet scrap at its Wheat Ridge, Colorado hydrometallurgical facility, marking a step forward in its rare earth processing operations. The company said the achievement makes it one of the few producers outside Asia capable of separating heavy rare earth elements at commercial grade. It also supports the development of an integrated rare earth supply chain serving industries including defence, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing. The Dy and NdPr oxide samples were produced from magnet swarf, the fine scrap generated during the machining and finishing of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets. The recycled material was sourced from the company's...
Electricity is the backbone of aluminium production, with the Hall-Héroult process ranking among the world's most electricity-intensive industrial activities. Even brief power disruptions can damage electrolytic cells and interrupt production, resulting in long-term financial losses, as the molten metal cools and begins freezing rapidly, halting production for months. To minimise dependence on unstable grids, aluminium producers traditionally invested in captive thermal power plants. Recently, growing decarbonisation commitments have encouraged companies like Vedanta Limited, Hindalco, National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Norsk Hydro and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) to solidify a renewable energy base alongside captive generation. Renewable energy’s contribution to meeting India’s power...
China's prebaked anode market navigated a turbulent first half of 2026, pivoting from a cost-driven slump to a geopolitical rally. While output climbed 8.34 per cent Y-o-Yand demand stayed firm, prices ultimately tracked the erratic swings in petroleum coke and coal tar pitch. With new capacity set to ramp up against a backdrop of high aluminium operating rates, the market is poised for a balanced yet fluctuating second half, projected to trade within a range of RMB 5,100–5,800per tonne Review of prebaked anode price trends In the first half of 2026, domestic prebaked anode prices exhibited an overall oscillating trend characterised by an initial decline, followed by a rally, and then a pullback. In June, the procurement price for prebaked anodes at major Shandong-based aluminium...
It is not new to the aluminium recyclers anymore that price volatility has become a part of their business now. Factors like changing scrap prices, metal values that move between procurement and delivery, fluctuating currencies and commercial commitments often stretch across weeks or months. Therefore, the question is no longer whether volatility will occur but how much the aluminium recycling businesses are prepared when it does. Traditionally, major recycling aluminium businesses focused on improving production efficiency, expanding processing capacity and securing a reliable scrap supply. Still, one capability that separates resilient businesses from vulnerable ones: The ability to manage price risk before it erodes margins. This is where hedging is rapidly becoming a commercial...
Before a road gets built, a mine opens, a port expands or a solar park goes up, equipment has to move earth, drill rock, lift steel and pave ground. That work falls to India's Mining and Construction Equipment industry, a sector that rarely makes headlines but sits at the foundation of everything India is building. A new report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), ‘Pressing the Throttle: How India's Mining and Construction Industry Can Support Domestic Ambitions and Become a Global Force’ , takes stock of where the sector stands and what it will need to keep pace with the scale of India's ambitions. The numbers reflect the sector's centrality. India's mining and construction output stands at around USD 430 billion, close to 11 per cent of GDP,...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) announced that Saint Jean Industries S.A.S has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3.1 (2023). The facility produces aluminium automotive chassis components, using melting, foundry, forging, machining and assembly processes, with annual production of approximately 15,000 tonnes of melted aluminium and 8,000 tonnes of aluminium 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 defines 11 principles and 62 criteria...
Rio Tinto reported a strong recovery in bauxite production during the second quarter of 2026, while maintaining its full-year production guidance across its aluminium business. The company produced 15.2 million tonnes of bauxite during the second quarter, up 14 per cent from the previous quarter but 3 per cent lower than the same period last year. For the first half of 2026, bauxite production totalled 28.5 million tonnes, a 7 per cent decline year-on-year. Rio Tinto maintained its full-year bauxite production guidance at 58-61 million tonnes. Chief Executive Simon Trott said the company's integrated aluminium business continued to perform strongly, supported by a recovery in bauxite production despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. Alumina production reached 2.0 million tonnes in the...
Futures: The most-traded SHFE aluminium 2608 contract closed at RMB 23,165 per tonne, down 45 yuan or 0.19 per cent from yesterday’s settlement price. It opened at RMB 23,350 per tonne intraday and fluctuated in the range of RMB 23,165–23,380 per tonne. The price was trading above the MA5 (23,107.00) and MA10 (22,967.50) but below the MA30 (23,493.83) and MA60 (24,101.25). The short- and medium-term moving averages are in a bearish alignment and gradually pressing down, presenting a pronounced overall structure of consolidating on a subdued note, with the moving averages above forming layers of resistance and pressure. The MACD’s DIF (-256.1830) remains above the DEA (-340.0955), and the MACD histogram stands at 167.8250, indicating that bearish momentum has eased. The recommended core...
Advanced Engineered Materials (AEM) has announced that its nanoparticle high-purity alumina (HPA) has demonstrated improved mechanical performance in zirconia-alumina ceramics, following laboratory testing conducted by Swiss ceramics manufacturer Zürcher Frères SA. According to AEM, the testing showed that ceramics produced using its nano HPA delivered higher hardness and fracture toughness compared with materials supplied by existing producers. Zürcher Frères described the performance of the ceramics as suitable for demanding applications requiring high mechanical strength and wear resistance. Following the evaluation, AEM and Zürcher Frères have signed an ongoing cooperation agreement under which AEM will become the exclusive supplier of nanoparticle HPA for Zürcher Frères'...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price continued to improve on July 14, following the trend of the July 13 trading session . The cash gained nearly 1 per cent as stocks recorded a consistent decline. The LME aluminium cash bid price gained 0.99 per cent day-on-day, up from USD 3,138 per tonne to USD 3,169 per tonne. The offer price edged up from USD 3,138.5 per tonne to USD 3,171 per tonne, rising by 1.04 per cent. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook On July 14, the LME aluminium three-month bid price climbed from USD 3,145 per tonne on July 13 to USD 3,167 per tonne, marking a 0.7 per cent surge. The offer price recorded an improvement of 0.65 per...
Aluminium prices rose 0.40 per cent to settle at INR 339.80 (USD 3.57), supported by ongoing supply concerns and declining inventories on major metal exchanges. Inventories in London Metal Exchange (LME) warehouses remained at their lowest level since 2022, while stocks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) fell 4.8 per cent, reflecting continued demand for physical aluminium. Market sentiment was also influenced by renewed geopolitical concerns after fresh US strikes on Iranian targets, raising the possibility of supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for aluminium exports from the Gulf region. However, expectations of improving regional supply and easing tensions in the Middle East limited further price gains. On the supply side, Emirates Global...
Aluminium is widely used in everyday consumer products, from smartphones and laptops to food packaging and household aluminium foil. However, many consumers associate the metal primarily with lightweight construction, durability or packaging, while overlooking its broader engineering applications. There are also several misconceptions surrounding aluminium, including the belief that aluminium foil always weakens Wi-Fi signals or that the metal serves only as a protective casing in electronic devices. In reality, aluminium's conductivity and reflective properties make it useful in a variety of electrical, industrial and communication technologies. These characteristics have led researchers to explore new applications for aluminium beyond conventional manufacturing. Rather than simply...
India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has defended the country's rising imports of Russian crude oil, stating that the increase is part of a long-term strategy to diversify supply sources and safeguard energy security amid disruptions in West Asia. Responding to an editorial published by The Hindu, the ministry said the rise in Russian oil imports followed the disruption of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after military strikes on Iran in late February 2026. According to the ministry, the closure affected nearly one-fifth of global oil and gas flows, while around 45-50 per cent of India's crude oil imports normally pass through the strategic waterway. The ministry said India increased the share of crude sourced from outside the Strait of Hormuz from 55 per cent to 70 per...
