The Symbiosis concept pairs a premium aluminium outer shell with a transparent inner bottle, while the partners highlight low-carbon aluminium and future sustainability development. GEKA and AXILONE have partnered to introduce Symbiosis, a luxury beauty packaging concept combining GEKA’s injection blow-moulding technology with AXILONE’s expertise in premium aluminium packaging. The concept will be showcased at Luxe Pack Monaco, presenting a design that brings together a premium aluminium outer shell and a see-through inner bottle. The inner bottle’s transparent windows allow consumers to view the formulation’s colour and texture, adding a sensory element to the packaging. The combination is designed to offer beauty brands a distinctive appearance alongside a tactile product experience....
With the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays approaching, secondary aluminium alloy enterprises have successively finalized their production and holiday arrangements for the festive period. SMM recently conducted a survey on the double-holiday production plans, pre-holiday stockpiling, and raw material procurement of some secondary aluminium alloy enterprises, covering a total capacity of 4.2 million mt. The following is a summary of the survey findings: According to the SMM survey, during the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, secondary aluminium alloy enterprises generally arranged for continuous production or brief shutdowns, though some enterprises extended their holiday duration compared with 2025. Among the 25 sampled enterprises, more than half had...
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London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices moved lower on September 18, with cash, three-month and Dec-27 contracts declining from the previous session. The LME aluminium price overview also showed the Asian reference price falling, while cancelled warrants increased. Opening stocks and live warrants edged lower. The LME aluminium cash bid price fell 0.60 per cent to USD 3,283 per tonne from USD 3,302.5 per tonne , while the cash offer price declined 0.56 per cent to USD 3,285 per tonne from USD 3,303.5 per tonne. The three-month aluminium bid price fell 0.08 per cent to USD 3,281.50 per tonne from USD 3,284 per tonne. The offer price declined 0.09 per cent to USD 3,282 per tonne from USD 3,285 per tonne. For the Dec-27 contract, both the bid and offer prices fell 0.25 per cent. The bid...
Caterpillar today launched the Cat® 355 Hydraulic Excavator and Cat D5 Dozer for mining and heavy infrastructure applications, and the Cat 120 GC Motor Grader for road construction, at bauma CONEXPO India 2026. Visitors can experience Caterpillar’s integrated portfolio at stall O.E20 at the India Expo Centre in Delhi NCR from September 15-18. Visitors can explore Caterpillar’s integrated portfolio of Cat and SEM machines, connected technologies, aftermarket services, financing solutions, rental and used equipment, FG Wilson gensets and work tools. The showcase demonstrates how Caterpillar and its dealers combine equipment, technology and support services to help customers improve productivity, and safety and lower operating costs. Solutions for quarry, mining and heavy infrastructure The...
Spanish racing driverFernando Alonso has added a one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse to his growing collection of rare cars. Known as chassis 8.100, the car is distinguished by bespoke aluminium bodywork that required more than 20 tonnes of aluminium to produce, along with dedicated CAD programmes developed by Bugatti. Its history is equally distinctive, being produced after an original customer pushed Bugatti to create something it had initially considered too expensive. For Alonso, the automobile fits closely with an approach to luxury he outlined in 2024 about choosing manufacturers that treat individual customers differently rather than simply producing cars in larger numbers. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report "Global...
China Rare Earth Group is in talks to acquire a controlling stake in Shenghe Resources, a move that could bring the Chinese rare earth producer under tighter state control while giving Beijing influence over Shenghe’s overseas holdings, including a stake in US rare earths company MP Materials. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that discussions between the companies have been underway since earlier this year. One source said China Rare Earth Group is seeking a controlling stake, although neither source knew when the acquisition could be announced or completed. If the deal goes through, China Rare Earth Group would take control of Shenghe’s interests in foreign companies, including its 3 per cent stake in MP Materials. The US rare earths company counts the US Department of...
Macro perspective: Outside China, the US Fed raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.75per cent-4.00per cent as expected, the first hike since July 2023, with a unanimous FOMC vote. The dot plot showed one more possible rate hike in 2026, extending the period of high interest rates. As a result, US Treasuries saw heavy selling, the US dollar and real yields rose, directly weighing on the valuation of dollar-denominated nonferrous metals. Geopolitically, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz persisted, with Iran claiming the strait was under its "smart control," and a regional shipping security meeting originally scheduled in Oman was forced to be postponed, raising energy transport and risk premiums. Overall, macro sentiment was mixed. Fundamentals: Supply side, this week, China's weekly...
According to SMM statistics, as of September 17, aluminium billet inventory in major domestic consumption areas recorded 152,500 tonnes, down 500 tonnes from last Thursday (September 10) and down 5,000 tonnes from this Monday (September 14). The persistent upward trend in inventory since mid-August has shifted slightly, turning into a modest pullback from highs. On a Y-o-Y basis, inventory was approximately 17,500 tonnes higher than the same period in 2025, about 31,000 tonnes higher than 2024, and roughly 61,000 tonnes higher than 2023, with total inventory still at the highest level for the same period over the past four years. From the perspective of warehouse withdrawals, aluminium billet withdrawals during September 7–September 14 recorded 38,900 tonnes, up 2,800 tonnes W-o-W, ending...
The supply question is becoming particularly relevant as North American extrusion demand becomes more diversified. Construction remains an important consumption base, but transportation, electrical and electronics, industrial applications and digital infrastructure are creating additional requirements for higher-performance aluminium extrusion profiles. The shift is also changing what buyers need from suppliers, with greater emphasis on precision, complex geometries, automotive-grade alloys and thermal-management capabilities. North American aluminium extrusion usage is estimated at 2.91 million tonnes in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 2 per cent . The region is therefore set for incremental demand, even as its extrusion supply chain continues to evolve. North America’s...
Novelis is cutting roughly one-third of its workforce at its Kingston, Ontario, aluminium facility, with the company citing the impact of US tariffs on aluminium imported from Canada. The company is reducing its salaried workforce by 10 employees and temporarily laying off approximately 70 hourly workers, according to a statement issued by Novelis on Friday, September 18. The cuts affect roughly one-third of the facility's workforce. “These are difficult decisions that affect our colleagues and their families, and we are supporting those impacted through this transition,” Novelis said. Novelis pointed to the Section 232 duties imposed by the US on aluminium imported from Canada as the reason behind the workforce reduction. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of...
Saudi Arabia’s aluminium consumption could climb to as much as 1.8 million tonnes a year by 2030, as the Kingdom ramps up infrastructure and industrial development ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Ahmad Al-Alshaikh, executive vice president of Maaden’s Aluminum Business Unit, said demand is expected to reach at least 1.6 million tonnes annually by 2030, up from around 1 million tonnes currently. Consumption could potentially double over the next five to seven years, he said. Speaking on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets International Aluminium Conference in Budapest, Al-Alshaikh said construction of 15 new stadiums for the football tournament is helping to support aluminium demand, Reuters reported. Major exhibitions and preparations for the World Cup are also expected to contribute to...
The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...
According to SMM statistics, as of September 11, days of in-factory inventories at aluminium rod plants in China recorded 8.06 days, up 0.43 days W-o-W; the inventory ratio rose from 100.95 per cent to 102.86 per cent, up 1.91 percentage points. Looking at the trend over the past five weeks, inventories continued to consolidate at highs, with the inventory ratio staying above 100 per cent in the upper range for the year, as destocking and restocking alternated without a clear one-way trend. Over the same period, the combined operating rate of industry leaders in the aluminium rod sector recorded 72.50 per cent, down 0.46 percentage points W-o-W, pulling back slightly after stabilising at 72.96 per cent for three consecutive weeks, and overall remaining at low levels. The combination of...
Aluminium scrap: This week, China's aluminium scrap market prices followed the decline before partially rebounding, with the centre pulling back alongside primary aluminium. As of September 17, SMM A00 aluminium prices closed at RMB 24,180 per tonne, down RMB 380 per tonne from RMB 24,560 per tonne last Thursday, while domestic aluminium scrap prices followed the decline by a relatively limited margin. In terms of price spreads, on September 17, the price difference between A00 aluminium and mixed aluminium extrusion scrap free of paint in Foshan stood at approximately RMB 2,468 per tonne, and the price difference between A00 aluminium and shredded aluminium tense scrap stood at approximately RMB 1,247 per tonne, with the aluminium tense scrap price spread narrowing further W-o-W. On the...
Impact Minerals Limited has raised approximately AUD 2.2 million (USD 1.56 million) before costs through a renounceable rights issue, providing additional funding to advance its two high-purity alumina projects in Australia. The company issued nearly 69 million new shares and approximately 46 million options under the capital raising, which was launched in August. Impact Minerals said the offer received strong participation from existing shareholders, including full take-up by its major German family office investor. Any remaining shortfall shares may be placed within three months, subject to the allocation policy outlined in the offer. Funding targets pilot and customer qualification work The fresh capital will support development of Impact Minerals’ Lake Hope and Alluminous high-purity...
The USD 4 billion Oklahoma aluminium smelter project planned by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum is facing a new hurdle in Inola, where the city council has extended a moratorium on smelter permits and called a referendum on the proposed facility. The 750,000-tonne-per-year aluminium smelter, announced in January, is expected to more than double current US primary aluminium production and would be the first new primary aluminium smelter in the country in almost 50 years. It would also become the largest source of primary aluminium in the Western Hemisphere. The project has taken on added importance as the US imports roughly 60 per cent of the primary aluminium it uses. Aluminium is essential to transportation, defence, aerospace and electrical infrastructure, making...
Prysmian and Rio Tinto are supplying electrical cables made with ELYSIS aluminum for installation at an Amazon data center near Columbus, Ohio, marking what the companies describe as the first known use of aluminum produced with inert-anode smelting technology in a data center. The collaboration brings together aluminum produced using ELYSIS technology, Prysmian’s cable manufacturing, and Amazon’s data center infrastructure. The cables are being produced and shipped from Prysmian’s facility in Sedalia, Missouri. ELYSIS technology is designed to eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from the aluminum smelting process, producing oxygen instead of carbon dioxide and perfluorocarbons. Prysmian and Rio Tinto previously announced the introduction of ELYSIS-produced aluminum into building...
Vedanta Aluminium Metal has appointed Abhinav Gupta as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jharsuguda, effective July 2026, adding a finance executive with more than two decades of experience across Vedanta and Hindustan Zinc to the Odisha operation. Gupta joins Vedanta Aluminium from Vedanta Sesa Goa Iron Ore, where he served as Deputy CFO for the Iron Ore Business from December 2021 to June 2026. In his new position, Gupta will oversee the Jharsuguda unit’s financial strategy and business planning, along with cash flow, working capital, capital allocation, cost management, risk management, compliance, and governance. 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 &...
Vedanta Aluminium could see a 31 per cent upside from its current market price, with Kotak Neo retaining a ‘Buy’ rating and a price target of INR 540 as it expects a firm aluminium market to support the company's earnings growth. The research house expects global aluminium markets to remain tight through calendar year 2028, with project execution challenges potentially limiting the pace of new supply from Indonesia. It said the market may be underestimating the durability of the aluminium upcycle and Vedanta Aluminium's earnings growth potential. Vedanta Aluminium Metal shares were trading 3.02 per cent higher at INR 416.50 on Friday, September 18, 2026, compared with the previous close of approximately INR 404.30. The stock has declined around 8 per cent over the past month. At INR...
US-based Strategic Bauxite Inc. is preparing to expand its refractory-grade bauxite operations in Guyana after acquiring Guyana-based First Bauxite LLC in July. The company’s plans were discussed during a recent meeting between US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot and Strategic Bauxite executives. The proposed investment is expected to expand mining and processing capacity in the country while strengthening the supply of refractory-grade bauxite. The expansion is backed by USD 85.5 million in US government equity funding through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme, alongside USD 64.5 million in private-sector co-investment. Guyana mine and calcination capacity to expand According to the US Embassy, the combined USD 150 million investment will support an...
