PV aluminium extrusion: This week, operating rates among sampled PV frame enterprises showed divergence. Some top-tier PV frame enterprises in Anhui and Hebei continued to run at relatively full operating rates; some other small and medium-sized integrated industrial extrusion enterprises reported that, for profitability considerations, they have proactively controlled production and reduced PV frame orders after the holiday, but their PV frame orders are limited, having little impact on the overall PV aluminium extrusion operating rate. From the downstream module side, October module scheduled production is expected to edge up from September, but the growth falls short of expectations, with China's scheduled production increasing by only 1-2 GW, providing limited support for PV-related...
This week, the overseas aluminium market overall remained in the doldrums. Weak demand continued to be the core issue across major markets, with offer prices in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the US, and China generally under pressure. Trading activity was sluggish, and the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers persisted, with the market lacking clear directional guidance overall. Japan: MJP negotiations continue, market sentiment remains subdued The Japanese market remained relatively quiet this week, with focus still on the progress of Q4 MJP negotiations. Some sellers are still negotiating premiums with buyers, but the two sides have significant differences in price expectations, and negotiations are progressing slowly. As a result, the MJP market remains subdued, with limited spot...
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The ANZ World Commodity Price Index rose 0.6 per cent month on month and 1.0 per cent year on year, with prices increasing across most categories. The rise was largely driven by higher energy prices, while a weaker New Zealand dollar pushed the index in local-currency terms up 2.8 per cent. Oil surge lifts aluminium prices along with milk powder Aluminium benefited from supply disruption linked to the Middle East conflict. Prices rose 1.1 per cent during September and are around 23 per cent higher year on year, with production and exports in the region remaining disrupted. Dairy prices increased 1.0 per cent in September, led by skim milk powder. Prices for the product jumped 9.2 per cent month on month and are now 41.1 per cent higher than a year earlier. ANZ said milk powder prices are...
Mexico is approaching the final stages of negotiations with the United States on reducing tariffs on aluminum and steel products, with officials indicating that a deal could significantly lower the effective tariff burden on Mexican exporters. Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez, Mexico’s undersecretary of foreign trade, said talks had made progress during the National Auto Parts Industry congress. Discussions covering the automotive sector are targeting a 15% tariff, which could fall to an effective rate of around 4% to 5% after deductions linked to regional value content. The potential reduction would bring Mexico closer to tariff levels faced by competitors including Japan, South Korea and Germany, improving the position of Mexican suppliers in the US market. Explore the production, demand and...
CLSA expects the Odisha High Court’s dismissal of Vedanta Aluminium Metal’s bauxite petition to have a muted medium-term impact, despite a potential one-time liability and higher aluminium production costs. The Odisha High Court dismissed Vedanta Aluminium’s petition seeking bauxite supplies from Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) at the historical rate of INR 1,000 (USD 10.38) per tonne. CLSA said the order could result in a one-time financial impact of up to USD 290 million, including interest, while also increasing the company’s aluminium production costs. The brokerage estimated OMC’s claim for historical dues at around INR 2,500 crore (USD 59.50 million) before tax, excluding interest. Including interest, the one-time impact could reach USD 290 million, equivalent to around 2.8 per cent...
OCBC has raised its end-2026 aluminium price forecast to about USD 3,150 per tonne from USD 3,050, citing a slower-than-expected recovery in Gulf production, although strong Chinese output is expected to continue offsetting supply disruptions. Three-month aluminium on the London Metal Exchange (LME) fell 0.9 per cent month-on-month in September to USD 3,214 per tonne as of September 29, remaining 2 per cent above OCBC’s third-quarter forecast of USD 3,150. The cash-to-three-month spread was broadly unchanged at a USD 7.40-per-tonne contango, compared with USD 7.60 at the end of August. The spread suggests limited urgency for immediate metal supply despite a continued decline in global exchange inventories. Gulf aluminium recovery loses momentum OCBC said aluminium production across the...
South Korea’s aluminium foil market has entered a stronger phase in 2026, with imports reaching their highest level in five years. But the trade data points to a more specific shift beneath the headline growth: most of the additional aluminium foil entering South Korea is coming from China. South Korea imported 57,261.18 tonnes of aluminium foil from the world in YTD July 2026, up 23.94 per cent from 46,201.68 tonnes in YTD July 2025. Imports stood at 50,840.22 tonnes in YTD 2022, 43,145.18 tonnes in YTD 2023 and 47,238.94 tonnes in YTD 2024, before slipping to 46,201.68 tonnes in 2025, as per ITA. The return to growth is clear, but the supplier data reveals where that recovery is coming from. China supplies 92% of South Korea’s aluminium foil imports China supplied 52,751.81 tonnes of...
Germany’s aluminium flat-rolled products (FRP) market is revealing a striking disconnect between its shrinking primary aluminium base and its still substantial downstream manufacturing capacity. Estimated German FRP consumption reached 1.68 million tonnes in 2025, up from approximately 1.66 million tonnes in 2024, even as domestic primary aluminium production had fallen sharply in previous years. The latest trade data add another layer to the picture. Germany’s combined imports of aluminium plates, sheets and strip above 0.2 mm (CN 7606) and aluminium foil of 0.2 mm or less (CN 7607) reached approximately USD 5.04 billion in 2025, while exports climbed to USD 8.18 billion. That left a combined trade surplus of about USD 3.14 billion across the two FRP categories. Germany remains a net...
Novelis’ recovery of its aluminum operations in Oswego, New York, has helped restore supply for Ford’s F-150 pickup production, with the automaker now sourcing aluminum from the plant again as production ramps up. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the automaker is “fully recovered” from the supplier disruption and has been building F-150 pickups with aluminum sourced from the Novelis Oswego plant for around four weeks. The development marks a significant step in the recovery of the aluminum supply chain supporting Ford’s F-Series trucks. Novelis is a major aluminum supplier for the F-150 and Super Duty, with the metal used extensively in the vehicles’ construction. To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the transportation sector, explore our report " Global Aluminium Casting Market...
As electronics occupy a larger share of the backbone of automotive industry, Europe’s reliance on imported critical minerals is drawing greater attention. A recent bachelor’s thesis from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg has explored the recycling potential of two strategic materials, viz., gallium and germanium, within automotive electronics, particularly in Electronic Control Units (ECUs), which control functions ranging from powertrain systems and safety technologies to battery management in electric vehicles. Although recycling rates for both metals remain negligible today, the study suggests that industrial waste streams, semiconductor scrap and future end-of-life electronics could become important secondary sources if recovery infrastructure develops in time. To learn...
Yantai Port's growing role in China's bauxite and aluminium supply chain has come into focus after its Dezhou-Longkou-Yantai rail freight corridor surpassed 10 million tonnes of total cargo. The milestone was reached as 3,200 tonnes of African bauxite moved from the Shandong port to an aluminium processing plant in Shanxi province. The bauxite shipment departed Yantai Port on September 29, travelling along a railway network that stretches roughly 1,000 kilometres and connects the coastal port with inland industrial markets. The corridor now serves 25 destinations across five provinces and regions - Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia. Six destinations are located in Shandong, while 19 are in other provinces. The scale of the network has expanded alongside its cargo...
European aluminium premiums have climbed to their highest level in almost four months as the market weighs the potential impact of lower US tariffs on Canadian aluminium supplies. The front-month COMEX European duty-paid aluminium premium rose 10 per cent to USD 574 per tonne on October 1, Thursday, according to LSEG data. The premium, which is paid on top of the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price for physical metal, reached its highest level since June 8. Canadian metal flows drive European supply concerns The European premium has risen in recent weeks amid reports that the US could reduce its 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminium imports to 25 per cent. A lower tariff could make the US market more attractive to Canadian producers, potentially reducing the metal available to...
LME aluminium prices softened on October 2 compared with the previous trading day, with cash and three-month prices recording modest declines. LME aluminium stocks also edged lower, while live warrants remained unchanged and cancelled warrants decreased. The LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,109 per tonne on October 2, down from USD 3,119.5 per tonne on October 1, marking a decline of 0.34 per cent. The cash offer price fell to USD 3,109.5 per tonne from USD 3,120 per tonne, down 0.34 per cent. The LME aluminium 3-month bid price declined to USD 3,121.5 per tonne on October 2 from USD 3,130 per tonne on October 1, a decrease of 0.27 per cent. The corresponding offer price fell to USD 3,122 per tonne from USD 3,131 per tonne, down 0.29 per cent. Explore- Most comprehensive and...
Hindalco Industries has terminated its proposed USD 125 million acquisition of US-based speciality alumina producer AluChem Companies after extended delays in closing the transaction. The decision ends a deal announced in June 2025, although Hindalco says its speciality alumina expansion strategy remains firmly in place. Hindalco Industries has called off its proposed acquisition of AluChem Companies Inc., bringing an end to its planned USD 125 million entry into the US-based speciality alumina producer. The Aditya Birla Group's metals flagship and AluChem have jointly decided to terminate the Equity Purchase Agreement (EPA) following prolonged delays in completing the transaction. According to Hindalco's regulatory filing, the delays were beyond the control of either party. "The proposed...
Germany is on track to generate over 600,000 tonnes of solar PV waste by 2030, creating a major recovery opportunity for aluminium and silver. A new study by the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) highlights the approximate raw-material value locked in the country’s installed solar fleet. At the same time, it identifies a key challenge of an efficient recovery of the trapped aluminium and silver. Germany had roughly 5.35 tonnes of PV modules installed by 2023, containing around 660,000 tonnes of aluminium and 3,900 tonnes of silver, with a combined value of about EUR 4.8 billion (USD 5.4 billion) at current prices. These figures have risen considerably since 2023 and would need to almost double by 2030 if Germany is to meet its solar deployment targets. However, turning...
Aughinish Alumina has stepped up its engagement with Irish government representatives and officials as the European Commission considers further measures that could affect alumina exports from its Co Limerick facility to Russia. The increased engagement comes ahead of the next round of EU measures, with some member states expected to seek restrictions on Irish alumina exports to Russia. The European Commission is aiming to implement the measures before winter. Aughinish’s exports have come under increased attention following reports of shipments from the plant to Russian smelters. The resulting aluminium is sold to a company that supplies more than 100 Russian manufacturing companies, according to various industry sources. The latest trade data underlines the scale of the shipments. A...
The proposed Srikakulam aluminium smelter project in Andhra Pradesh is gaining momentum, with around 6,800 acres of saline land earmarked at Mulapeta and Pundi for the large-scale industrial development. The proposal could also bridge Odisha’s alumina industry with Andhra Pradesh’s coastal port infrastructure, forming a potential industrial link between the two states. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu discussed the proposed smelter with Union Minister for Mines G Kishan Reddy in Delhi, highlighting the availability of around 6,800 acres of saline land in Srikakulam district. Out of this, 5,000 acres are located in Mulapeta and 1,800 acres in Pundi. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: “ Global Bauxite &...
Turkiye is moving into a new phase of domestic high-speed train manufacturing, with its first locally developed high-speed electric train now entering mass production. A key feature of the new train is its aluminium body, while the project also brings together locally developed rail systems and a new manufacturing facility in Sakarya. State-owned TÜRASAŞ - Türkiye Raylı Sistem Araçları Sanayii has started manufacturing the second train set, as the first continues its testing programme. The authorities plan to produce 14 trains over 2027 and 2028, marking a shift from prototype development towards series production. Aluminium bodies at the centre of the new train programme Each high-speed train will comprise eight railcars with aluminium bodies and will have a capacity of 577 passengers....
Aluminium recycling is supposed to be the industry’s easiest win — economic and eco-friendly. Interestingly, this is where the plot thickens. Aluminium recycling is moving from a sustainability objective to a strategic supply-chain issue, with scrap availability, domestic recovery, cross-border waste rules and decarbonisation policy influencing where recycled metal can be produced and consumed. Recent developments across Europe, such as the UK and Greece, in the US and India reveal that investment in recycling is accelerating, but access to suitable scrap and the rules governing its movement are becoming equally important. Join the fourth edition of the webinar "Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours" by Jorge Dyszel. Europe wants more recycled aluminium, but what is the...
Vedanta Aluminium Metal Limited is reviewing the Orissa High Court’s decision to dismiss its writ petition challenging provisions of the state’s bauxite linkage policy, with the ruling potentially affecting the company’s bauxite sourcing and costs. The policy governs the allocation of bauxite, a key raw material for aluminium production. Following the court’s decision, Vedanta Aluminium Metal is assessing the judgment and considering further legal options. The court order was uploaded to the Orissa High Court website on October 1, 2026, formalising the decision for market and regulatory stakeholders. While the company has not disclosed any immediate operational changes following the ruling, its review of possible next steps comes amid continued regulatory considerations around raw...
