Alumina imports in the United States increased in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, although imports fell sharply in the second quarter. Total imports reached 712,000 tonnes in H1 2026, up 2.7 per cent from 693,000 tonnes in H1 2025. The H1 2024 total was 495,000 tonnes. Imports in Q1 2026 reached 446,000 tonnes, up 32 per cent from 337,000 tonnes in Q1 2025. However, imports dropped to 266,000 tonnes in Q2 (a 25 per cent decline) from 356,000 tonnes in the same quarter a year earlier. Brazil remains the largest supplier Brazil remained the largest exporter of alumina to the US during the period covered by the data. Its shipments reached 568,000 tonnes in H1 2026, around 5 per cent increase from 542,000 tonnes in H1 2025. In H1 2024, Brazil supplied 430,000...
Middle East crude exports ended September at roughly their pre-conflict levels and exceeded them on several days, according to Reuters. However, the recovery is far less complete for other Gulf commodities. Diesel and gasoline shipments were running at 58 per cent of pre-conflict volumes, while LNG, fertiliser, aluminium and helium were recovering more slowly. The uneven rebound highlights why crude flows alone do not provide a complete picture of trade through the Strait of Hormuz. For commodities with lower margins, limited routing options or specialised infrastructure requirements, the cost of moving cargoes and repairing damaged facilities continues to weigh on supply. Crude can absorb the cost of moving through Hormuz Supertanker rates for voyages from the Middle East to China...
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Introduction From the dawn of the twenty-first century, work has become more interesting across various sectors and industries. In most cases, the contribution towards the excitement and exuberance came from technology. For example, at the beginning of the century, digitization took the next leap towards digitalization, and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software came to the forefront. Companies like SAP, Oracle and Microsoft enjoyed huge success thanks to the high adoption rates of their respective ERP solutions. From recruitment to retirement, from receiving the order to realizing the payment, from procurement to making payment to an invoice, transparent reporting – the reason for the wide adoption of ERP had been the aim to achieve more and more efficiency and less human error....
On Monday, December 5, 2022, representatives from Bechtel and Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), one of the biggest aluminium smelters in the world, met virtually to discuss many issues of relevance to both parties. Alba granted International Bechtel Co. Ltd. (Bechtel) the contract to carry out the feasibility study for the Line 7 Project at the virtual meeting. “We are delighted of the partnership we have developed with Bechtel throughout the years, which has translated into awarding them Line 7 Project’s Feasibility Study. This proposed project underlines our ambition to grow organically and will further cement our position as one of the largest environment-friendly smelters in the world,” said Alba’s Chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa. Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al...
PSI Metals has joined hands with PSI FLS Fuzzy Logik & Neuro Systeme to introduce the Qualicision-based PSImetals Casthouse Scheduler at European aluminium manufacturer, Alu-met's place. This will further enhance the aluminium extrusion production planning process. Alu-met GmbH is a European conglomeration of companies producing and supplying precisely engineered aluminium extrusion bolts. Expert advice is provided by Germany's Aluminium GmbH Nachrodt and the Austrian Speedline Aluminium-Gießerei GmbH. Both plants produce 150,000 tonnes of aluminium extrusion billets each year, serving the entire Central European market. The units are constantly under supervision to see if there is any requirement for an increased production rate, keeping electricity use under control. They have been...
Stadler has intertwined itself in an agreement with VR Group, according to which it needs to provide 20 single-decker FLIRT electric multiple units (EMU) in Finland. The latest trains will flaunt a lightweight aluminium construction making the vehicles sustainable. The four-coach trains will have a capacity for 796 passengers and a total of 356 seats. The lightweight aluminium rakes can reach a speed of 160 kilometres per hour and be utilised for local transportation around the Helsinki and Tampere area. Slowly they will be introduced as intercity commutes. The contract requires Stadler to deliver additional spare parts with another shipment of 50 multiple units and a full-service extension. These new trains will act as the skeleton of the VR Group in introducing more sustainable railway...
Recently, Airbus went on to launch DisruptiveLab, a new helicopter to test flight technologies for enhancing aircraft performance and decreasing the carbon footprint left by helicopters. The helicopter features aerodynamic aluminium and composite fuselage specifically made to reduce drag and decrease fuel consumption. DisruptiveLab will be crucial for estimating the new aerodynamic architecture that helps to cut down the fuel intake. The helicopter will have a dual nature wherein a fully parallel hybrid propulsion system will charge the battery during flight. The new specimen will be ready for its first flight by the end of 2022, and associates are eagerly waiting for the simulation results. Other than that, Airbus and Neste have agreed upon a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly uphold...
The Council of State (Netherlands) announced that the aluminium can deposit scheme will be executed by April 1, 2023, and not on January 1, 2023, as proposed earlier by Vivianne Heijnen, state secretary for the environment in the Netherlands. As per the reports, since there won't be enough machines by the start of next year for the system to work, the top administrative court decided to delay the rollout of the deposit scheme. Additionally, stores' manual gathering would create several practical issues. Enraged environmental organisations have responded by alleging that the corporate world deliberately obstructed the new system's implementation. The Council of State considers that this approach serves the public interest better than a gradual implementation. The importance of the system's...
Andover-based MRT Castings have been hailed as the Company of the Year at Industry awards for its exceptional business strategies that tripled the size of its operations during the long nights of Covid-19. MRT Castings not only did increase its activities but successfully supplied cast aluminium components for the creation of critical care ventilators, which had extreme demand at the time of the pandemic. The firm also impressed the judges on humanitarian grounds, which led to the win. MRT had to surpass many eligible contenders. The company was also recognised as the 'best of British casting' at the current UK Cast Metal Industry Awards 2022, which had a guest toll of about 200 heads. Company officials invested over £3.5m in acquiring seven auxiliary CNC machines and two additional...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,477 per tonne last Friday and closed at US$2,556 per tonne, an increase of US$81 per tonne or 3.27 per cent. On December 2, Friday LME aluminium cash bid price and the LME aluminium official settlement price went up US$18 per tonne or 0.74 per cent, closing the week at US$2,448 per tonne and US$2,448.50 per tonne, respectively. The 3-month bid price saw an escalation of US$17.50 per tonne or 0.71 per cent, settling at US$2,477 per tonne, while the 3-month offer price had a price hike of US$18.50 per tonne or 0.75 per cent, resting at US$2,479 per tonne. December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price both gained US$15 per tonne or 0.59 per cent, stopping at US$2,540 per tonne and US$2,545 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock had to lose 1,225 tonnes or...
On Monday, December 5, the average alumina spot price in China hiked by RMB 13 per tonne to settle at RMB 2,833 per tonne. The price in Shanxi closed at RMB 2,870 per tonne after recording a growth of RMB 20 per tonne. On the same day, prices in Shandong and Guangxi increased by RMB 15 per tonne to reside at RMB 2,765 per tonne and RMB 2,755 per tonne. In Guizhou and Henan, the prices went up by RMB 10 per tonne and RMB 5 per tonne to clock at RMB 2,770 per tonne and RMB 2,905 per tonne. Lianyungang and Bayuquan remained restrained at RMB 2,875 per tonne and RMB 2,900 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price has ascended by RMB 190 per tonne to stop at RMB 19,520 per tonne, with the average prices ranging between RMB 19,500 per tonne and RMB 19,540 per tonne. The spot contract price is...
Sohar International Bank is committed to driving sustainable growth and supports key national projects that add value to the Sultanate of Oman's economy. Thus, the bank participated in the opening ceremony of Sanvira Carbon FZC LLC (SCL), a large-scale manufacturing project financed by Sohar International Bank and Sohar Islamic. The factory's inauguration, located at Sohar Port and Freezone, was held under the patronage of H.E. Salim bin Nasser bin Said Al Aufi, Minister of Oil and Gas. Among those present at the inauguration was Abdul Wahid Al Murshidi, Chief Islamic Banking Officer, Sohar International. As part of the event, several business leaders, government officials, and media representatives were also present. Ahmed Al Musalmi, the Chief Executive Officer of Sohar International,...
The shipyard's DNA will be fully expressed in Project YN 20857, also known as Project Setteesettanta, which will have distinctive technological and design aspects. One of the few shipyards in the world that specializes in building lightweight aluminium yachts, Heesen was the first to use the incredibly fuel-efficient Fast Displacement Hull Form, a ground-breaking design by van Oossanen Naval Architects that can save fuel usage by up to 20%. YN 20857, which is 57 metres long and has an interior volume of 920 GT, perfectly complements the shipyard's line of products. Heesen is an expert at utilizing its cutting-edge shipyard in Oss by offering a well-balanced selection of Custom, Smart Custom, and Series yacht designs. The yard is currently building 14 yachts ranging in size from 50 to 80...
Leo Varadkar, the deputy prime minister of Ireland, was told by Rusal chief executive Evgenii Nikitin that a boycott of his company's aluminium would have "significant systemic effects" on the European manufacturing sector. Rusal is one of the leading aluminium producers in the world and is the owner of the Aughinish Alumina refinery on the Shannon estuary that produces 1.9 million tonnes of alumina per year. The Limerick-based alumina refinery accounts for 30 per cent of the total alumina production in Western Europe, which is exported to smelters to be converted into primary aluminium. The Irish alumina refinery is Europe's largest and most technologically advanced, with 450 employees. In August, Nikitin wrote to Varadkar that while the company had not been subject to any new sanctions,...
Vedanta Limited trimmed its aluminium products and aluminium ingot price by INR 1,500 per tonne on Saturday, December 3. That brought the company’s aluminium wire rod price to INR 235,250-242,750 per tonne versus INR 236,750-244,250 per tonne on December 2. With the latest cut, Vedanta’s aluminium billet price came in at INR 236,750 per tonne compared to INR 238,250 per tonne on December 2. Vedanta’s aluminium ingot price hovered around INR 227,750-258,750 per tonne as of December 3 as against INR 229,250-260,250 per tonne on December 2. Vedanta curtailed its aluminium products and aluminium ingot prices on December 3 despite the rally of the three-month futures of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange by US$18 per tonne on December 2 from US$2,430.50 per tonne to US$2,448.50 per tonne....
On November 29, 2022, the German equipment provider to the metal industry, SMS Group, headquartered in Dusseldorf, announced its cooperation with South Korea’s LOTTE Group. With 150 years of experience, SMS Group is recognized as a future-oriented technology and outstanding service in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the metals industry. In August of this year, LOTTE announced that its subsidiaries LOTTE Chemical and LOTTE Aluminium had joined forces to create a manufacturing facility in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, to produce 36,000 tonnes of cathode foil annually. According to a statement by Kentucky state governor Andy Beshear, this substance is a form of ultra-thin aluminium foil that is a core material utilized in EV batteries. South Korea’s leading conglomerate, LOTTE...
The aluminium recycling sector has witnessed enormous initiative this week, with Vivarail seeking a new administrator to run its aluminium train refurbishing business, an operation that has largely benefited the London Railways for many years. Trivium Packaging, a global provider of packaging solutions, has locked a deal with Alupro, a recycler of end-of-life aluminium packaging, to widely propagate UK's Aerosol Recycling Initiative. Trivium assured Alupro of full support on financial grounds. As the world is moving toward sustainability with big brands leading the movement, Manush Labs, an MIT spin-off, joined in agreement over a 'Clean Technology Start-up Challenge' to achieve Net Zero by 2050. A total of 37,815 tonnes of aluminium packaging were collected for recycling between July and...
Equispheres Inc. supports the contented brains that created all inventions that revolutionised the additive manufacturing sector. Recently, it collaborated with Morf3D to identify fresh, high-performance aluminium powders that boost the efficiency and performance of the metal additive manufacturing (AM) industry. At the Make in Odisha 2022 Conclave on Thursday, December 1, according to reports, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik officially broke ground for Vedanta's massive aluminium park by pressing a ceremonial button in front of the company's chairman Anil Agarwal. The aerospace-grade 7050 and 7075, as well as the premium aluminium alloys 2024 and 6061, will be developed by SLM Solutions and Elementum 3D by 2023. SLM announced its most recent acquisition of the NXG XII 600E, coupled...
According to the government's official accounts, the Scottish Government spent £350 million on unsuccessful deals and endeavours during the most recent fiscal year. Recent Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts reveal that a significant amount of money was squandered on failed projects despite the need to fund them. Its main source of concern stems from its contentious deal with Sanjeev Gupta, who acquired the Lochaber aluminium smelter in 2016. A significant potential expense is associated with the 25-year agreement to guarantee payments for energy generation from the hydro network that feeds the aluminium smelter near Fort William. Ministers have set aside £114 million in their accounts, with a potential cost of £32 million annually. The agreement with Gupta, who is currently the...
Rimowa, the high-quality luggage manufacturer, has collaborated with digital fashion company RTFKT to bring its renowned luggage brand to the metaverse via two NFT (non-fungible tokens) drops. Together, they have unveiled a line of 888 limited-edition luggage, which are only available through purchases of NFTs. The Rimowa X RTFKT collaboration's Original Cabin suitcase has the model's unique grooves and is built of premium anodized aluminium, making it incredibly light. As a result of the partnership, 2,222 "WorkerBot" NFTs will be made available. The luggage will be available in physical and digital forms (thus the term "Phygital"). To mint their NFTs, users must reactivate a Rimowa x RTFKT space station. Then there is a "forging" event where owners of NFT may come and use it to purchase...
