Downstream aluminium is where geopolitics meets the shop floor. Tariffs, shipping disruption, regulation and shifting demand are deciding who rolls the metal, who gets it and what it becomes, whether a beer can, a battery housing or a length of wire. Fifteen recent developments across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania depict how aluminium flat rolled products (FRPs), packaging and electric vehicle (EV) demand are being rerouted, and where traders, exporters and buyers may need to adjust. Aluminium FRP and wire: tariffs and policy redraw the flows The tariff debate has reached the bar counter. In Virginia, Democrat Tom Perriello is campaigning on aluminium tariffs that he says raise brewers’ packaging costs. Across the border, a Windsor, Ontario brewery reports its...
The global aluminium industry is entering a new phase of competition, with access to raw materials, affordable energy and production capacity increasingly shaping the position of major producers. China is preparing a large overseas smelting expansion, Ghana is attracting investment in its bauxite reserves, and India and Vietnam are advancing new aluminium projects. However, the expansion drive comes against a complicated market backdrop. Alumina prices have fallen sharply, energy and logistics costs remain significant, and trade policies are reshaping the economics of production and exports. Together, these developments point to a market in which securing resources is only part of the challenge; converting them into competitive aluminium will matter just as much. Africa’s bauxite...
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Hindalco Industries Limited continued to reduce its aluminium products and aluminium ingot prices, with effect from Saturday, March 12, in response to LME aluminium price fall by US$63 per tonne on Friday, March 11. Hindalco cut its aluminium wire rod price by INR 4,000 per tonne to bring it to 313,600 per tonne versus INR 317,600 per tonne on March 11. Hindalco also axed its aluminium billets price by INR 4,000 per tonne on March 12 to sell the product at INR 316,600 per tonne. On March 11, the company was selling its aluminium billets at INR 320,600 per tonne, down by INR 2,750 per tonne from the previous day. With effect from March 12, the company’s aluminium ingot price stood at INR 302,500 per tonne as against INR 306,500 per tonne on March 11. Hindalco links its aluminium ingot and...
In December 2021, US exported 8,980 tonnes of aluminium scrap to Thailand. On a month-on-month forefront a drop of 630 tonnes or 6.55% was recorded. In November 2021, 9,610 tonnes of aluminium scrap was exported to Thailand from the United States, heightened by 5,130 tonnes from 4,480 tonnes in October 2021. The total amount of US aluminium scrap exported to Thailand in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021 scored at 23,070 tonnes, showing a Q-o-Q growth of 7,830 tonnes or 51.37% from 15,240 tonnes in Q3 2021. In the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, Thailand imported a total of 15,240 tonnes of aluminium scrap from the United States. Thailand imported a total of 15,240 tonnes of aluminium scrap from the United States in the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, a drop of 1,020 tonnes or 6.27% from 16,260...
According to a report on Friday, March 11, four major players in the Middle East from the aluminium and energy sector announced a joint initiative that would unlock significant development of solar power generation capacity in Abu Dhabi, progress power asset and generation optimisation, and decarbonise EGA’s aluminium production in the UAE. The companies that have conceived the initiative are - Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), Dubal Holding, and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC). The initiative is expected to advance TAQA and Dubal Holding’s growth strategies, enable EGA to become a leader in the global aluminium industry’s net zero drive by 2050, and aid EWEC reduce carbon intensity of the energy sector. However, the initiative...
On 11 th March 2022, Dr Tapan Kumar Chand, the former Chairman and Managing Director of Nalco and presently the President of Vedanta’s Odisha and Chattisgarh aluminium operations stated that the state government of Odisha needs to step up to resolute the coal crisis. Following the challenge of the coal crisis, the local industries are countering which is driving to power shortage. However, this will impact the competitiveness of enterprises since power is the vital source for running manufacturing facilities. During the final session of Entrepreneurship Week organized by UCCI, Dr Chand made the above statements. Other than him being the former chairman of National Aluminium Company (NALCO) and the current President of Vedanta’s Odisha and Chattisgarh aluminium operations, he is also a...
According to the Shanghai Metals Market, A00 aluminium ingot price in China has slightly increased by RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 21,900 per tonne on Monday, March 14. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 21,880 per tonne and RMB 21,920 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 60-20 per tonne. Chongqing has seen the highest growth of RMB 110 per tonne to come in at RMB 21,880 per tonne, followed by the rise of RMB 60 per tonne in Tianjin to RMB 21,920 per tonne. In Foshan, Gongyi, and Hangzhou, A00 aluminium ingot price has gained RMB 50 per tonne, RMB 40 per tonne, and RMB 25 per tonne to settle at RMB 21,870 per tonne, RMB 21,900 per tonne, and RMB 21,905 per tonne, respectively. Primary aluminium ingot price in Wuxi and Shenyang has...
LME aluminium opened at US$3,400 per tonne last Friday and closed at US$3,480 per tonne, an increase of US$80 per tonne or 2.35%. On Friday, March 11, LME aluminium prices dropped after witnessing subsequent increases for the past few weeks owing to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. Both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price slipped by US$60 per tonne or 1.81% and US$63 per tonne or 1.78%, to close at US$3,470 per tonne and US$3,472 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price also witnessed a drop of US$30.5 per tonne and US$31 per tonne to register at US$3,499.50 per tonne and US$3,500 per tonne. For the same day, December 23 bid price and December 23 offer price slumped by US$33 per tonne to total at 3,265 per tonne and US$3,270 per tonne....
The Bergen-based shipping company Silver Sea owned cargo fleet Silver Dania, which sails under the Norwegian flag, is carrying 4000 tonnes of Russian made aluminium from St. Petersburg to arrive at Karmoy, Norway, as confirmed by Kristin Karlstad, the Head of Communication & Public Affairs at Hydro Aluminium Metal. It has been further stated that the bulk aluminium stock coming from Russia were in Hydro's possession since early February 2022. “The current delivery is part of an existing, contract, entered into with a trading house before the war in Ukraine broke out, as several Russian companies and individuals were subject to severe sanctions”, Karlstad added. However, she did not specify the name of the trading house nor did she spell the name of the metal producer from where the metal...
In light of the current crisis and increased sanctions on Russia, a lot of changes had taken place in the metal industry. To begin with, Press Metal, a Malaysian aluminium firm is ramping up production capacity to produce additional value-added aluminium products following the completion of its new phase three smelter at Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu, Sarawak's central area. The effect of the crisis had also affected the automotive and aircraft industries heavily. FONNOV ALUMINIUM, a well-known and experienced Chinese aluminium extrusion manufacturer specialising in high-quality bespoke extrusions and fabricated aluminium products, has enhanced its services to better serve the Chinese domestic market with aluminium extrusion and profiles. The automakers and aerospace sector are...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has slashed its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices, with effect from Friday, March 11, in tandem with the lowering trend after March 9. NALCO has reduced its aluminium ingot price sharply by INR 40,600 per tonne or 11.72 per cent to INR 305,850-309,350 per tonne. With effect from March 8, the ingot price stood at INR 346,450-349,950 per tonne, seeing an exponential growth of INR37,200 per tonne. NALCO’s aluminium wire rod price has also seen a cut of INR 40,600 per tonne on March 11 to come in at INR 308,350-312,700 per tonne from INR 348,950 – 353,300 per tonne on March 8. NALCO’s aluminium billets selling price is now hovering around INR 309,300-311,950 per tonne versus the earlier price of INR 349,900- 352,550 per tonne. NALCO links...
The week had been a quite eventful one, owing to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. As a knock-on effect from the war, a lot of changes had been taking place in the alumina industry. To begin with, Irish government has been petitioned to prohibit all Russia ships from entering the Irish territorial waters. Apart from this, Rio Tinto, the world's second-largest metals and mining firm, has begun a critical evaluation of its partnership agreement with Rusal, the Russian aluminium behemoth, for a Queensland venture, as it seeks to break any economic ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Also, the alumina output in China for February 2022 stood at 5.47 million tonnes, reflecting a downfall of 15.85% month-on-month. The Ireland government has been petitioned to disallow all...
On 12 th March 2022, the executive branch of the European Union, the European Commission has elongated for five years the anti-dumping duties which in force on imports of aluminium household foil from China. However, this extension follows an inquiry which exhibited that dumping by Chinese exporters pursues amid the measures in place and if the withdrawal for measures comes on board, it would cause a dent to the EU industry. The anti-dumping duties will prevail at their present level of between 6.4% and 30%. The European Union absorbs around €200 million worth of aluminium household foil annually and is a very alluring market for China, as it has a significant spare production capacity to expand its exports to the EU. The existing appraise on imports of Chinese aluminium household foil...
Sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, resulting in supply disruptions and metal price rally, has been occupying the news headlines in the global aluminium industry for over a week now. This week, the LME aluminium benchmark price touched a new high US$3,984.50 per tonne on March 7 but stepped down the next day to US$3,500.50 per tonne. However, on the two following days, the LME price rose to US$3,532 per tonne and US$3535 per tonne, which closed the week lower on March 11 by US$63 per tonne to US$3,472 per tonne. To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/lme-aluminium-benchmark-price-touched-new-high-this-week-before-closing-at-us3-472-t-shfe-fell-behind-lme-at-us3455-t-77820 But A00 aluminium ingot price in China mostly saw declines through the week. It started with a hike...
LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price opened the week on March 7 with a new high, driven by metal supply disruptions due to increased international sanctions of Russia. Both the prices augmented by US$133.5 per tonne or 3.46 per cent to peg at US$3,983.50 per tonne and US$3,984.50 per tonne. The next day, March 8, the prices plummeted by US$483.50 per tonne and US$484 per tonne to come in at US$3,500 per tonne and US$3,500.50 per tonne, respectively. However, on March 9, LME prices rose again, buoyed by the pertinent danger of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, to settle at US$3,530 per tonne and US$3,532 per tonne. The prices increased subsequently, although much lower, on March 10 to US$3,534 per tonne and US$3,535 per tonne, but closed the week on...
Minth Group, a a global auto components manufacturer, on Thursday announced the opening of a 100 million euro ($110.3 million) production factory in Loznica, western Serbia. The facility will make aluminium parts for automobiles that will be mainly provided to BMW, Renault, and Toyota. The facility will employ over 1,000 employees, and also aims to construct other production units in Serbia, employing around 3,000 people in total, said Vucci. Minth Automotive Europe, Minth Automobile Parts Balkan, and Minth Metal Parts Balkan are the three subsidiaries of Minth Group in Serbia. Minth also has a production site at Sabac, located in the west of Loznica. It is also constructing a second facility in the city to manufacture metal components for automobile bodywork.
The Russian billionaire industrialist and oligarch Oleg Deripaska, the founder of Russian aluminium giant Rusal and his company, which owns the largest alumina refinery of Europe, Auginish Alumina in Limerick has been sanctioned by the UK government. The sanctions undertake an asset freeze, a travel ban and a prohibition on British firms and individuals from dealing with Deripaska’s businesses. The most technologically advanced and energy-efficient facility in the world of an alumina refinery, Auginish Alumina located near Foynes on the Shannon Estuary, employs 450 people at the refinery including a port. It was claimed that Deripaska has close ties to the British establishment as reported to €2.4 billion and a large property portfolio in London.
As part of the commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050, Hydro has reportedly brought in a change in the use of energy by inaugurating the operation of a new electric boiler, equipped with more modern technology and greater capacity, at its Alunorte alumina refinery. The boiler will be able to cut carbon emissions by 100,000 tonnes per year, with steam generation capacity of about 95 tonnes per hour, consuming 60 megawatts. The installation of a new electric boiler has costed Hydro BRL 42 million and taken about 20 month time. Initially, the boiler will operate with energy purchased from the market. Hydro is also studying the addition of two more electric boilers, expected to start operating in 2024. Carlos Neves, Hydro’s director of operations for Bauxite & Alumina in Brazil, said:...
FONNOV ALUMINIUM prominent and experienced aluminium extrusion producer in China, specialized in high-quality custom extrusions and fabricated aluminium products, has upgraded its services to better serve the Chinese domestic market with aluminium extrusion and profiles. Extruded aluminium profiles, machined aluminium components, and fabricated aluminium products for industries in China are all on the horizon for the firm. FONNOV ALUMINIUM, founded in 2004, has been actively producing and marketing aluminium extrusions and aluminium profiles for over a decade. Customized aluminium extrusion profiles, aluminium tubes, aluminium heatsinks, slotted aluminium extrusion, woodgrain aluminium battens, and much more are all available from the firm. FONNOV ALUMINIUM has finished a new extrusion...
After increasing aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices on March 10, Hindalco Industries Limited cuts them the next day. With effect from Friday, March 11, the company has reduced its aluminium ingot price by INR 2,750 per tonne or 0.90 per cent to INR 306,500 per tonne. On March 10, the price was raised by INR 2,500 per tonne to INR 309,250 per tonne. Hindalco has also axed its aluminium wire rod price by INR 2,750 per tonne from INR 320,350 per tonne on March 10 to INR 317,600 per tonne on March 11. With effect from March 11, the company’s aluminium billets selling price has come in at INR 320,600 per tonne versus INR 323,350 per tonne. Hindalco links its aluminium ingot and aluminium products prices to the three-month future of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange, which grew...
