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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The Aluminium Extruders Council (AEC) today announced the launch of “Look No Further™,” a campaign promoting the capabilities, responsiveness, and innovation of US and Canadian aluminium extruder members of AEC. Developed for manufacturers, engineers, architects, designers, and procurement leaders, the campaign underscores the value of working with AEC extruder members to meet growing demand for aluminium extrusion solutions across transportation, building and construction, consumer products, electrical, machinery and equipment, and other critical markets. “Customers need domestic extrusion partners that can deliver more than shaped aluminium,” said Jason Weber, President of the Aluminium Extruders Council. “The Look No Further™ campaign will reinforce that AEC extruder members offer the...
RUSAL, one of the world's largest producers of low-carbon aluminium, participated in the inaugural edition of INNOPROM India 2026, held from 9-11 September at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It is the first edition of Russia's flagship industrial exhibition to take place in India. At its exhibition stall, RUSAL showcased its portfolio of low-carbon aluminium products, including its flagship ALLOW brand, which is produced using renewable hydropower. The Company also highlighted its expanding engagement with India through strategic investments and workforce development initiatives that support closer industrial cooperation between India and Russia. Mr Roman Borisov, Regional Sales Director, RUSAL, said, "INNOPROM India brings together industry leaders, policymakers and businesses from both...
London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices declined on September 15, with cash, three-month and longer-dated contracts all settling below their previous-session levels. LME warehouse stocks also recorded a small decline, while the Asian reference price and alumina Platts price moved higher. The LME aluminium cash bid price fell 1.53 per cent to USD 3,259.50 per tonne on September 15 from USD 3,310 per tonne previously , while the cash offer price dropped 1.54 per cent to USD 3,260 per tonne from USD 3,311 per tonne. The three-month aluminium bid price decreased 0.64 per cent to USD 3,235 per tonne from USD 3,256 per tonne. The corresponding offer price also slipped 0.64 per cent to USD 3,236 per tonne from USD 3,257 per tonne. For the Dec-27 contract, both the bid and offer price...
China's aluminium production reached a record high in August as strong margins encouraged smelters to maximise output, bringing the world's largest aluminium producer closer to its longstanding national capacity ceiling. Primary aluminium output rose 4.7 per cent year on year to 3.98 million tonnes in August, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Production was also higher than the just-under 3.9 million tonnes recorded in July and was close to the previous monthly record of 3.979 million tonnes set in June. China's aluminium output for the first eight months of 2026 reached 31.12 million tonnes, up 3.9 per cent from the same period a year earlier. At the current pace, annual production would reach around 46.7 million tonnes, above China's 45 million-tonne capacity...
Uno Minda is set to invest around INR 14.15 billion (USD 147.51 million) across four manufacturing expansion and consolidation projects, with a major portion of the spending directed towards increasing its aluminium casting capacity in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The automotive components maker plans to lift aluminium casting capacity at Hosur from around 13,000 tonnes to 34,000 tonnes at peak, representing an increase of about 162 per cent. The expansion will add 21,000 tonnes of capacity and serve demand across two-wheelers, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. The broader investment programme will be implemented over the next two to three years and spans aluminium casting, alloy wheels, moulding, and interior, exterior and sealing components. Uno Minda Managing Director Ravi Mehra said...
North America’s aluminium industry is entering a new era in 2026. As the US races to rebuild primary smelting capacity from near-zero, Canada pairs expansion with low-carbon innovation and recycling. From a USD 4 billion Oklahoma smelter to Quebec’s newly commissioned AP60 plant, here’s how each nation’s projects stack up. The US: Rebuilding primary aluminium capacity The biggest project is the Century Aluminum-Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) joint venture of a 750,000-tonne-per-year primary aluminium smelter planned in Inola, Oklahoma. Announced in January, the investment of around USD 4 billion would become the first new US primary aluminium smelter in almost 50 years and more than double current domestic primary production. The US is also strengthening upstream resilience. The federal...
The European Parliament has backed plans to expand the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to a wider range of steel and aluminium products, including screws, wires, springs and household utensils. MEPs approved the Parliament’s position on the proposed CBAM review with 464 votes in favour, 50 against and 159 abstentions, supporting a broader product scope than initially proposed by the European Commission. The expansion would take the EU’s carbon border system beyond basic raw materials and cover more downstream goods, with the aim of preventing imported products from gaining a cost advantage over European production by avoiding equivalent carbon costs. The Parliament also wants tighter rules to prevent companies from exploiting gaps in the mechanism. Parliament...
Hindalco Industries has partnered with Germany-based digital marketplace Metalshub to introduce a structured online bidding process for spot sales of metallurgical-grade alumina, with the first tender expected between October and December 2026. The initiative aims to bring greater competition and transaction-based price discovery to a segment of the alumina market where most volumes are traditionally traded through long-term contracts. Under the new process, qualified buyers will be able to participate in confidential digital request-for-bid events, allowing multiple bidders to compete for available spot alumina volumes. Metalshub said the approach will generate transaction data from competitive bidding, potentially providing a more transparent reference for spot-market pricing. Digital...
Guinea is looking to expand its partnership with Glencore beyond bauxite exports, with the two sides discussing potential investments in alumina refining, energy and other strategic projects as Conakry seeks to build more processing capacity at home. The discussions follow a more than USD 300 million bauxite pre-financing and offtake agreement signed last week between state-owned Nimba Mining and Glencore. Under the deal, the Swiss commodities group will market 10–12 million tonnes of bauxite annually for five years, giving it a significant position in one of the world's largest bauxite-producing countries. Guinea's Mines Minister Bouna Sylla said the agreement could provide a foundation for a broader partnership across the country's aluminium value chain. "Glencore has indicated strong...
For aluminium recyclers, managing profitability is no longer only about securing scrap, improving recovery rates or controlling operating costs. The timing of purchases, inventory holding, price fixation and customer sales can also influence the final margin that must be achieved. When aluminium prices move during these stages, even a commercially sound transaction can become less profitable. With the evolving market, evolving one's skills is also vital, which includes understanding the concept and effective application of hedging strategies . Why price exposure matters across the recycling cycle An aluminium recycler may purchase scrap at one price, process and hold the material for a period and sell the recovered metal at a later date. Between these transactions, aluminium prices can...
Five years after taking control of Metra, KPS Capital Partners is preparing to hand over the aluminium extrusion company to Poland’s Grupa Kęty in a deal valued at EUR 645 million (USD745 million). The transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027 pending customary approvals, will bring Metra under the ownership of a Warsaw-listed industrial group with an established presence in aluminium extrusion, architectural and sun protection systems, and flexible packaging. For Metra, the deal comes after a period of expansion under KPS. The private equity firm acquired the company in July 2021 and used the following five years to reshape the business through acquisitions, capacity investments and expansion into new markets. During KPS ownership, Metra completed five add-on...
In the first half of 2025, humanity generated more electricity from renewables than from coal for the first time ever. What led to it? It was possible only because of two decades of falling solar panel prices, taller wind turbines, and governments finally treating clean power like an economic opportunity instead of a favour to the planet. But the renewable energy scenario cannot be portrayed as a single global story. To get the full picture, one has to connect dozens of regional stories moving at wildly different speeds. Some countries are already powered almost entirely by sun, wind and water. Others are still warming up. Here is a tour of how renewable energy supply looks across the world’s regions right now, and who is actually leading the charge. The global scorecard: Renewable energy...
Kibar Americas has begun production at the former Novelis aluminium plant in Fairmont, marking the facility’s return to operation more than a year after its sudden closure resulted in the loss of more than 180 jobs. The reopening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local leaders and former plant workers, highlighting the facility’s return as a manufacturing site and Kibar Americas’ plans to build up its workforce. For Fairmont Deputy Mayor Josh Rice, the reopening carried a personal significance. Rice spent 13 years working at the former Novelis plant before its closure, which left him and nearly 200 other employees without work. “It was like a brotherhood, the guys that I had here,” Rice said. “So, when you come here for things like that, I’ve had several tragic things...
Tampa Brass & Aluminum is putting USD 58 million into its Hillsborough County facility following a series of new military contracts. The investment in machinery and equipment will also bring 50 new jobs to the area. The company manufactures components for the US Air Force and US Navy, handling production from raw materials through to finished products for missiles, submarines and other military systems. The new positions will offer an average annual salary of USD 83,200. The expansion comes under the company’s new ownership and will add positions including non-destructive testing technicians and supervisors, quality control inspectors, welding inspectors and nuclear engineering technicians. Tampa chosen for manufacturing expansion Company leadership also considered Amarillo, Texas, before...
The proposed USD 4 billion aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, has entered another review phase as the US continues efforts to strengthen domestic aluminium production. Inola town trustees have unanimously extended the moratorium on the project through April 7, 2027, giving the proposed development a longer pause as local concerns and legal challenges continue to be considered. The latest decision extends the 60-day moratorium approved on June 29, which was originally due to expire on September 28. The town has also voted to put a proposed ordinance banning primary aluminium smelting within Inola city limits before voters on April 7, 2027. Inola project comes after years of efforts to strengthen domestic aluminium manufacturing. Section 232 tariffs, introduced in 2018, aimed to reduce...
Alcoa’s proposed acquisition of South32’s assets is expected to improve its position on the aluminium industry cost curve while expanding its operations across bauxite, alumina and aluminium. The transaction includes a bauxite mine and alumina refinery in Western Australia, located next to Alcoa’s existing operations. It also covers South32’s minority interests in the Alumar smelter and refinery in Brazil, along with the Hillside aluminium smelter in South Africa. Alcoa Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Molly Beerman said the assets were a strong strategic fit with the company’s existing portfolio. Hillside uses technology already operating at two Alcoa smelters, allowing the company to apply its existing technical and operational expertise to the acquired assets. Alcoa...
Futures: The most-traded SHFE aluminium 2610 contract closed at RMB 23,990 per tonne, down RMB 15 from yesterday's settlement price, a decline of 0.06 per cent. It opened at RMB 23,995 per tonne during the day and fluctuated within a range of RMB 23,950-24,055 per tonne. Prices traded below the MA5 (24,262.00), MA10 (24,295.00), and MA30 (24,048.83), but above the MA60 (23,604.42). The short-term upward structure continued to face resistance, with a narrow sideways consolidation pattern emerging, and the short-term moving averages above formed key pressure. The MACD indicator's DIF (127.6789) was below the DEA (155.8754), and the MACD green bar stood at -56.3931, indicating that bullish momentum continued to weaken. The core trading range for SHFE aluminium is suggested at RMB...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price reported improvements, rising above 1 per cent across the pricing segment, followed by modest gains in contracts on the September 14 close, recovering from the downward trend reported at the September 13 session . The LME aluminium cash bid and offer prices gained USD 37 per tonne or 1.13 per cent day-on-day on September 14. The bid climbed to USD 3,310 per tonne from USD 3,273 per tonne and the offer shifted to USD 3,311 per tonne from USD 3,274 per tonne. On September 14, the LME aluminium three-month bid and offer prices reported a USD 7 per tonne or 0.22 per cent rise over the previous close. The bid moved to USD 3,256 per tonne from USD 3,249 per tonne as the offer price surged to USD 3,257 per tonne from USD 3,250 per tonne. The upward...
