AlCircle News Edited By "Aranya Mondal"
Aranya Mondal is a content writer with two years of professional experience in business writing, technical writing, web content, editing, and research. She handles content creation and editing for online and offline channels to support brand growth and global engagement.
From mines to markets: How geopolitics and raw material pressures are transforming aluminium supply chains
The global aluminium industry is entering a phase where the biggest concern is no longer just building more smelters or expanding downstream demand. Across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, the focus is increasingly shifting toward securing stable supplies of bauxite and alumina as geopolitical tensions, trade measures and energy disruptions continue reshaping global supply chains. Governments are accelerating mining investments, producers are expanding refining and smelting capacity, and buyers are searching for safer and more reliable trade routes. From Indonesia’s raw material ambitions to China’s export surge and Europe’s tariff safeguards, the aluminium value chain is being redrawn in real time. The raw material race Indonesia has become central to the global aluminium...
From Asia to South America: How aluminium packaging hubs are affected by the Middle East conflict
The aluminium packaging sector, which consumed around 16.70 million tonnes in 2025 and is projected to approach 17.16 million tonnes in 2026, is now confronting the risk of losing 3-3.5 million tonnes of aluminium supply this year. Packaging industries across Asia, Europe, the United States and Brazil are coming under mounting pressure as escalating tensions in the Middle East threaten to disrupt raw material supply chains. The Middle East produced 6.8 million tonnes of aluminium, accounting for 23 per cent of global output. The UAE remained the region’s largest producer with 2.7 million tonnes, contributing 39 per cent of Middle Eastern output. Bahrain followed with 1.6 million tonnes, or 24 per cent, while Saudi Arabia produced 0.9 million tonnes, representing 13 per cent. Qatar...
LME aluminium offer price falls 0.57% on May 20; opening stock declines to 340,575t
The London Metal Exchange aluminium market recorded lower prices across key contracts on May 20 compared with May 19, while warehouse stock levels also declined. LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,643 per tonne on May 20, down by 0.57 per cent from USD 3,664 per tonne recorded on May 19. Cash offer price also fell 0.57 per cent to USD 3,644 per tonne from USD 3,665 per tonne. The LME aluminium three-month bid price declined to USD 3,589 per tonne on May 20 from USD 3,611 per tonne on May 19, marking a decrease of 0.61 per cent. The three-month offer price also slipped 0.61 per cent to USD 3,590 per tonne from USD 3,612 per tonne. For the December 2027 contract, the bid price edged down to USD 3,192 per tonne on May 20 compared with USD 3,193 per tonne on May 19, a marginal...
Indonesia’s 2036 aluminium target signals a 43Mt bauxite demand challenge – here’s the gap and potential roadmap
Indonesia’s aluminium value chain is expanding rapidly, but a critical imbalance is beginning to emerge beneath the country’s downstream ambitions. While alumina refineries and aluminium smelters are being developed at a fast pace, bauxite mine production has not increased with the same momentum, raising questions over whether Indonesia can secure enough raw material to sustain its long-term aluminium strategy. The country is trying to build a fully integrated aluminium industry - from bauxite mining and alumina refining to aluminium smelting and downstream processing. Backed by export restrictions, foreign investment and large industrial projects, Indonesia is steadily shifting from being a raw mineral exporter to a producer of higher-value aluminium products. However, the success of...
RecAL targets Europe’s aluminium recycling bottleneck as industry pushes for higher-value recovery
Aluminium Deutschland said Germany’s aluminium sector remains under pressure after production declined further during the first quarter of 2026, with most companies not expecting conditions to improve by the end of the year. According to the association, Germany produced 684,564 tonnes of recycled aluminium during the first quarter, down around 3 per cent compared with the same period last year. The industry continues to face major raw material challenges, with 85 per cent of surveyed companies reporting shortages of aluminium scrap. Within the recycled aluminium segment, refiners increased production by 2 per cent to 128,639 tonnes, while remelters recorded a 4 per cent decline to 555,925 tonnes, making them the main contributor to the sector’s overall weakness. Demand from key customer...
Hindalco slips after strong rally, but Novelis and global aluminium demand keep long-term outlook alive
After racing close to its 52-week high, Hindalco Industries suddenly lost momentum on May 15. The stock slipped to an intraday low of INR 1,073 and ended nearly 3 per cent lower as investors rushed to lock in gains following a strong rally. The pullback came at a time when uncertainty across the aluminium and non-ferrous metals sector has started weighing on market sentiment, even as Hindalco’s long-term growth narrative remains firmly intact. The global engine behind Hindalco’s business Hindalco is far more than just an Indian metals company. Backed by the Aditya Birla Group, the company operates across the entire aluminium and copper value chain - from bauxite and coal mining to alumina refining, primary aluminium smelting and downstream products. A major pillar of this strategy is...
Aluminium market on edge: Gulf supply crisis fuels fears of $4,000 prices amid global shortage
The global aluminium industry gathered in London with one pressing question hanging over the market - how severe could the supply shock from the Middle East become, and how long will its impact last? At the World Aluminium Summit hosted by CRU Group at Savoy Place, more than 360 delegates discussed how disruptions across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region are tightening supply chains at a time when global inventories are already critically low. Opening the conference, Paul Williams, Head of the Aluminium Value Chain at CRU, described the situation as a “short-term crisis but longer-term opportunity,” warning that aluminium prices could rise above USD 4,000 per tonne over the next 12 to 18 months. Gulf disruption sends shockwaves through supply chains According to CRU, aluminium...
Vietnam enters the global scrap race with tax incentives and recycling ambitions in focus
As global scrap trade routes keep changing, Vietnam is trying to position itself as the next big destination for aluminium and copper recycling. But while the country is offering tax benefits and financial support to attract investors, many traders and recyclers still believe the market is not fully ready. The shift comes after the US-China trade war sharply disrupted global scrap flows. When tariffs on US goods entering China climbed as high as 125 per cent in April 2025, Chinese buyers started moving aluminium and copper scrap cargoes through Southeast Asia and Japan instead. Buyers also began sourcing more material from Europe, the UK and the Middle East. Now, fresh problems are emerging. Europe may introduce export levies on aluminium scrap in 2026, Middle Eastern supply remains...
Mozal shutdown exposes Africa’s aluminium production vulnerability as Q1 2026 output falls 6.2%
Africa’s aluminium sector entered 2026 facing a difficult question: how exposed has the continent’s supply chain become to power disruptions and concentrated production risks? The concern intensified after regional aluminium production declined to 381,000 tonnes in Q1 2026, marking a 6.2 per cent drop from 406,000 tonnes in Q4 2025 and a 3.3 per cent Y-o-Y decline compared with 394,000 tonnes in Q1 2025. The decline exposed how dependent Africa’s aluminium chain remains on concentrated production hubs, fragile electricity systems and climate-sensitive infrastructure. Africa’s aluminium output looked stable through 2025 - so what changed? For much of 2025, Africa’s aluminium production remained relatively balanced. Output increased from 394,000 tonnes in Q1 2025 to 407,000 tonnes in Q2,...
India turns down US-sanctioned Russian LNG despite Middle East supply strains
India has refused to purchase Russian liquefied natural gas cargoes covered by US sanctions despite growing supply pressure linked to tensions in the Middle East, highlighting New Delhi’s effort to balance energy security with rising compliance risks. The decision has left at least one LNG shipment in uncertainty. A cargo from Russia’s sanctioned Portovaya LNG plant in the Baltic Sea has been unable to discharge after India declined to accept it, according to sources familiar with the matter. The 138,200-cubic-metre tanker Kunpeng , which had earlier indicated India’s Dahej LNG terminal as its destination in mid-April, is now waiting near Singaporean waters without broadcasting a final destination, according to LSEG shipping data. Sources said the cargo had been tracked despite...
Alba sales decline 17% in Q1 2026 as Gulf conflict disrupts aluminium supply chains
Aluminium Bahrain, the world’s largest aluminium smelter on a single site, reported a sharp rise in profitability in Q1 2026 despite operational disruptions caused by regional tensions across the Gulf. Profit attributable to equity holders surged 316 per cent year on year to BHD 75.3 million (USD 200.3 million) in Q1 2026, compared with BHD 18.1 million (USD 48.2 million) in Q1 2025. However, compared with Q4 2025, profit declined from BHD 108.7 million (USD289.2 million), reflecting a quarter-on-quarter drop of around 30.7 per cent. Operationally, the quarter reflected mounting regional pressure on production and trade flows. Sales volume declined 17 per cent Y-o-Y in Q1 2026, to 312,563 tonnes as shipping disruptions, including constraints through the Strait of Hormuz, affected exports...
China’s aluminium exports jump 15% in April amid Gulf turmoil, but can it replace GCC supply?
As tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt one of the world’s most critical trade corridors, global aluminium buyers are turning towards China in search of supply stability. But while China’s exports are accelerating rapidly, the bigger question remains - can the country truly offset the growing supply risks emerging from the Gulf region? The changing trade pattern is becoming increasingly evident across major markets including India, Mexico, United States, Vietnam and South Korea, where importers are ramping up purchases from China amid concerns over freight uncertainty, tighter supply availability and potential disruptions to Gulf-linked shipments. China shipments jump amid Gulf uncertainty China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products climbed sharply in April...
Global aluminium industry enters 2026 with shifting bauxite trade, softer alumina output, mixed earnings and major restructuring
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 The global bauxite market began 2026 with an unusual divergence. While the United States continued moving away from primary aluminium inputs, Guinea strengthened its grip on the global bauxite trade through surging exports to China, reshaping the balance of raw material flows across the aluminium supply chain. For the United States, the decline in bauxite imports reflects a much deeper structural shift that has been unfolding for years. The country has historically depended on imported bauxite because domestic reserves in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia remain limited. But the larger issue now is the collapse of domestic alumina refining capacity, which has fallen from nearly 5 million tonnes in 2000 to around 600,000 tonnes today. Only one refinery - Atlantic Alumina’s...
Manaksia Aluminium reports 25% rise in FY26 profit as revenue exceeds ₹5.6B and cash flow strengthens
Manaksia Aluminium closed FY26 with stronger profitability and higher operating cash flow, supported by growth in revenue and a rise in total equity, while the company also announced a final dividend recommendation and addressed an ongoing GST dispute. The company reported audited standalone financial results for the quarter and year ended 31st March, 2026, following a Board meeting held on 7th May, 2026. Net profit after tax for FY26 increased by 25 per cent to INR 75.56 million from INR 60.46 million in FY25. Revenue crosses ₹5.6 billion as cash flow improves sharply Revenue from operations for FY26 rose 10.8 per cent to INR 5.64 billion from INR 5.09 billion in the previous financial year, while other income declined 18.9 per cent to INR 8.25 million in FY 26, against INR 10.17 million...
Century Aluminum records $649.2M in Q1 2026 net sales, up 2.4%, despite Iceland shipment decline
Century Aluminum entered 2026 with an improved earnings, but beneath the headline numbers, the quarter reflected two contrasting trends - stronger aluminium pricing and asset-sale gains on one side, and operational disruption in Iceland weighing on shipments on the other. The company reported net sales of USD 649.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 2.4 per cent increase from USD 633.7 million in Q4 2025. However, aluminium shipments fell 12.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 122,865 tonnes from 140,257 tonnes, largely reflecting the full-quarter impact of the Grundartangi Line 2 equipment failure in Iceland. Despite the lower shipment volumes, Century’s profitability improved sharply. Net income attributable to the company climbed to USD 337.5 million in Q1 2026 from just USD...
Global alumina production drops 6.1% in Q1 2026 as major markets retreat Q-o-Q, while North America moves against the trend
Global metallurgical-grade alumina production lost momentum in Q1 2026 after several key producing regions scaled back from the exceptionally strong output levels seen at the end of 2025, with North America emerging as the only region to register quarter-on-quarter growth, albeit marginally. China underwent widespread refinery maintenance and environmental shutdowns, Asia & Africa normalised after aggressive year-end production pushes, while Europe and Oceania continued battling energy pressures, maintenance activity and operational disruptions. These combined factors pulled global alumina production down 6.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 35.4 million tonnes in Q1 2026 from 37.7 million tonnes in Q4 2025. However, compared with Q1 2025, worldwide output remained broadly stable, rising...
36Mt of global alumina capacity remains unutilised, with China and Asian region showing the widest gap
Global metallurgical alumina production has been expanding in a measured and consistent manner. Output rose from 130.4 million tonnes in 2021 to 133.1 million tonnes in 2022, followed by gradual increases to 134.8 million tonnes in 2023 and 137.8 million tonnes in 2024. The trajectory strengthened in 2025, with production reaching 144.9 million tonnes, reflecting a sharper 5.2 per cent rise. However, the underlying dynamics point to a market that is not constrained by supply capacity. With global installed refining capacity at around 181 million tonnes in 2025 and utilisation levels between 85 per cent and 87 per cent, nearly 36 million tonnes of capacity remains unutilised. This indicates that output is being actively managed rather than maximised, with producers responding to demand...
Global aluminium production drops 1.6% Q-o-Q in Q1 2026, led by declines across Africa, GCC, South America, and Oceania
The opening quarter of 2026 presents a curious contradiction. On the surface, global aluminium production slipped-from 18.6 million tonnes in Q4 2025 to 18.3 million tonnes in Q1 2026, a 1.6 per cent decline. But step back, and the bigger picture tells a different story: output remains 1.1 per cent higher than Q1 2025 levels. So what changed so quickly-and why did almost every region move in the same direction? A cooling cycle, starting with China in Q1 2026 The slowdown did not come from one place. It showed up everywhere, almost at once. China, which still dominates global supply, nudged lower from 11.1 million tonnes in Q4 2025 to 11.0 million tonnes in Q1 2026 - a 0.9 per cent dip. On paper, that looks minor. In reality, it says a lot about where the system stands today. With a de...
