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.
Duty-free imports put Sri Lanka’s aluminium fabricators at risk as BOI policy gaps widen
On building sites across Sri Lanka, aluminium doors, windows and façade systems have long been a familiar feature, supplied largely by local fabricators who built their businesses alongside the country’s construction industry. Today, those same fabricators say they are being edged out of the market, not by cheaper raw materials or weaker demand, but by policy gaps that allow finished aluminium products to be imported duty-free. The Aluminium Fabricators Association of Sri Lanka (AFASL) says omissions in the Board of Investment’s (BOI) Negative List have created an uneven competitive landscape. Fully fabricated aluminium doors, windows and façade systems are entering the country without duties, even though they are manufactured locally, giving BOI-approved developers a clear cost advantage...
Static Hydraulic and Xing Tian Xia Machinery form partnership for aluminium extrusion solutions in India
Static Hydraulic Pvt. Ltd. (SHPL), a leading Indian manufacturer of hydraulic and industrial automation solutions, has partnered with Xing Tian Xia Machinery Co., Ltd. (XTX), a globally recognised Chinese producer of aluminium extrusion presses. Under this partnership, XTX will introduce its extrusion press solutions in the Indian market, with the products being offered under the co-branded name XTXSH and marketed through SHPL’s sales network. This aims to provide an economic solution to the Indian extrusion industry. The alliance brings together XTX’s three decades of expertise in aluminium profile extrusion press design, automation, and intelligent manufacturing solutions with Static Hydraulic’s strong capabilities in hydraulic systems, components, and industrial solutions, creating a...
Weekly recap: India’s scrap surge, Europe’s recycling strain and Southeast Asia’s cost pressures reshape aluminium markets
Recycling and sustainability are increasingly shaping aluminium markets. Scrap availability, energy costs and carbon rules are influencing where metal is produced, how it is processed and which regions gain or lose competitiveness. Developments across India, Europe and Southeast Asia show how recycling has shifted from an environmental objective to a core element of aluminium supply chains. India’s aluminium scrap market has undergone a structural shift over the past decade, with scrap moving from a marginal input to the backbone of secondary aluminium and alloy production. Imports nearly doubled from 0.88 million tonnes in CY’15 to around 2 million tonnes in CY’25, pushing import dependence to about 85 per cent. Growth has been steady, delivering a decade-long CAGR of roughly 8.6 per...
Russia takes control of local assets of aluminium packaging group Canpack
Russia has taken control of the local assets of Canpack, one of the world’s largest producers of aluminium containers. Under a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, the assets were placed under “temporary external management,” with Russian company Stalelement appointed to oversee them, according to state news agency TASS. Canpack was founded in 1992 in Kraków and operates manufacturing plants across Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, and Europe. The company is part of US-based Giorgi Global Holdings. In Russia, Canpack controlled around 30 per cent of the aluminium drinks container market. The company is also listed by Yale University among Western companies that have continued to operate in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To know more about the global...
LME aluminium offer price slips to $3,174/t, but aluminium rally continues week-on-week due to supply-side constraints
On January 15, the LME aluminium cash bid price settled at USD 3,173.5 per tonne, down from USD 3,220.5 per tonne on January 14, marking a 1.46 per cent day-on-day decline. The cash offer price eased to USD 3,174 per tonne from USD 3,221 per tonne, also reflecting a 1.46 per cent decrease. The three-month aluminium contract followed a similar trend. The bid price fell to USD 3,175.5 per tonne on January 15 from USD 3,204 per tonne a day earlier, a 0.89 per cent decline. The offer price slipped to USD 3,176 per tonne from USD 3,205 per tonne, down 0.90 per cent day on day. For the December 27 contract, the bid price softened to USD 3,145 per tonne from USD 3,167 per tonne, recording a 0.69 per cent decline. The offer price moved down to USD 3,150 per tonne from USD 3,172 per tonne, also a...
India’s aluminium scrap imports grow at 8.6% CAGR over a decade: what’s driving scrap use and what comes next as policies evolve
A decade ago, aluminium scrap accounted for a relatively small share of India’s metals trade, with primary aluminium forming the backbone of supply for most downstream applications. But that hierarchy no longer holds. By 2025, aluminium scrap had moved from the sideline to the centre of India’s secondary aluminium and alloy production. Imports crossed the 2 million tonne mark for the first time, and the country remained nearly 85 per cent dependent on overseas scrap. What was once a supplementary input had quietly become indispensable. India’s aluminium scrap imports rose steadily over the past decade, almost doubling from 0.88 million tonnes in CY’15 to nearly 2 million tonnes in CY’25. Steady growth was measured rather than dramatic - imports edged up from 0.92 million tonnes in CY’16...
Africa eyes 7MT of alumina by 2030 through new refineries – know how it will reshape the continent’s aluminium ecosystem
Ships leave Guinea’s ports every day loaded with bauxite destined for refineries thousands of miles away, while only a fraction of that ore is ever transformed at home. This contrast captures the essence of Africa’s aluminium story - a sector - rich in resources, steady in operations, yet still waiting for its value chain to come together. Over the past five years, Africa’s alumina capacity has remained unchanged at 0.65 million tonnes, while production has followed a clear cycle of decline and recovery. Output eased from 0.439 million tonnes in 2020 to 0.414 million tonnes in 2021, reflecting a 5.7 per cent year-on-year decline. The downturn intensified in 2022, when production fell to 0.340 million tonnes, a sharper 17.9 per cent contraction from the previous year. The decline extended...
LME aluminium cash offer rises to $3,194/t as opening stocks dip to 494,000t
LME aluminium prices edged higher on January 13 compared with the previous session, while inventories showed a marginal decline. The LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,193 per tonne on January 13, up from USD 3,185 per tonne on January 12, marking an increase of 0.25 per cent. The cash offer price rose from USD 3,185.5 per tonne to USD 3,194 per tonne, an increase of 0.27 per cent. In the futures market, the LME aluminium 3-month bid price increased from USD 3,177 per tonne on January 12 to USD 3,183 per tonne on January 13, up by 0.19 per cent. The 3-month offer price also moved higher, rising from USD 3,177.5 per tonne to USD 3,183.5 per tonne, a gain of 0.19 per cent. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, pre-book the report “ Global Aluminium...
LME aluminium cash offer jumps 3.21% to $3,180/t as opening stocks fall to 497,825t
LME aluminium prices advanced sharply on January 9, reflecting strong gains across cash and forward contracts, while exchange stocks continued to edge lower. The LME aluminium cash bid price rose to USD 3,179.5 per tonne on January 9, up from USD 3,080 per tonne on January 8, marking a 3.23 per cent increase. The cash offer price climbed to USD 3,180 per tonne from USD 3,081 per tonne, an increase of 3.21 per cent. In the forward market, the LME aluminium 3-month bid price increased to USD 3,161 per tonne on January 9, compared with USD 3,089 per tonne a day earlier, representing a 2.33 per cent rise. The 3-month offer price moved up to USD 3,163 per tonne from USD 3,090 per tonne, a 2.36 per cent gain. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, pre-book the...
India cracks $50B iPhone exports, auto components are the next target with a 5 year CAGR of 14% - what it means for aluminium?
After turning iPhones into a USD 50 billion export success and building a global presence in electronics, India is now trying to answer a harder question: can auto components deliver the same scale of growth in global markets? The government believes the answer could be yes - but only if the sector can replicate what electronics got right: standards alignment, manufacturing depth and integration into global supply chains. The confidence to attempt this shift comes from the electronics success history, which is now reinforcing confidence that a similar export breakthrough is possible in auto components. Electronics production rose nearly six-fold from INR 1.9 billion (USD 30.7 million) in 2014 - 15 to INR 1.13 trillion (USD 12.5 billion) in 2024 - 25, while mobile phone exports jumped 127...
LME aluminium cash offer slips to USD 3,081 as opening stocks fall 4.6% on January 8
LME aluminium prices declined on January 8 compared with the previous trading session, while exchange inventories showed notable shifts in warrant positioning. On January 8, the LME aluminium cash bid stood at USD 3,080 per tonne and the cash offer at USD 3,081 per tonne, down from USD 3,091.5 and USD 3,092 per tonne respectively on January 7. This represented a 0.37 per cent decline in the cash bid and a 0.36 per cent decline in the cash offer day on day. The LME aluminium 3-month contract also weakened. On January 8, the 3-month bid was USD 3,089 per tonne and the offer was USD 3,090 per tonne, compared with USD 3,112 per tonne and USD 3,112.5 per tonne on January 7. This marked a 0.74 per cent drop in the 3-month bid and a 0.72 per cent decline in the offer. To know more about the...
Vedanta share price slips nearly 3% after the demise of chairman’s son Agnivesh Agarwal
Vedanta Ltd’s share price declined on January 8, as markets reacted to news of the death of Agnivesh Agarwal, son of Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal. After the news broke, around 11 am, the stock was trading at INR 596.55. It later recovered slightly but remained lower at INR 605.55, a decline of 2.68 per cent from the previous close of INR 622.20. Shares of Hindustan Zinc Ltd also came under pressure during the session. The stock, which had closed at INR 630 in the previous trading session, opened lower at INR 623 and later slipped to a range of INR 590 – INR 591.30, marking a decline of roughly 6.1 per cent to 6.4 per cent from the previous day’s close. Anil Agarwal called it the “darkest” day of his life. Also read: Agnivesh Agarwal, son of Vedanta chairman, succumbs to cardiac...
Agnivesh Agarwal, son of Vedanta chairman, succumbs to cardiac arrest after a skiing accident
Image source: X/@AnilAgarwal_Ved Agnivesh Agarwal, son of Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal, passed away at the age of 49 after suffering a cardiac arrest during treatment in the United States following a skiing accident. Anil Agarwal described the death as a “medical setback” while his son was undergoing treatment at Mount Sinai Hospital. In an emotional post on X, he said Agnivesh had been recovering well after the accident and was believed to be out of danger before the sudden cardiac arrest. “We believed the worst was behind us,” he wrote, adding that fate intervened unexpectedly. Born on June 3, 1976, in Patna, Bihar, Agnivesh Agarwal grew up to become what his father described as a respected business leader and a compassionate individual. He studied at Mayo College in Rajasthan...
VBX reports higher-grade bauxite from undrilled Wuudagu E and F zones in Western Australia
VBX Limited’s latest drilling campaign has shifted attention back to its Wuudagu bauxite project, after a new round of exploration work suggested the resource could prove more substantial than previously outlined. The company reported strong results from the undrilled Wuudagu E and F plateaus in northern Western Australia, where assays from 96 holes revealed consistently thicker, higher-grade bauxite. The material showed elevated aluminium oxide and lower silica compared with earlier drilling from the project’s existing deposits. All of the new results fall outside the current 95.9-million-tonne mineral resource, and VBX expects they will support both an expansion and an upgrade in confidence across the broader Wuudagu resource base. Updated estimates for existing deposits, along with...
Shandong Group to build an integrated aluminium park in Saudi – is the kingdom next bet for China after Indonesia?
China has long capped its domestic primary aluminium production at 45 million tonnes, a ceiling designed to curb industrial emissions and contain environmental risk. In 2025, it finished the year with 88.2 million tonnes of alumina and around 44 million tonnes of primary aluminium, in line with the industry’s two-to-one production ratio. But as that cap presses tighter, Chinese companies are not slowing down. Instead, they are shifting strategy - pushing capital, technology and industrial muscle overseas so that aluminium keeps flowing, even if it is increasingly produced on other people’s soil. And in this expanding map, Indonesia has already become the central pillar, while China’s projects in Saudi Arabia - only a handful tied to aluminium so far - leave open the question of whether...
LME aluminium cash strengthens to $3,092/t while opening stocks ease to 504,250t
LME aluminium prices showed mixed movement on January 6, while inventories slipped from the previous session.On January 6, the LME aluminium cash bid stood at USD 3,092 per tonne compared with USD 3,021.5 per tonne on January 5, a gain of USD 70.5, equal to about 2.33 per cent. The cash offer on January 6 was USD 3,093 per tonne, down from USD 3,135 per tonne on January 5, a decline of USD 42, or around 1.34 per cent. The 3-month bid on January 6 was USD 3,111 per tonne, higher than USD 3,050 per tonne on January 5, up USD 61, or roughly 2 per cent. The 3-month offer rose to USD 3,112 per tonne on January 6 from USD 3,051 per tonne on January 5, also higher by USD 61, or about 2 per cent. For the December 27 contract, the bid on January 6 stood at USD 3,130 per tonne versus USD 3,073 per...
Aluminium packaging consumption hit 18.5MT in 2024 - but with 2025 tariffs in place, how has the year played out, and what comes next?
Aluminium packaging didn’t arrive in the sustainability conversation by chance. Over time, it has developed into one of the most important pillars of modern sustainable packaging. Light, durable and recyclable, it sits at the centre of food, beverage and pharmaceutical supply chains. Its strongest advantage is protection. Aluminium shields products from light, oxygen, moisture and contaminants, helping preserve quality and extend shelf life. Because it can be recycled repeatedly without losing integrity, it consumes far less energy than primary production and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. As consumers shift toward greener choices, aluminium has gradually become a foundation of the circular economy, closely aligned with global sustainability ambitions. When policy collides with cost...
EGA accelerates six-fold expansion of Leichtmetall in Germany to boost aluminium recycling
Image source: EGA Emirates Global Aluminium is strengthening its role in Europe’s aluminium value chain, announcing a major expansion of its German subsidiary, EGA Leichtmetall, that will transform the site into one of the world’s most advanced recycling hubs. The company is positioning the project as part of a broader strategy to meet growing European demand for high-quality aluminium made from post-consumer scrap - particularly from automotive and aviation customers. The new facility, to be built near Hannover, represents an investment of about USD 170 million, with first hot metal expected in 2028. It will increase EGA Leichtmetall’s recycling capacity more than six-fold, adding 110 thousand tonnes per year of scrap sorting capacity and 153 thousand tonnes per year of melting and...
