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US bauxite imports fall 17.6% in H1 2025 as alumina refinery closures take effect
US imports of crude and dried bauxite kept falling in the first half of 2025, continuing a downturn that has been building for several years. Total imports came in at 849 thousand tonnes in H1 2025, down 17.6 per cent from 1.03 million tonnes a year earlier. This followed another decline in 2024, when volumes had already dropped 14.2 per cent from 1.2 million tonnes in H1 2023, showing that the market has been shrinking step by step rather than seeing a sudden collapse. The rate of contraction picked up as the year passed by. This is because imports declined considerably in Q2. The imports during the Q2 of this year were 369 thousand tonnes compared to the Q1 performance of 480 thousand tonnes, a reduction of 111,000 tonnes or a QoQ decrease of 23.1 per cent. As per the USGS data, the...
From primary metal to autos: US tariffs redraw the EU aluminium map
What started as another round of US trade action in 2025 quickly turned into an aluminium problem for Europe. Washington moved to curb EU aluminium shipments under Section 232, but the EU chose not to answer with aluminium tariffs of its own. That left the adjustment one-sided. As US duties rose, European producers found themselves squeezed across the aluminium chain, from primary metal to processed and aluminium-containing goods. The turning point came on February 10, when the US announced a 25 per cent tariff on aluminium imports from the EU under Chapter 76 of the tariff schedule, covering unwrought primary aluminium such as ingots. The measures took effect on March 12, applying without quotas or exemptions. For European producers, the cost impact was immediate. Pressure intensified...
Iran’s alumina output tops 155,000t in first eight months ahead of major expansion
Iran has been steadily lifting its alumina powder output this year, with production topping 155,000 tonnes over the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar. IMIDRO data shows that 155,410 tonnes were produced between March 21 and November 21. Earlier figures had already pointed to this momentum, with alumina powder output standing at 114,153 tonnes in the first half of the year, covering the period from March 21 to September 22. Alongside rising output, Iran is preparing to launch its largest alumina production project. IMIDRO announced in late September that implementation of the new facility will begin by the end of the year in the Parsian Special Economic Zone. The project forms part of Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan and is designed to deliver one million tonnes of...
Vedanta’s Lanjigarh refinery hits 5MTPA, India’s alumina capacity nears 13MTPA
The Lanjigarh alumina refinery is operating at a new scale. Vedanta Aluminium has taken capacity there to 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), completing an expansion that has been under way since 2020. Image source:Vedanta Aluminium Also read: The World of Aluminium Extrusions – Industry Forecast to 2032 At 5 MTPA, Lanjigarh stands as the world’s second largest facility, excluding China. The increase also shifts India’s alumina balance. Total refining capacity across the country is now close to 13 MTPA, enough to place India third worldwide. Of that output, 38 per cent comes from Lanjigarh alone, the largest contribution from a single site in India. Demand has been moving faster across several end-use segments. Infrastructure and construction remain key, while railways, automotive and...
India’s bauxite output rises to 24MT in 2025, with exports up 67.6% and imports easing 31.1%
India’s bauxite exports today look very different from where they stood just a few years ago. This change in picture is due to higher production at home and a gradual easing of import dependence. In 2023, exports over the nine-month period (January to September) totalled 60.968 thousand tonnes, worth USD 0.79 million. Volumes were small, and overseas shipments were not a priority. A year later, that balance had shifted. Exports in January–September 2024 rose to 241.771 thousand tonnes, with value climbing to USD 5.76 million. That worked out to a 296.6 per cent increase in volume and a 629.1 per cent rise in value year on year. By 2025, the move was even more visible. Ministry of Commerce and Industry data shows exports of 405.232 thousand tonnes between January and September, generating...
Anil Ambani group plans integrated solar unit, expands NU Energies in major clean-energy push
Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group is moving into a new phase of its clean-energy ambitions, rolling out plans for two manufacturing platforms under Reliance Infrastructure and expanding its renewable generation arm, Reliance NU Energies. Together, the initiatives are designed to give the group an integrated foothold in solar manufacturing, battery storage and round-the-clock green power. A core part of the plan is a fully integrated solar manufacturing complex that will bring ingot, wafer, cell and module production under one roof. In a filing to the BSE, Reliance ADAG said the facility will be built around advanced technologies such as TopCon+, along with future-ready back-contact and tandem cell designs. The group believes this timing aligns well with government incentives, pointing to ALMM...
Brazilian rare earths shares gain 8% as Amargosa study points to low-cost potential
Brazilian rare earths’ shares jumped 8 per cent after the company released its first scoping study for the fully owned Amargosa Bauxite–Gallium Project in Bahia. The assessment offers the clearest view yet of how the deposit could take shape, outlining a large-scale direct-shipping bauxite operation with a 17-year mine life and operating costs positioned in the first quartile globally. The company has emphasised that scoping studies are preliminary and rely heavily on assumptions tied to cost inflation and operating inputs, meaning more work is needed before the project moves toward feasibility. Even so, the study provides investors with an initial sense of the project’s scale and economic potential. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value...
Sumitomo plans $1.3bn renewable energy expansion in India as demand surges
Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation is preparing a major scale-up of its clean-energy footprint in India, with plans to invest 200 billion yen (USD 1.3 billion) in renewable power projects developed through its joint venture with Indian startup Ampin Energy Transition. The commitment, reported by Nikkei, represents a doubling of Sumitomo’s initial outlay as the company positions itself for the rapid expansion of India’s corporate renewable power market. Through the partnership, Sumitomo and Ampin intend to build more than 2 gigawatts of combined solar and wind capacity across more than 10 Indian states by fiscal 2027. Projects are already operational in Haryana and Karnataka, with power destined mainly for Japanese companies operating in India. According to the report, nearly 10 such firms have...
Novelis invests $50.4M to shift transport from road to rail across Europe
Novelis is strengthening its European logistics network with a EUR 43 million (USD 50.4 million) investment aimed at shifting more aluminium transport from road to rail. The company has purchased 220 new Shimmns railcars as part of its long-term sustainability strategy built around the principle of “rail instead of road.” Rail already accounts for 95 per cent of material movement between Novelis’ 10 European sites, and the new fleet is designed to further reinforce that system. Image source: Novelis Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The Shimmns wagons add flexibility to Novelis’ network as they can carry aluminium coils, scrap and ingots — unlike the previously rented railcars that could handle only a single material type. This...
Mexico’s 50% tariff plan hits China, pressures India and draws US attention
Mexico has approved a major tariff overhaul that will raise duties on imports from China and several other Asian countries by about 50 per cent targeting a broad range of goods from metals to automobiles. The Senate backed the decision on Wednesday, supporting President Claudia Sheinbaum’s plan to encourage local manufacturing. The measures, due to take effect on 1 January 2026, will affect products from China and several Asian economies including Thailand, India and Indonesia, the countries without a free trade agreement. Lawmakers voted 76 in favour, five against and 35 abstentions, endorsing tariff increases of up to 50 per cent on imports such as autos, auto parts, clothing, plastics, textiles and steel. The proposal, earlier passed by the lower house, is a scaled-down version of a...
LME aluminium cash offer up 0.97% to $2,864/t; opening stocks fall to 518,750t
LME aluminium prices saw modest gains on December 11 across cash, 3-month and deferred contracts compared with the previous session, while exchange inventories continued to ease. The cash bid price rose to USD 2,862 per tonne, up from USD 2,836 per tonne on December 10 — a 0.92 per cent increase. The cash offer price moved to USD 2,864 per tonne, compared with USD 2,836.5 per tonne previously, marking a 0.97 per cent rise. The 3-month aluminium contract also strengthened. The 3-month bid price reached USD 2,885 per tonne on December 11, up from USD 2,865 per tonne — a 0.70 per cent increase. The 3-month offer advanced to USD 2,886 per tonne, compared with USD 2,867 per tonne a day earlier, up 0.66 per cent. Further along the curve, the December 26 contract posted firmer levels. The bid...
Lindian drilling targets 7.15% TREO at North Knoll to assess high-grade rare earths potential
Lindian Resources has begun diamond drilling at its North Knoll prospect in Malawi, marking the first real test of a target that has been drawing interest since early sampling returned rare earths grades as high as 7.15 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO). North Knoll sits just 800m north of the company’s Kangankunde project, one of the world’s premier undeveloped rare earths deposits outside China, and the similarities between the two are already attracting attention. Earlier work at North Knoll delivered rock chip assays containing high-grade neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), with NdPr/TREO ratios ranging from 19.2 to 28.8 per cent. Those ratios match what is seen in the main Kangankunde deposit and suggest the mineralisation may continue between the two areas. Field mapping has...
Secondary aluminium on track to add 22 MT of capacity as global projects gain momentum
With demand rising for low carbon aluminium, producers in several regions are accelerating plans to increase their secondary capacity. Much of the new capacity scheduled is concentrated in billets, slabs and ingots, which are increasingly becoming the main focus of recycling investments. Between 2022 and 2026, secondary additions are dominated by billets, which make up 11 million tonnes of the 22-million-tonne total. Their growing importance mirrors the expansion of extrusion and construction activity, where demand has remained consistently strong. Slabs follow with 8.8 million tonnes of new capacity, supported by rolling demand and a sharp increase expected in 2025 tied to automotive and packaging needs. SFA (Ingot) capacity, at 2.2 million tonnes, reflects the maturity of the ingot...
LME aluminium cash offer rises to $2,836.5/t and opening stocks drop 0.29%
LME aluminium prices showed mixed movement on December 10, while exchange inventories continued to ease, according to the latest market data. The LME aluminium cash bid price rose to USD 2,836 per tonne on December 10, up from USD 2,831.5 per tonne a day earlier — a 0.16 per cent increase. The cash offer edged higher to USD 2,836.5 per tonne, compared with USD 2,832 per tonne on December 9, marking a 0.16 per cent rise. In contrast, the 3-month contract softened. The 3-month bid slipped to USD 2,865 per tonne on December 10 from USD 2,867 per tonne on December 9, a 0.07 per cent decline. The 3-month offer eased to USD 2,867 per tonne, down from USD 2,868 per tonne, also a 0.03 per cent drop. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain...
Inside the 2025 auto tariff: Three layers of duties that reshaped the industry and redirected trade routes
As tariffs rolled out this year, the automotive sector found itself navigating a policy shift that swiftly reconfigured supply chains, trade patterns and production decisions across markets. The tariff campaign on the automotive sector began with the first round of 25 per cent duties on April 3, hitting imported passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks under 14,000 pounds, instantly raising their costs and giving domestic producers such as GM and Ford a fresh competitive advantage. A second wave followed on May 3, this time directed at engines, transmissions, drivelines and electrical systems including batteries and wiring harnesses. Although manufacturers were granted a brief window to front-load inventories, the pressure was immediate, especially for those unable to meet USMCA’s 75 per...
LME aluminium cash offer falls 1.24% as opening stocks slip to 523,300t
LME aluminium prices weakened on December 9 across the cash, 3-month and December 26 contracts, even as exchange inventories moved lower. The LME aluminium cash bid price slipped to USD 2,831.5 per tonne on December 9 from USD 2,867 per tonne the previous day, a decline of 1.24 per cent. The cash offer eased to USD 2,832 per tonne from USD 2,867.5 per tonne, also down 1.24 per cent. The 3-month contract also retreated. The 3-month bid fell to USD 2,867 per tonne on December 9 from USD 2,896.5 per tonne on December 8, a drop of 1.02 per cent. The 3-month offer decreased to USD 2,868 per tonne from USD 2,897 per tonne, lower by 1.00 per cent. The December 26 contract followed the same trend. The bid moved down to USD 2,898 per tonne on December 9 from USD 2,920 per tonne on December 8, a...
Gallium faces growing pressure as aluminium production shifts to recycling
Gallium, indium and germanium are unusual metals and none of them come from mines of their own. They are recovered only in tiny amounts when other minerals are processed, which means their supply depends on decisions made in entirely different parts of the mining industry. In mining, the word "byproduct" rarely turns heads. But for metals like gallium, indium and germanium, it determines their entire fate. These materials don’t occur in the Earth’s crust in concentrated deposits that justify standalone mining. Instead, they appear only in trace amounts and are recovered during the processing of other ores. Gallium, for example, is mainly tied to aluminium production. Bauxite usually contains just 20–80 ppm of gallium. About 70 per cent dissolves into the Bayer liquor when bauxite is...
LB Aluminium posts $5.34M net profit on strong segment gains, while revenue drops 9.33%
LB Aluminium Bhd turned in a much stronger set of results for the quarter ended Oct 31, 2025 (2QFY2026), with net profit rising sharply to RM 22.03 million (USD 5.34 million). A year earlier, the group earned RM7.64 million, making this almost a threefold increase driven by better showings from both its aluminium and property operations. Its revenue told a different story. Turnover slipped around 9.33 per cent to RM 270.86 million (USD 65.7 million) from RM280.19 million (USD 67.9 million), mainly because the aluminium division sold less volume. Even so, that segment’s PBT improved, landing at RM 10.58 million (USD 2.56 million) compared with RM 5.30 million (USD 1.2 million) last year. Margins were better, and forex losses didn’t bite as hard. The property side did most of the heavy...
