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.
South Korea’s aluminium foil imports hit five-year high at 57kt in YTD July 2026 as China drives 96% of new volume
South Korea’s aluminium foil market has entered a stronger phase in 2026, with imports reaching their highest level in five years. But the trade data points to a more specific shift beneath the headline growth: most of the additional aluminium foil entering South Korea is coming from China. South Korea imported 57,261.18 tonnes of aluminium foil from the world in YTD July 2026, up 23.94 per cent from 46,201.68 tonnes in YTD July 2025. Imports stood at 50,840.22 tonnes in YTD 2022, 43,145.18 tonnes in YTD 2023 and 47,238.94 tonnes in YTD 2024, before slipping to 46,201.68 tonnes in 2025, as per ITA. The return to growth is clear, but the supplier data reveals where that recovery is coming from. China supplies 92% of South Korea’s aluminium foil imports China supplied 52,751.81 tonnes of...
Yantai Port's rail freight corridor crosses 10Mt as African bauxite heads to Shanxi
Yantai Port's growing role in China's bauxite and aluminium supply chain has come into focus after its Dezhou-Longkou-Yantai rail freight corridor surpassed 10 million tonnes of total cargo. The milestone was reached as 3,200 tonnes of African bauxite moved from the Shandong port to an aluminium processing plant in Shanxi province. The bauxite shipment departed Yantai Port on September 29, travelling along a railway network that stretches roughly 1,000 kilometres and connects the coastal port with inland industrial markets. The corridor now serves 25 destinations across five provinces and regions - Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia. Six destinations are located in Shandong, while 19 are in other provinces. The scale of the network has expanded alongside its cargo...
LME aluminium offer price eases 0.34% to $3,109.5/t at October start as stocks dip to 240,625t
LME aluminium prices softened on October 2 compared with the previous trading day, with cash and three-month prices recording modest declines. LME aluminium stocks also edged lower, while live warrants remained unchanged and cancelled warrants decreased. The LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,109 per tonne on October 2, down from USD 3,119.5 per tonne on October 1, marking a decline of 0.34 per cent. The cash offer price fell to USD 3,109.5 per tonne from USD 3,120 per tonne, down 0.34 per cent. The LME aluminium 3-month bid price declined to USD 3,121.5 per tonne on October 2 from USD 3,130 per tonne on October 1, a decrease of 0.27 per cent. The corresponding offer price fell to USD 3,122 per tonne from USD 3,131 per tonne, down 0.29 per cent. Explore- Most comprehensive and...
Aughinish Alumina seeks support as EU reviews Russia-bound alumina exports
Aughinish Alumina has stepped up its engagement with Irish government representatives and officials as the European Commission considers further measures that could affect alumina exports from its Co Limerick facility to Russia. The increased engagement comes ahead of the next round of EU measures, with some member states expected to seek restrictions on Irish alumina exports to Russia. The European Commission is aiming to implement the measures before winter. Aughinish’s exports have come under increased attention following reports of shipments from the plant to Russian smelters. The resulting aluminium is sold to a company that supplies more than 100 Russian manufacturing companies, according to various industry sources. The latest trade data underlines the scale of the shipments. A...
Turkiye begins mass production of aluminium-bodied high-speed trains
Turkiye is moving into a new phase of domestic high-speed train manufacturing, with its first locally developed high-speed electric train now entering mass production. A key feature of the new train is its aluminium body, while the project also brings together locally developed rail systems and a new manufacturing facility in Sakarya. State-owned TÜRASAŞ - Türkiye Raylı Sistem Araçları Sanayii has started manufacturing the second train set, as the first continues its testing programme. The authorities plan to produce 14 trains over 2027 and 2028, marking a shift from prototype development towards series production. Aluminium bodies at the centre of the new train programme Each high-speed train will comprise eight railcars with aluminium bodies and will have a capacity of 577 passengers....
Global aluminium industry gears up for ALUMINIUM 2026 in Düsseldorf with focus on recycling, innovation and demand
Four days to go, and the aluminium world is getting ready to move to Düsseldorf. From October 6-8, the city will host ALUMINIUM 2026 , with more than 800 exhibitors and partners and over 21,000 trade visitors expected at Messe Düsseldorf. The event will bring together producers, recyclers, downstream manufacturers, technology providers, equipment suppliers, policymakers and end users from across the global aluminium value chain. The 2026 edition comes at an important point for the aluminium industry. European producers are facing pressure from energy costs, international competition and tighter climate requirements, while concerns around raw material security and resilient supply chains continue to grow. At the same time, demand for aluminium is expanding across electric mobility,...
German downstream aluminium exports fall 13% in H1 2026 but US enters top 5 with 228.1% import surge
Germany’s downstream aluminium export map underwent a noticeable shift in H1 2026. Shipments to the world fell, with most of Germany’s traditional European customers taking less aluminium downstream product. Yet, amid that broad retreat, one market moved in the opposite direction: the United States. German downstream aluminium exports to the world fell to 897,773.19 tonnes in H1 2026 from 1 million tonnes in H1 2025, a decline of 13 per cent year on year. The contrast was particularly sharp in the US market. American imports of German downstream aluminium reached 68,061.61 tonnes in H1 2026, up 228.1 per cent from just 20,743.62 tonnes in H1 2025. The increase of more than 47,000 tonnes was enough to push the US into Germany’s top 5 destinations for the first time. The export map is...
EGA signs agreement with Gulftainer to expand UAE aluminium exports to 300,000t
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Gulftainer have signed an agreement to expand aluminium exports through the UAE’s East Coast, with EGA set to route up to 250,000 tonnes of aluminium through the region in the first year. The volume is expected to increase to up to 300,000 tonnes in the second year, while shipments could rise further in subsequent years. The agreement forms part of EGA’s strategy to strengthen the efficiency and resilience of its outbound logistics as the company continues to grow and serve customers in global markets. Under the agreement, Gulftainer will further develop its port capabilities to accommodate EGA’s requirements and handle the additional aluminium export volumes. The new arrangement adds to EGA’s efforts to diversify its outbound logistics and support...
One and One Green Technologies’ aluminium revenue falls 25.4% in H1 2026 amid processing upgrade
One and One Green Technologies, a Philippines-based recycler of waste materials and scrap metal, saw its aluminium alloy revenue decline in the first half of 2026 after an equipment upgrade temporarily halted aluminium processing for about six weeks. The company, which produces aluminium alloy, copper alloy and brass alloy ingots, suspended aluminium processing from mid-May through the end of June while upgrading its aluminium processing equipment. Production resumed in July 2026. The disruption affected the company’s aluminium business even as overall financial performance remained positive. Revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2026, rose 18.7 per cent to USD 33.38 million from USD 28.13 million a year earlier, while net income increased 17.4 per cent to USD 4.49 million from...
NALCO’s Angul Aluminium Park targets deeper value addition through downstream manufacturing
National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) is seeking to push more of its aluminium output into higher-value applications through the Angul Aluminium Park, with the park’s direct access to molten metal positioned as a key advantage for downstream manufacturers. NALCO, in association with Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), showcased investment opportunities at the park during a roadshow in Kolkata. The focus was not only on attracting new industries but also on building a downstream ecosystem around NALCO’s existing aluminium operations in Angul. NALCO and IDCO develop park through joint partnership The Angul Aluminium Park is being developed through a partnership between IDCO and NALCO, with IDCO holding 51 per cent and NALCO 49 per cent. The project has an...
Canyon Resources’ Minim Martap bauxite project faces fresh uncertainty over funding and first shipment
Canyon Resources’ plans to bring its Minim Martap bauxite project in Cameroon into production, have been thrown into fresh uncertainty after AFG Bank Cameroon suspended further drawdowns from the project’s syndicated financing facility. The bank suspended access to the remaining funds on August 24, 2026, pending a review of the project’s development schedule, financial model and underlying economic assumptions. The move comes as Canyon acknowledges that it will not meet its Phase 1 development timetable and has removed its previous first-shipment target without setting a new date. For a project that had been targeting its first bauxite shipment in the fourth quarter of 2026, the change is significant. Canyon has also moved to reduce non-essential spending while it works through the...
“We would not describe Europe as undergoing a uniform deindustrialisation”: Norbert Bürger on Europe’s aluminium industry
Norbert Bürger brings more than 30 years of experience in the global aluminium industry, with a career spanning Austria, Germany, Hungary, Japan and the United States. His expertise covers aluminium rolling and extrusion, plant management, sales, strategy, investments and M&A, with senior roles at AMAG, Pankl and Alcoa. Today, Bürger is a founding partner of Lightmet Consulting, a Vienna-based independent consultancy focused on the aluminium industry. Led by Bürger and Markus Plakolm, Lightmet brings together eight senior partners with technical, operational and commercial expertise across the aluminium value chain. The firm advises aluminium companies on strategy, operational excellence, investment projects, feasibility studies, M&A, recycling, sustainability and digitalisation. In this...
AL Circle Analysis: Bauxite developments, alumina trade & primary aluminium market dynamics across Australia, Guinea, US & India
The aluminium industry is entering another phase of supply-chain repositioning. Across bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium, companies are investing in new resources, consolidating strategic assets and expanding processing capacity, while governments are increasingly treating domestic supply as a strategic priority. The latest developments from Australia, Guyana, Guinea, Indonesia, the US and India point to a market where resource security, processing location and control over supply chains are becoming as important as production growth. At the same time, new trading mechanisms and changing investment patterns are beginning to influence how aluminium and its raw materials reach the market. Bauxite supply expands, but securing the right tonnes is becoming harder In Western Australia, VBX...
LME aluminium cash offer price falls to $3,240/t as opening stocks dip to 242,125t on Sept 23
LME aluminium prices softened across key contracts on September 23 compared with the previous session, while opening stocks remained broadly stable. The sharpest movement was recorded in cancelled warrants, which declined by more than 20 per cent. The LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,239.5 per tonne on September 23, down from USD 3,240 per tonne on September 22, a decline of 0.02 per cent. The cash offer price fell to USD 3,240 per tonne from USD 3,242 per tonne, down 0.06 per cent. For the three-month contract, the bid price declined to USD 3,258 per tonne from USD 3,263.5 per tonne, marking a 0.17 per cent decrease. The offer price fell to USD 3,260 per tonne from USD 3,264 per tonne, down 0.12 per cent. The December 2027 aluminium bid price stood at USD 3,180 per tonne,...
Neuman Aluminium strengthens scrap processing with furnace upgrade in Austria
Neuman Aluminium has upgraded a melting furnace at its Marktl headquarters in Austria, improving its ability to process low-density aluminium scrap for the production of aluminium slugs used in packaging and technical applications. The furnace retrofit comes as customers increasingly seek products with higher levels of post-consumer recycled (PCR) aluminium. By adapting its existing melting and recycling setup, Neuman aims to handle a wider range of challenging scrap streams while maintaining the quality requirements of impact-extruded aluminium products. Furnace retrofit strengthens aluminium recycling The project involved the refurbishment of an existing melting furnace and the installation of a Typhoon™ chip submersion system from Zmag. Neuman also renewed the furnace door system,...
Guinea seeks US financing for CBG alumina refinery as bauxite processing push accelerates
Guinea is looking to bring US financing into its growing push to process more bauxite into alumina at home, with its Mines Ministry holding discussions in the United States over possible support for an alumina refinery planned by Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG). The discussions involve the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Exim Bank, adding a potential US financing component to Guinea’s efforts to expand domestic alumina refining capacity. Chinese capital has so far played a major role in supporting the country’s move towards local bauxite processing. CBG refinery plans take shape as Guinea seeks US funding The talks took place on Friday, September 18, on the sidelines of an international critical minerals conference. Christopher Kulukundis, acting US...
VBX raises $5m to expand Wuudagu bauxite project DFS as thyssenkrupp offtake deal ends
VBX is reshaping the development strategy for its Wuudagu bauxite project, in Western Australia raising AUD 7 million (USD 5 million) to advance its definitive feasibility study (DFS) while ending an indicative prepayment and offtake deal with thyssenkrupp Materials Trading Asia (TKMTA). The Wuudagu bauxite DFS is now expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, later than the previously targeted second half of 2026. VBX said the additional time and funding will allow it to incorporate cost and schedule improvements identified by preferred contractors and potential project partners. The funding package comprises AUD 4.5 million (USD 3.2 million) in firm commitments from new and existing strategic and institutional investors at AUD 0.64 (USD 0.46) per share, along with the...
LME aluminium cash offer price falls 0.63% to $3,242/t as opening stocks decline to 242,200t
LME aluminium prices softened on September 22, with the cash and three-month contracts declining from the previous trading session, while LME aluminium opening stocks also edged lower on September 23. On September 22, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,240 per tonne, down 0.66 per cent from USD 3,261.5 per tonne on September 21. The cash offer price was USD 3,242 per tonne , down 0.63 per cent from USD 3,262.5 per tonne. The LME aluminium 3-month bid price stood at USD 3,263.5 per tonne on September 22, compared with USD 3,272.5 per tonne on September 21, representing a decline of 0.28 per cent. The 3-month offer price fell 0.27 per cent to USD 3,264 per tonne from USD 3,273 per tonne. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our...
