AlCircle News Edited By "Debanjali Sengupta"
Debanjali Sengupta is a passionate content writer with 10 years of experience in Business writing, Web Content writing, Blogging, Editing and Research. She is responsible for generating and editing content for AlCircle Newsletter and other online and offline content for enhancing the brand value and its visibility among global users.
Upstream recap: Bauxite becoming second-largest capsize commodity to Vedanta’s 1 lakh crore dream project make headlines this week
This week has been highly eventful for the upstream aluminium industry, especially the bauxite sector, which has dominated the headlines. Key highlights include Metro Mining's record-breaking bauxite production, Ukraine's seizure of $50 million worth of raw materials from Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, an increase in bauxite shipments on Capesize vessels surpassing coal, and the successful completion of Canyon’s RC and diamond drilling program at the Minim Martap Bauxite Project in Cameroon. Alumina and primary aluminium sectors also did make to some of the top headlines this week, such as Vedanta’s 1 lakh crore dream project of an alumina refinery and aluminium smelter coming to fruition, a 2.6 per cent year-over-year increase in alumina production in 2024,, NALCO’s share price rising by...
Gränges AB in 2024: higher sales, stable profit, and reduced carbon emissions demand attention
Sweden-based Gränges AB, a global leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, announced its production and financial results for 2024, reporting record-high sales volume and earnings. Gränges operates recycled-content aluminium facilities in Sweden, China, Poland, and the United States. In the US, it operates a scrap-fed melt shop and casting facility, commencing in 2023. Fiscal achievements In the fourth quarter of 2024, Gränges sold 130.3 thousand tonnes of recycled and rolled aluminium products, up by 21 per cent Y-o-Y, and earned SEK 6,184 million (US$558.205 million). For the full year, the sales volume amounted to 505.8 thousand tonnes, reflecting a 9.2 per cent rise Y-o-Y, valued at SEK 23,506 million (US$2,118.27 million). With the increase in sales volume, the company's adjusted...
China’s 2024 aluminium foil trade overview: top 5 export destinations and values revealed
China wrapped up 2024 with a staggering growth of aluminium foil exports, reaching above 1.5 million tonnes. Although the export volume in December decreased significantly by about 28 per cent month-on-month following the cancellation of export tax rebates and the looming threat of increased tariffs in some countries, China’s annual export volume saw no adverse impact. Image source: Nantong Hengjin Composite Material Co., Ltd. According to the International Trade Administration, China’s aluminium foil exports at the end of 2024 amounted to 1.55 million tonnes, reflecting an impressive rise of 18.32 per cent from 1.31 million tonnes in 2023. The historical data shows China’s aluminium foil exports have grown consistently over the past ten years since 2014 when the export volume was 867,634...
Canyon Resources achieves initial drilling targets for Minim Martap Bauxite Project
Canyon Resources Limited, an Australia-based bauxite resource development and exploration company, has reportedly completed Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling and Diamond drilling programme at its Minim Martap Bauxite Project in Cameroon. The RC and Diamond drilling program involves conducting reverse circulation drilling first to obtain preliminary geological data, followed by diamond drilling to collect high-quality core samples. Image source: Canyon Resources Within the four months since the signing of the Mining License for its Minim Martap Bauxite Project, Canyon Resources has successfully accomplished its initial drilling targets and recovered outstanding drill core samples upon completing the RC & Diamond drilling programme. By the first half of 2025, the results of the drilling...
Bolt from the blue! Gulf aluminium producers may halt new investments in 2025
Amid the growing global demand for aluminium, Gulf producers' decision to halt fresh investments in 2025 has come as a bolt from the blue. The news came earlier this week after Mahmoud Al-Daylami, secretary general of the Dubai-based Gulf Aluminium Council, stated in an interview with Saudi Arabic daily Aleqtisadia , "I do not expect any new investments in expansions in the GCC smelters this year. Instead, they will concentrate on upgrading operational efficiency and performance, despite an expected 3 to 5 per cent growth in global output." Image source: Sohar Aluminium In his statement, he even highlighted that aluminium production in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries grew significantly in 2024, reaching nearly 6.45 million tonnes. "Production by aluminium smelters in the GCC...
2024: World alumina production grows 2.6%, supported by Chinese refineries with strong profitability to afford high-priced bauxite
The world alumina production saw a significant hike in 2024, withstanding the bauxite supply shortage compared to the growth in demand. China, the world’s largest alumina producer, saw a continued bauxite supply gap in 2024 yet exceeded expected production. That could be possible due to the significant profitability of alumina refineries, enabling them to accept high-priced bauxite and continue operations. Image source: Made-in-China According to the International Aluminium Insititute, the world’s alumina production totalled 147.047 million tonnes in 2024, reflecting an annual increase of 2.61 per cent from 143.313 million tonnes. Of the total output in 2024, metallurgical-grade alumina accounted for 93.95 per cent by producing 138.151 million tonnes, while chemical-grade accounted for...
Vedanta’s 1 lakh crore dream project of alumina refinery and aluminium smelter coming up in phases
Mining conglomerate Vedanta's dream project of 6 million tonnes per annum of alumina refinery and 30 lakh tonnes of aluminium smelter is coming to life, for which the budget is INR 1 lakh crore (US$11.55 billion). As per the report, the project's first phase is expected to be commissioned in the next three years, with further expansion plans in the pipeline. Image source: Vedanta Limited The news came after Vedanta's chairman, Anil Agarwal, announced the project plan at the Make in Odisha Conclave 2025, adding that it would strategically come up in the Rayagada district of Odisha to take advantage of the nearby bauxite from Vedanta's Sijimali bauxite mine, which is currently under development for exploration. In October 2024, Vedanta talked about this project for the first time during the...
Consumer product prices are likely to take US aluminium and copper tariff hits, warn analysts
Amid various speculations raised by Donald Trump's recently proposed import tariffs on aluminium and copper, the most recent one is the possible impact on domestic consumer good prices. Aluminium industry analysts and participants fear that suggested tariffs on US aluminium and copper imports may affect the availability of the metals in the local markets, resulting in stringent end-use production and, eventually, higher costs. This notion arrived on Tuesday after Trump expressed his intent to impose tariffs on aluminium, copper, and all other metals needed to produce US military hardware, including steel, in a speech to Republican lawmakers on Monday, January 27. His objective for the proposed tariffs is to encourage the aluminium producers to bring their production to the United States....
Trade analysis: Australia’s aluminium export value booms on strong metal prices
Australia is on course to achieve a record-breaking performance in aluminium exports, with the metal now ranking as the fourth-largest export category after iron ore, coal, and natural gas. According to the International Trade Administration, Australia’s aluminium exports in the first eleven months of 2024 totalled 1.322 million tonnes, valued at US$3.283 billion. Image source: Freepik Delving deeper into export volume and value According to the historical data from the International Trade Administration, Australia’s year-to-date aluminium export value demonstrated a significant jump of 4.12 per cent from US$3.153 billion to US$3.283 billion. However, on the other hand, export volume decreased by 0.90 per cent Y-o-Y from 1.333 million tonnes to 1.321 million tonnes. In the full year 2023,...
Manaksia Aluminium at a 52-week low
Manaksia Aluminium, a microcap company and a trusted name in manufacturing aluminium sheets and coils, has seen a 52-week low in its share price, closing the day (January 27, 2025) at INR 79.93 (US$0.93). Despite a brief recovery in the early morning, reaching INR 83.34 (US$0.97), the stock closed at a below-average target price, reflecting the ongoing challenges in the competitive market environment. Image source: Freepik Today’s decline in Manaksia’s share price is the continuation of a downtrend, having lost 2.01 per cent over the two days, remaining below its key moving averages, including the 5-day, 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day. Over a year, Manaksia has seen a sharp fall of 39.95 per cent in its share price, in contrast to the 7.29 per cent gain during the same period....
Hydro joins Suppliers Partnership for the Environment to empower automotive industry with low-carbon aluminium
Norsk Hydro ASA, a Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company, has reportedly joined the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), uniting with a group of automotive manufacturers, suppliers, and environmental organisations to work together towards a shared sustainability vision. Image source: Freepik Explaining the reason for joining, Duncan Pitchford, President of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA, said aluminium is an infinitely recyclable product capable of serving as a safe and reliable raw material. So, by joining the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment, Hydro will be able to supply sustainable raw materials to carmakers. Even SP Director Kellen Mahoney believes that having Hydro as a member will help the collaboration empower low-carbon aluminium and recycling solutions...
Trade overview: US aluminium scrap exports through the first ten months of 2024
The United States is one of the leading aluminium scrap exporters in the world, with an annual average export volume close to 2 million tonnes. In 2023, the country exported 2.06 million tonnes, and by October, 1.74 million tonnes was shipped. In the first ten months of the subsequent year, the export volume totalled 1.73 million tonnes, reflecting a Y-o-Y dip of 0.6 per cent, according to the US Census Bureau Statistics. Was this decline consistent throughout the first ten months? What factors contributed to the fall? And which country had the most significant impact on the drop? All these will be closely studied in this comprehensive article. Month-on-month export volume trend To address the first question, let us delve into the month-wise export volume by the United States. In the...
Capesize fleet transporting more bauxite than coal amid rising demand in China
According to shipbroker Arrow, the surge in bauxite demand in China has resulted in capesize fleet carrying more bauxite than coal for the first time. The capesize vessels are traditionally used for coal shipments, but now, due to increased demand for the ore in the Chinese market, they are being repurposed to carry larger volumes of bauxite. Image source: MarineLink Arrow stated in a report that bauxite shipment from Guinea to China surged at the beginning of the year as panamaxes vessels cannibalised capesize coal cargoes. That made bauxite the second-largest capesize commodity after iron ore. In 2024, China imported 159 million tonnes of bauxite, up by 18 million tonnes from 2023, with 77 per cent of all shipments carried out on capes, leading to Guinea's higher capesize share of...
Upstream weekly recap: Change in investment outlook for global aluminium companies, US tariff threats, and much more
Some of the news headlines this week in the upstream aluminium industry, particularly in the primary aluminium sector, suggest a potential shift in market dynamics in the near term in the wake of aluminium price drop on alumina supply ease and proposed tariffs on aluminium imports by the US President Donald Trump. These two events in the industry have already prompted many aluminium leaders and financial analysts to revise their business strategy and market outlook. In addition, there are some key evaluations on the 2024 aluminium production trend and market analysis to guide your 2025 planning. RBC Capital Markets this week revised its investment outlook for Nork Hydro from “outperform” to “sector perform”, following the company’s share drop by 3.2 per cent on Tuesday, November 21, on...
Donald Trump’s tariff threat on Canada prompts Alcoa to reroute its aluminium shipments
Donald Trump's tariff threat following his second presidential term inauguration on January 20 has already sparked speculation among aluminium industry leaders from both the domestic and international markets, prompting them to make strategic decisions regarding overseas trade. For instance, Alcoa, an American aluminium producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is contemplating redirecting its Australian aluminium output to the United States in response to the proposed tariff on aluminium imports from Canada . Alcoa's CEO, William Oplinger, suggests that shifting trade flows could be a good tactic to avoid paying tariffs to the US. Image source: Alcoa Corporation The speculation among domestic industry leaders also includes potential market disruptions due to tariff threats on...
World’s primary aluminium production grows 3% Y-o-Y: key contributing countries revealed
The world's primary aluminium industry has wrapped up 2024 with an annual production of 72.758 million tonnes. Could it break the record of the previous year or surpass AL Circle's outlook? Of course, it did by 2.9 per cent from the earlier year's output of 70.716 million tonnes and by 1.05 per cent of AL Circle's projection of 72 million tonnes. Until November 2024, the production volume was summed up at 66.622 million tonnes, meaning the remaining amount of 6.236 million tonnes was achieved in December alone, marking the highest monthly output ever. Month-on-month, the world's primary aluminium production in December recorded a rise of 3.3 per cent from 6.037 million tonnes, and on a year-on-year, it edged an increase of 3.02 per cent from 6.053 million tonnes. The daily average output...
Platts assessment suggests Q1 2025 Japanese port aluminium premium at $228/t
According to Platts assessment, a division of S&P Global, the premium for Japanese primary aluminium imports in the first quarter of 2025 stands at $228 per tonne over the London Metal Exchange cash price, reflecting a 30.29 per cent rise from $175 per tonne in Q4 2024. Image source: Sumitomo Corporation The main Japanese port aluminium premium has been assessed on the basis of 12 trades done between December 12, 2024, and January 22, 2025, involving a total trade volume of 15,000 tonnes per month. The premium averaged in the first quarter of 2025 is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to $205 per tonne. According to Platts, the contributing factor to this spike in Q1 premium is the limited availability of primary metal due to production cuts on high alumina prices,...
Trade tensions emerge early in Trump 2.0 with tariff threats on China, Mexico and Canada; aluminium industry on edge
At the dawn of the new presidential era on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump announced his intent to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese product imports, including aluminium, as early as February 1. Following the news, the three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange decreased by 0.9 per cent to US$2,611 per tonne, feeling the pressure of trade tensions. On his second day in office, the US President called for an investigation into US-China trade to assess potential penalties on Chinese goods. Previously, he had threatened China with a 60 per cent tariff on imports but later adjusted his proposal to a 10 per cent duty, despite which China's blue-chip CSI 300 index and the Shanghai Composite index closed nearly 1 per cent lower, representing the highest fall in nearly two...
