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.
Toyota wins Okochi Memorial Prize awards for developing an innovative aluminium casting technology
Toyota Motor Corporation has reportedly won the Okochi Memorial Production Prize in the 66th (2019) Okochi Memorial Prize awards for developing an innovative aluminium casting technology. The technology is for improving the plant environment and product functionality. The award has been presented in the acknowledgement of remarkable achievements by Toyota related to research and development, and application of production engineering, production technology, and production systems annually. Toyota says this is the 12 th Okochi Memorial Prize for the company. <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vy9PSvTXBtE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> This innovation by the Japanese...
JISCo’s dust control project at bauxite/alumina waste disposal area receive nod from political reps
JISCo Alpart Jamaica’s efforts to contain dust pollution from the bauxite/alumina waste disposal area, popularly known as the red mud lake, have received guarded thumbs up from political representatives. The news came after the Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Eastern Frank Witter told on Tuesday, March 31, “They (JISCo Alpart) have more work to do, but from what I have seen, the situation in March was a great improvement on how it was before.” Writter also said the efforts by Jiuquan Iron and Steel (Group) Co Ltd (JISCo), since late December, to control dust from 660-acre red mud lake with the use of a mix of anti-dust “mesh” covering, dust suppressants, and huge volumes of water, appeared to have helped considerably. Councillor Layton Smith (People's National Party (PNP),...
LME aluminium price continues to decline to $1448.5/t while SHFE aluminium increases to $1628/t
Three-month LME aluminium rallied from a new four-year trough of US$ 1,481 per tonne touched in North American trading hours, finishing the day higher at US$ 1,504 per tonne. The build-up of long positions primarily accounted for the gains on the day. LME aluminium is expected to continue to trade at US$ 1,480 per tonne to US$ 1,530 per tonne today. As of Thursday, April 2, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price declined from US$ 1463.50 per tonne to US$ 1448.50 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price slipped to US$ 1482.50 per tonne from US$ 1498 per tonne, while Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer price stood at US$ 1618.50 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1210475 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled at 1062750 tonnes, and...
Turmec installs MRF plant in Wiltshire to treat recyclable materials
Turmec has reportedly designed, supplied, and installed an advanced MRF plant in Wiltshire to treat kerbside collected comingled recyclable materials picked from around 220,000 households across the region. The plant will have the capacity to process 20 tonnes per hour of dry mixed recyclables, ensuring a high-quality separation of recycled materials is achieved. Turmec’s advanced sorting equipment includes various screens with optical and magnet elements to maximise the recovery of paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays, steel and aluminium cans, food and drink cartons. The MRF’s plant and personnel are ready to recover materials of the highest quality for reprocessing. Comingled recyclables will be sorted in a single pass into 10 separate products for recycling....
Indian automobile industry unlikely to recover in FY2021 from COVID19 impacts: CRISIL estimates
CRISIL estimates the Indian automobile industry, including components, to be less likely to recover in the financial year 2021 from the toll taken by the COVID19 outbreak. The rating firm noted the coronavirus outbreak might have two challenges. Earlier than anticipated closure of Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) can lead to unsold BS-IV inventory, and anticipated retail sales may result in higher-than-normal BS-VI inventory for large passenger vehicle OEMs at the start of the fiscal. Remaining of sizeable inventory after one of the worst financial years in two decades in 2020 was already a burden on the automobile industry. A double-digit decline in sales and liquidity crisis in the second half of the year resulted in high inventory levels. Adding to it, demand shrank as a result of the...
China’s aluminium exports may see further decline as Vietnam enters into COVID19 containment lockdown
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to create a further impact on China’s aluminium exports as a greater part of the world has come under lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. According to a report on Wednesday, Vietnam, a major buyer of Chinese aluminium, has entered into 15 days nationwide isolation. Residents can only step outside for essential needs such as food, medicines, and urgent medical services, or may go to work at companies permitted by the government to remain open. Vietnam took the call for isolation after many European and American countries, who are also the major importers of Chinese aluminium, went into virus containment lockdowns, slowed business production, and kept people at home. Data from China customs showed that around 11 per cent of China’s exports of...
Alumina price in China extends decline by RMB66/t; A00 aluminium ingot price falls RMB220/t after two consecutive hikes
After continuous declines in the second half of the last month, the average alumina spot price in China started the fourth month of 2020 with a downfall of RMB 10 per tonne, and today on the second day the fall extended by RMB 66 per tonne to stand as low as RMB 2,267 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. The weaker demand for domestic alumina in the Chinese market has been pushing the price down. Also, the decline in alumina export from China has resulted in higher stocks while the demand is low. So, the combination of higher inventories and lower demand has further triggered the downward trend of the alumina price in China. Today, on April 2, the north China has seen the highest downfall in alumina spot price by about RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 2,250 per tonne, followed by the central...
MIIT actively working on introducing stimulus policies to boost automobile consumption in China
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is actively cooperating with relevant ministries and commissions to study policies and suggestions for boosting and stabilising automobile consumption in China. Such was the statement of Xin Guobin, Deputy Minister of MIIT at a press conference during China’s Manufacturing Industry Resumption Meeting on Monday, March 30. Following the MIIT’s calls, many Chinese provinces have already issued supportive measures to boost car consumption, added Xin in his statement. He believes more stimulus policies will make their way shortly. Xin also mentioned the operational status of the car industries during the press conference. He said the overall operating rate of the industry increased to 97 per cent from around 60 per cent. The rate of...
Coronavirus Effect: Rio Tinto to close Potline 4 at Tiwai Smelter and relocate 35 staff
The world’s second-largest metal and mining corporation Rio Tinto will close one of its aluminium production lines at Tiwai smelter, New Zealand, in line with the government directives to curb the spread of coronavirus. Such was the announcement made by Rio Tinto’s New Zealand's Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) venture on Tuesday, March 31. The New Zealand government has announced a four-week lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus that has infected more than 750,000 people globally. According to the report, Rio Tinto will close the potline 4 at Tiwai smelter and relocate the workers to other areas of operations. "Our focus is on supporting our employees in a time of uncertainty and running a safe and efficient operation to meet our obligations with customers and suppliers who are also...
LME aluminium price declined by $11/t to stand at $1506/t; SHFE dipped marginally to $1628/t
The US dollar rebounded against major currencies and riskier emerging market units on Monday, snapping a week of declines as investors braced for prolonged uncertainty and governments tightened lockdowns and launched monetary and fiscal measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Three-month LME aluminium resumed its downtrend on Monday, slipping to its lowest since April 2016 at US$ 1,522 per tonne in North American trading hours before closing the day sharply lower at US$ 1,529 per tonne. It is expected to move range-bound at US$1,520-1,570/per tonne today. As of Monday, March 30, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price stood at US$ 1495 per tonne after inching down by US$ 11 per tonne from US$1506 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price...
Primary aluminium inventories in China dip by 3,000 tonnes over the weekend
After the growth of 17,000 tonnes in primary aluminium inventories on last Monday and 20,000 tonnes on Thursday, the social inventories of primary aluminium have recorded a minor decline over the weekend ended Monday, March 30. The inventories over the weekend have dipped by 3,000 tonnes to come in at 1.664 million tonnes across eight major consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants. On Thursday, March 26, the inventories were at 1.667 million tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: In Gongyi, Nanhai, Chongqing, and Linyi, the inventories have decreased by 12,000 tonnes, 3,000 tonnes, and 1,000 tonnes respectively to stand at 185,000 tonnes, 438,000 tonnes, 15,000 tonnes, and 11,000 tonnes. In Wuxi and...
US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia record 22% decline in December 2019; Exports in Q4 up from Q3
According to the latest data released by the US Geological Survey, the United States aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia declined in December 2019 by 9,000 tonnes or 22 per cent from the previous month and came in at 32,500 tonnes. In November, however, the export amount to Malaysia rose by 1,400 tonnes or 3.5 per cent from October and stood at 41,500 tonnes. In October, the export amount was 40,100 tonnes compared to 30,900 tonnes in September, meaning the US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia in October 2019 saw a month-on-month increase of 30 per cent. Year-on-year, the export in December 2019 grew 106 per cent or by 16,700 tonnes from 15,800 tonnes in December 2018. The US aluminium scrap exports to Malaysia in the fourth quarter of 2019 thus, totalled at 114,100 tonnes, which in the...
Chinese alumina spot price starts the week with a decline of RMB33/t; A00 aluminium ingot price dwindles by RMB50/t
Since the middle of March, the average alumina spot price has been incessantly trending down, and today is of no exception. According to Shanghai Metals Market, the alumina spot price in China has shrunk by RMB 33 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,370 per tonne, as of Monday, March 30. The decline rate is 1.37 per cent compared to 0.74 per cent on the previous day, March 27. Month-on-month, the average alumina spot price is down by 195 per tonne, as of today. In the north, the price has decreased the highest today by RMB 35 per tonne to RMB 2,365 per tonne, followed by the decline of RMB 30 per tonne to RMB 2,380 per tonne in the central. In the east, the average alumina spot price has plunged by RMB 20 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,380 per tonne, as of March 30. Backed on the decline in alumina...
ALRO’s aluminium production and sales trended down in 2019; Beginning of 2020 sees COVID-19 impact
ALRO Group, one of the largest vertically integrated aluminium producers in Europe, has announced its financial results of 2019, revealing a downfall in sales from RON 2.98 billion in 2018 to RON 2.78 billion in 2019, primarily as a result of unfavourable international and national market conditions. The group in the year last registered a net loss of RON 67 million compared to a net profit of RON 235 million in 2018. The significant decrease in results was a direct consequence of a continuous downward trend of the LME and tough market conditions. Marian NĂSTASE, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ALRO, said: “Facing adverse circumstances in the market, where LME showed a 15% decrease in 2019 compared to 2018, alumina market affected by excess output that led to downward selling...
Chalco’s 2019 aluminium production stands lower by 9% while alumina output up by 2.1%
Chalco, China’s biggest state-run aluminium producer, produced 3.79 million tonnes of aluminium in 2019, down 9 per cent from the previous year, according to the company’s presentation to analysts reviewed by Reuters. With this production, Chalco just managed to retain its position as the world’s No. 2 listed aluminium producer ahead of Rusal’s 3.76 million tonnes of annual output. According to a report last week, the top producer China Hongqiao’s annual production dropped 11.3 per cent in 2019 totalling at 5.64 million tonnes. These lower production numbers come when Chinese aluminium firms are preparing to cope up a difficult 2020 with prices crashing to more than four to five years low RMB 11,340 per tonne amid supply concerns due to the outbreak of epidemic COVID-19. According to...
Amid COVID-19 Capral still continues production and distribution facilities
Australia-based aluminium extruded product manufacturing company Capral said this week that its production and distribution facilities continued to operate amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to safeguard the health of the workforce and communities, the company has put in several measures that include strict protocols for hygiene, rules for employees who are returning from travel, stopping business air travel, and restrictions on visitors to the sites. Employees of the company are also working from home as and when possible. According to Capral, although operating volumes of the company are in line with expectations, yet it is too early to predict the potential impact on the economy and business. While it is hard to find positives in the current situation, Capral believes a few factors...
COVID-19 Crisis: AMAG applies for short-time working due to downturn in orders
As the worldwide corona pandemic has started affecting the demand for AMAG products, the company has reportedly applied for short-time working at its Ranshofen plant, with effect from April 1, 2020. This will allow the plant to operate flexibly in response to the fluctuations in demand and utilisation while safeguarding jobs. As a major supplier of aluminium strip for medicine and food packaging, AMAG is classified by the Federal Ministry of the Interior as part of the “critical infrastructure” required to supply the Austrian population. So, the primary challenge for the company is to ensure the wellbeing of the workforce, and at the same time to guarantee product supplies to the processing industry. In order to protect the health of the employees, AMAG has introduced several preventive...
Average alumina spot price in China ends the week with a drop of RMB18/t, while A00 aluminium ingot price remains restrained
The average alumina spot price in China on the last day of the week, dated March 27, has recorded a downfall of RMB 18 per tonne to stand at RMB 2,403 per tonne. In the east and north, the price has dwindled by RMB 20 per tonne to RMB 2,400 per tonne, while that in the central has plunged by RMB 15 per tonne to RMB 2,410 per tonne. In the south, however, the price has registered no change from RMB 2,520 per tonne. The imported alumina price has decreased by RMB 10 per to come in at RMB 2,420 per tonne. The Australian alumina FOB price has neither been an exception and recorded a dip of US$ 2 per tonne to stand at US$ 267 per tonne. The A00 aluminium ingot price, on the other hand, has remained restrained at RMB 11,520 per tonne, after two consecutive rises of RMB 300 per tonne in total....
