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.
China‘s alumina exports exceed 460,000 tonnes in October: Source says
According to the data released by the General Administration of Customs on Friday, November 23, China’s October alumina exports exceeded 460,000 tonnes and reached the highest since at least October 2014. The reason because Chinese producers of the aluminium raw material continued to cash in as much as possible on the global shortage. The customs data also shows that China so far in 2018 has exported just under 1 million tonnes of alumina. China’s alumina exports in October alone surpassed the volume shipped across the last three calendar years 2015, 2016, and 2017 in total. Shortages in the global markets were due to an outage at Norsk Hydro’s Alunorte refinery in Brazil and then a strike at Alcoa’s alumina operations in Western Australia amidst the US sanctions against the UC Rusal. The...
Spot aluminium discounts in Shanghai remain unchanged against the SHFE 1812 contract: SMM
Shanghai Metals Market research found spot aluminium discounts across Shanghai market remained unchanged on Friday from the previous day at RMB 40 per tonne to RMB 30 per tonne against the SHFE 1812 contract. In the morning trade, the SHFE 1812 contract increased but in a tight range. Most transactions in Shanghai and Wuxi were heard at RMB 13,810 per tonne to RMB 13,830 per tonne while that in Hangzhou at RMB 13,840 per tonne to RMB 13,860 per tonne. Sellers across the eastern markets were keen to offload cargoes, given the recent rebounds in aluminium prices and cash flow issues by month-end. The narrow spread between the December and January contracts left little arbitrage opportunities to traders and pushed them to sidelines while gains in aluminium prices eroded purchasing enthusiasm...
The construction of Frank Gehry's aluminium-clad Luma Arles is underway in south France
A twisting tower clad Luma Arles in reflective aluminium tiles is reportedly taking form in the south of France and will expectedly open in spring 2020. Luma Arles is an arts centre designed by Pritzker Prize winner Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry and established by Swiss collector Maja Hoffmann. Gehry has had a reputation as the go-to architect for rejuvenation projects since his Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in Spain in 1997. Set on the site of an abandoned SNCF rail yard, Luma Arles will be 56 metres high when complete. It is formed of a concrete core with a steel frame, along with glass boxes and shining aluminium panels stacked around the frame in an irregular formation above a circular glass atrium. Inside the vast circular atrium will recall the Roman amphitheatre in...
Volatile aluminium prices lead to cautious downstream purchases in east China; Alumina price shrinks
According to Shanghai Metals Market, downstream consumers of primary aluminium remained cautious in making purchases across east-China markets on Thursday, November 22, given the recent volatility in prices. The SHFE 1812 contract inched up in the morning trade while spot discounts in Shanghai narrowed down to RMB 40 per tonne to RMB 30 per tonne against the SHFE contract, from RMB 50 per tonne to RMB 40 per tonne in the previous day. In Shanghai and Wuxi, most transactions were seen at RMB 13,740 per tonne to RMB 13,760 per tonne and that in Hangzhou at RMB 13,760 per tonne to RMB 13,780 per tonne, SMM found. Across eastern markets, sellers remained keen to offload cargoes. But purchasing enthusiasm was missing among traders because of the narrowed backwardation structure between the...
Canada’s aluminium wire export revenue to drop this year despite a rise in volume
Over the past five years, increased construction activity and expanded energy infrastructure have reportedly spurred the demand for aluminium wires and cables. Thus, the world aluminium wire rod usage increased consequently from 5.87 million tonnes in 2014 to about 6.26 million tonnes in 2017. The usage is further estimated to grow to 6.45 million tonnes in 2018 and by 2025 it is anticipated to reach 8 million tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} According to a research report by Global Market Insights, Inc., global aluminium wire market revenue is slated to exceed US$ 65 billion by 2024. Among some of the top aluminium wire producing countries, Canada is a notable one. Intral Inc., Noramco, Northern Cables are some noteworthy companies in Canada who produce a significant amount of aluminium wire....
Ghana to access US$649 million of Sinohydro infrastructure in exchange of bauxite transaction
Ghana can now access US$ 649 million as the first tranche of the 2 billion dollar Sinohydro infrastructure. In exchange, the country will have to deliver bauxite to China. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, announced the news while addressing journalists at the bi-weekly media briefing in Accra on Wednesday, November 21. He said two sets of contracts had been laid before Parliament namely, the Engineering Procurement Construction contract (EPC) and Deferred Payment Agreements (DPA). He also said the Finance Committee of Parliament would meet on the Agreements and present report to the plenary by the end of the month to pave way for construction work to begin. The construction work on infrastructure would include 84-kilometre Accra Inner City roads, 100-km Kumasi Inner City...
Nalco talks about its Brownfield and Greenfield refineries expansion plans
The state-owned National Aluminium Company (Nalco) announced its plan for Brownfield expansion by five lakh tonnes and Greenfield by six lakh tonnes per annum in the next few years. The navaratna company, which at present produces 4.6 lakh tonnes of primary aluminium, eyes to establish a Greenfield refinery with a production capacity of 1.4 million tonnes or 2 million tonnes in Visakhapatnam. The investment, according to the company, required would be INR 7000 crore to INR 12000 crore. The smelter plant and the captive plant would reportedly involve additional investment. Mentioning about the clearance for investment in the Visakhapatnam project, Nalco Chairman and Managing Director T.K. Chand told The Hindu on Wednesday, November 21, that for the five-lakh tonne Brownfield expansion, the...
Secondary aluminium producers in Henan ordered to cut productions: Heavy pollution to hit Hebei
According to an update from Shanghai Metals Market, Dazhou town in Henan province required all secondary aluminium producers to suspend their operations for installing environmental equipment. There are about 50 secondary aluminium producers in the town and most produce nonstandard products with a capacity below 2,000 mt/year. The current installation progress suggests that plants can resume output as early as December. However, fortunately, this round of output suspension is expected to have minimal impact on the overall aluminium market amid the current quiet trading liquidity as most local plants have adequate stocks of finished goods. On the other hand, another update came to our way from the provincial ministry of ecology and environment that 10 cities in China’s northern province of...
Austal delivers this year’s fourth high-speed aluminium catamaran to the US Navy
Austal’s USA has reportedly delivered the tenth Expeditionary Fast Transport ship USNS Burlington (EPF 10) to the US Navy (USN), as part of a US$ 1.9 billion contract for 12 vessels. It is also Austal’s fourth ship delivered to the USN in 2018. On this note, the company’s CEO David Singleton said, “Austal takes great pride in sending another EPF to join the Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet. The success of this milestone achievement is a result of the dedication and hard work of the Austal team." The USNS Burlington (EPF 10) is a 103-metre long Spearhead-class aluminium catamaran capable of transporting 600 tonnes over 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. It is designed in a way enabling to operate in austere ports and waterways that are too shallow and narrow for the...
Aluminium import by Taiwan likely to grow this year after a plunge in the year before
In 2014 the Taiwanese Government had listed the metal related industry as one of Taiwan's pillar industries. It said going forward it would focus on assisting the sector to upgrade technology and develop high-end products. The country ranks second in per capita aluminium consumption with a rate of about 33.3 kg. The island country has reportedly seen a significant demand growth for aluminium alloy. One of Taiwan’s biggest flat-rolled aluminium products mill C.S. Aluminium has about 400,000 tonnes of aluminium product output capacity per year. However, Taiwan imports both primary aluminium and aluminium alloys. Primary aluminium is used for making aluminium alloys and aluminium alloys for supplementing domestic production and make value-added products. According to the global export-import...
Major US business groups urge for aluminium and steel tariffs exemption on Mexico and Canada
On Monday, November 19, more than 30 American business and agriculture groups urged the United States Trade Representatives Robert Lighthizer to exempt aluminium and steel import tariffs on Mexico and Canada, arguing that such tariffs were hurting exporters and putting jobs at risk. In a letter addressed to Lighthizer, those business and agriculture groups wrote that Section 232 tariffs, since the time came into effect on June 1, affected their relationships with most important trading partners, and thus, strongly recommended to remove the metal tariffs from Canada and Mexico. The groups claimed that Section 232 tariffs on aluminium and steel caused immense harm to American manufacturers, consumers, and workers by raising costs for a wide array of industries. “This endangers the jobs of...
India asks WTO to put up dispute settlement panel for US aluminium and steel import duties
An official reported to Business Standard India has taken forward the trade dispute with America in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and asked the Geneva-based multilateral body to set up a panel against the US for imposing high import duties on certain aluminium and steel products. According to the report, India took this move after it failed to resolve the issue through a bilateral consultation process with the US under the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO. Per the rule, consultation was the first step of the dispute settlement process but if that failed to reach a mutually agreed solution, then the country could request for a WTO dispute settlement panel to review the matter. "So, now, India has asked the WTO for the establishment of the dispute panel on the matter," the...
UWS secures two major contracts to design, fabricate, and supply aluminium fenestration products
Unique Window Systems (UWS), a reputed and award-winning designer, fabricator, supplier and installer of uPVC and aluminium fenestration building products, has reportedly secured two major design, supply, and installation contracts for the redevelopments of the University of Leicester. The Brookfield Campus and the Percy Gee Building will both undergo a dramatic renovation as part of the University’s new estate master plan, and UWS, teaming up with a trusted supplier Senior Architectural Systems, will design, supply and install windows, doors, and curtain walling across the projects. While the Brookfield Campus redevelopment will include a full suite of aluminium fenestration products from UWS, including doors, windows, and curtain walling, the Percy Gee Building will include the...
CBG achieves first ore at its bauxite production expansion project - Fluor confirms
Fluor Corporation confirmed on Monday, November 19, that Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) achieved first ore at its Bauxite Production Expansion Project in Kamsar. The project reportedly achieved the first ore safely, on budget, and on schedule. Fluor is a global engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, and maintenance firm headquartered in Irving, Texas, and presently, providing its services to the bauxite production expansion project of CBG. CBG, on the other hand, is a Guinean mining company that has been operating the large bauxite deposit at Sangarédi in the Boké region of Guinea. It is a jointly owned company by the Government of Guinea and the Halco Mining consortium, which includes Alcoa, Rio Tinto and Dadco Investments. “From developing the local craft workforce...
South Korea likely to see a growth of 25% in aluminium foil export and 12% in import
According to a survey report, aluminium foil production in South Korea from 2006 to 2017 has been through several ups and downs. In 2006, South Korea’s aluminium foil production was at 118,275 tonnes which over the years faced an increase and decrease until it clock at 102,449 tonnes in 2017. The below graph depicts the production volume over the years in more details. Out of this, the country exports a significant amount in various parts of the world. According to the global export-import data, South Korea’s estimated aluminium foil export in 2017 was at 65,058 tonnes out of the production volume of 102,449 tonnes. In 2016, however, the country’s estimated export volume was almost 16 per cent higher than in 2017 despite a lower production volume. While the production was at 96, 750...
VELOX introduces new line of CBright non-leafing aluminium pastes for solvent-borne printing inks
VELOX, one of Europe's solution providers for the plastics, composites, additives, rubber, paints and coatings industries, has reportedly introduced a new line of CBright non-leafing aluminium pastes from aluminium pigments manufacturer Carlfors Bruk. Developed for solvent-borne printing inks, the newly-introduced CBright 400 NL pastes have good substrate and inter-coat adhesion properties suitable for printing on various substrates, including flexible packaging and plastics. By introducing this new range of silver dollar based non-leafing pastes, Velox completes its range of products for the printing ink industry. “Their investment in a new building and modern production equipment is a testament to Carlfors Bruk’s commitment to proving the highest-quality products to the industry,...
Primary aluminium capacity cuts to exceed 2 million tonnes owing to weak ingot prices: SMM
According to a recent update by Shanghai Metals Market, primary aluminium capacity cuts expanded sharply in the second half of 2018 as weak aluminium prices and high operating costs caused an immense loss to the producers. Per the SMM research, production cuts for the year are likely to exceed 2 million tonnes. A total of 1.98 million tonnes of primary aluminium capacity across 15 plants has been cut or will be cut this year, showed SMM as of November 19. The second half of the year saw major cuts of around 1.81 million tonnes. According to another update by SMM, the A00 aluminium ingot price today, on November 20, plunged by RMB 10 per tonne after a rise for the past two consecutive days. The price today clocked at RMB 13,740 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between...
CMS Window Systems receives Green World Award under Building & Construction category
According to a report, the UK-based company CMS Window Systems has received the latest prestigious Green World Award under the Building & Construction category at an award ceremony in Ankara, the Turkish capital city. This special recognition is given to the company for being the world’s best for its environmental achievements. Earlier this year, CMS Window Systems had won Gold in the Scottish Green Apple Award representing the UK, following a success in becoming a Green World Ambassador. The Green World Awards are organised by The Green Organisation – an international, independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to acknowledging, rewarding, and promoting environmental best practice around the world. They aim to improve environmental performance, encourage the...
