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.
EU contemplates banning Russian aluminium in the 13th sanctions package; industry warns economic distress
The European Union is contemplating restricting Russian aluminium as part of the 13th sanctions package. In a way to ban Russian aluminium imports, sanctions will be automatically applied against the energy sector given that the latter is a crucial input for the aluminium smelting process. A diplomat told Politico that sanctioning aluminium indirectly targets Russian energy, which makes up 40 per cent of the expenses in aluminium smelting. Discussions over the new prohibitions have been underway since the European Union decided to release a new sanctions package for the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. A senior EU diplomat has stated that for the new sanctions package, the attention has shifted to less obvious areas like aluminium. In the 12th sanctions...
China’s alumina spot price reaches its 2-year high with a gain of RMB5/t; A00 aluminium ingot price loses RMB30/t
According to the Shanghai Metals Market data, China's average alumina spot price has gained RMB 5 per tonne over the weekend to reach RMB 3,351 per tonne on Monday, January 29. The price stands at its highest point in the past two years. December 2, 2021, was the last time the Chinese alumina spot price stood at RMB 3,351 per tonne. On a month-on-month calculation, the domestic alumina spot price is up by 7.44 per cent from RMB 3,119 per tonne. In Shandong and Henan, the alumina price has increased by RMB 10 per tonne to stand at RMB 3,260 per tonne and RMB 3,380 per tonne, respectively, with average prices estimated to range between RMB 3,220-3,300 per tonne and RMB 3,340-3,420 per tonne. However, the Australian alumina FOB price has continued to remain restrained at US$373 per tonne...
Malaysia beats India and emerges as the highest importer of aluminium scrap from the US in Nov’23
In November 2023, the United States exported 163,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap versus 170,000 tonnes in October. That reflected a month-on-month decline of 7,000 tonnes or 4.12 per cent. According to the US Census Bureau data, the export in November marked the second back-to-back fall. In October, the United States aluminium scrap export stood 5.55 per cent down from 180,000 tonnes in September. On a year-on-year calculation, the United States aluminium scrap exports in November 2023 was 3,000 tonnes or 1.9 per cent higher than 160,000 tonnes. From January to November 2023, the export volume totalled 1.9 million tonnes, up by 3.26 per cent from 1.84 million tonnes a year ago, indicating a rise in scrap generation in the United States. In November, Malaysia emerged as the highest importer...
China’s 2023 aluminium wheels exports reflect a mediocre growth owing to slow economy & anti-dumping policies
According to China customs data, China’s aluminium wheels exports amounted to 72,600 tonnes in December 2023, reflecting a month-on-month fall of 6 per cent but a year-on-year hike of 9 per cent. The total export volume through the year, thus, stood at 934,000 tonnes, up by 58,500 tonnes from the previous year. China’s top five export destinations The top five export destinations in December were the United States, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and Thailand. Of them all, the United States was the highest importer, accounting for 28 per cent of China’s total aluminium wheels exports, followed by Japan, accounting for 23 per cent; Mexico, accounting for 11 per cent; South Korea for 9 per cent; and Thailand for 4 per cent. It is to be noted here that the gap in aluminium wheel export volume...
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price climbs up RMB210/t overnight; Aluminium alloys prices mirror the upward movement
According to the Shanghai Metals Market survey, the domestic A00 aluminium ingot price has surged by RMB 210 per tonne over night to exceed RMB 19,000 per tonne. On Friday, January 26, the week closed at RMB 19,120 per tonne versus RMB 18,910 per tonne on January 25. Thus, on a week-on-week basis, the price is up by RMB 290 per tonne or 1.54 per cent from RMB 18,830 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 19,100 per tonne and RMB 19,140 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 20-60 per tonne. In Wuxi, the price has jumped by RMB 220 per tonne to reach RMB 19,120 per tonne, while the price in Hangzhou and Chongqing has built up by RMB 210 per tonne to reach the same amount. In Gongyi, Shenyang, and Tianjin, A00 aluminium ingot price has...
LME aluminium price descends by US$19/t and stands 6.3% down through January; SHFE adds US$23/t
LME aluminium opened at US$2,222.50 per tonne yesterday, with high and low at US$2,244 per tonne and US$2,205 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,232 per tonne, up US$10 per tonne or 0.45 per cent. The LME aluminium benchmark price again recorded a decline on Thursday, January 25, after the two consecutive days of hike . Both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price decreased by US$19 per tonne or 0.86 per cent to stand at US$2,188 per tonne and US$2,188.50 per tonne, respectively. Compared to the beginning of the month when the price was at US$2,336.50 per tonne, the LME aluminium benchmark price stands 6.33 per cent down. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price shrank by US$15 per tonne and US$14 per tonne, respectively, to come in at...
Jindal Aluminium launches a new fabrication division to manufacture engineered building & construction products
Jindal Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium extrusion company, has reportedly announced that it launched a new fabrication division to manufacture engineered aluminium products for the building and construction sector like interior and exterior architectural products, frameworks, windows and gates, appliances, furniture, exhibition displays, roofing and many more. The unit is equipped with cutting-edge machinery developed by an expert team of skilled employees with over a decade of experience in cutting, punching and operating four-axis machines. According to Jindal, this new division is another value-added offering after the launch of its environment-friendly power coating unit. The unit houses automated sawing machines, including the FOM Industries Mirage 600 and Panda 400, which would...
ASI certifies China Hongqiao Group’s two subsidiary aluminium rolling facilities against Performance Standard Certification
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has reportedly certified China Hongqiao Group Co., Ltd. against the Performance Standard V3 (2022) Certification for designing and producing aluminium and aluminium alloy high-precision foil at two of its subsidiaries in Shandong, China. Weihai Chenxin New Material Co., Ltd. and Weihai Haixin New Material Co., Ltd. are the two subsidiaries of China Hongqiao Group that have received the certification. In addition to producing aluminium alloy high-precision foil, the subsidiaries also produce aluminium belts and plates. The rolling facilities have an annual production capacity of 120,000 tonnes and 30,000 tonnes, respectively. The products they produce have wide applications in the packaging and industrial sectors. China Hongqiao Group’s subsidiaries...
Canadian government adds aluminium to Quebec’s list of critical and strategic minerals
The Aluminium Association of Canada (AAC), representing the three Canadian world-class aluminium producers – Alcoa, Alouette, and Rio Tinto - has wholeheartedly accepted the government’s decision to add aluminium to Quebec’s list of critical and strategic minerals. According to AAC, the government’s decision has come at an ideal moment in industrial development as Quebec, which accounts for 75 per cent of North America’s primary aluminium production, will play a critical role in decarbonising the North American economy through its contribution to electrification. Quebec’s low-carbon aluminium will be a significant part of this phenomenon for being an absolute essential in electrification products. From solar panels for producing renewable energy to electric vehicle batteries with lower...
US primary aluminium production establishes a bearish trend for H2 2023 with a 1,000 tonnes fall in November output
According to the US Census Bureau data, the United States' domestic primary aluminium production showed no change in November 2023 from the previous month, remaining at 61,000 tonnes. However, on a year-on-year basis, the output experienced a 1,000 tonnes fall from 62,000 tonnes. Detailed evaluation of the output In eleven months of 2023, the United States' primary aluminium production amounted to 686,000 tonnes, of which 378,000 tonnes was produced in the first half of the year. In the second half of the year till November, the output totalled 308,000 tonnes, meaning the United States' primary aluminium production trended down in H2 2023. Overall, the United States' Y-T-D production lags behind 175,000 tonnes of the previous year's total output of 861,000 tonnes. The United States'...
China’s A00 aluminium ingot price sheds off RMB70/t amid gaining input costs
According to the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) survey, A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a decline of RMB 70 per tonne on Thursday, January 25, to reach RMB 18,910 per tonne. The average prices are estimated to range between RMB 18,890 per tonne and RMB 18,930 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 20-60 per tonne. On a week-on-week basis, the price is, however, up by RMB 20 per tonne from RMB 18,890 per tonne, but down over a month by RMB 160 per tonne from RMB 19,070 per tonne. In Gongyi, A00 aluminium ingot price has shrunk by RMB 90 per tonne to stand at RMB 18,850 per tonne, followed by the decline of RMB 70 per tonne in Hangzhou and Chongqing to RMB 18,910 per tonne. In Foshan and Wuxi, the price has also decreased by RMB 70 per tonne but amounted...
China’s aluminium wire and cable export volume records an 8% growth through 2023, but export value manifests otherwise
China’s aluminium wire and cable exports in December 2023 amounted to 17,000 tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 25 per cent and a month-on-month downfall of 9 per cent, showed China customs data. The value of the export was $50.14 million, down 8 per cent M-o-M and up 16 per cent Y-o-Y. The total volume of exports through 2023 was 191,700 tonnes at a value of $0.573 billion. The export volume registered an annual hike of 7.94 per cent from 177,600 tonnes, but the value stood at 0.072 per cent down. Jiangsu, Henan, and Hebei remained the top three Chinese provinces exporting aluminium wire and cables. In 2023, the provinces exported 131,500 tonnes, accounting for 68.61 per cent of the total exports. Jiangsu exported 71,300 tonnes, accounting for 37 per cent; Henan exported...
Revived momentum in H2 2023 global primary aluminium production propels annual output above 70 million tonnes
The world primary aluminium production has recorded an annual increase of 2.25 per cent for 2023, reaching 70.593 million tonnes at the end of December, found the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). However, compared to the previous year, the growth rate has decreased in 2023. In 2022, the global output had grown by 3 per cent to stand at 69.038 million tonnes, from 67.092 million tonnes in 2021. In-depth analysis of production In December 2023, the world primary aluminium production stood at 6.04 million tonnes, bringing the H2 output at 36.08 million tonnes, up by 4.58 per cent from 34.5 million tonnes in H1. That represented the fact that the global primary aluminium production gained momentum during the second half of 2023 as the energy crisis in Europe eased leading to...
Israel-Palestine conflict gradually impairs Palestinian aluminium industry
The ongoing geopolitical conflict between Israel and Palestine has hit the aluminium factories in Palestine in terms of production and profits. Muhanad Nairoukh, manager of one of the three biggest aluminium factories in the occupied West Bank of Palestine, has reportedly told Al Jazeera that the industry is near a halt. Effects of the conflict He says his company is operating at 40 per cent of its capacity, and production is reduced by 60 per cent. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) estimated at the end of December 2023 that the economy of the State of Palestine shrank to $1.5 billion during the initial days of the conflict, equivalent to approximately $25m per day, excluding direct losses in properties and assets. As an effect of the geo-political crisis, the internal...
China’s 2023 primary aluminium production establishes a new high recording an 11% annual rise
According to the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) survey, China produced 3.562 million tonnes of primary aluminium in December (31 calendar days) 2023. That was an annual increase of 3.6 per cent, leading to a cumulative output of 41.513 million tonnes in the entire year. Production analysis The daily average domestic aluminium production recorded a drop of more than 3,800 tonnes month-on-month to stand at around 114,900 tonnes in December. Although domestic operating capacity increased slightly over a month, the electrolytic cells in Yunnan that were shut down previously no longer produced aluminium liquid. The annual domestic output of 2023 experienced a rise of 3.6 per cent, found SMM. In December 2023, the domestic aluminium liquid alloying ratio remained high, except for some smelters in...
China’s 2023 aluminium production beats last year’s record-high output, reaching 41.5 million tonnes
According to the Shanghai Metals Market data, China’s aluminium production in the last month of 2023 (31 days) registered a month-on-month increase of 2.12 per cent and a year-on-year rise of 3.6 per cent to reach 3.562 million tonnes. However, the average daily domestic output dropped by 1,400 tonnes to 114,900 tonnes. The shutdown of electrolytic cells in Yunnan producing no aluminium liquid could be attributed to the daily production fall. But domestic aluminium operating capacity grew slightly month-on-month in December. China’s total production of aluminium from January to December 2023 came in at 41.513 million tonnes, beating the previous year’s record-high output of 40.2 million tonnes. Aluminium ingot production in the entire year was approximately 12.6 million tonnes, down by...
Financial Intelligence firm predicts stagnant growth in European aluminium billet market for 2024
According to a report published by S&P Global, an American publicly traded corporation headquartered in Manhattan, the European aluminium billet market labelled 2023 a year of demand deflation and hesitant purchases. A buyer said the poor demand for aluminium billet was due to a depressed mechanical engineering market, adding that stocking would not increase much for meagre expectations for Q1 2024. Through Q4 2023, aluminium billet sellers saw continued dither among sellers for buying the metal and significant delays in negotiations, resulting in continued premium fall and constant pressure on profit margins, with billet prices coming to the lowest level in the past three years. Premiums in 2023 At the beginning of 2023, the billet premiums were as high as $675 per tonne but later on,...
China’s alumina production in Dec’23 reflects a 5.7% growth, bringing annual output close to 80 million tonnes
The Shanghai Metals Market has revealed the world’s largest alumina producer’s output in December 2023, and with that comes China’s total production figure for the entire year. As per the data shown, China’s metallurgical-grade alumina output in December 2023 (31 days) stood at 6.795 million tonnes, slightly up by 0.74 per cent from 6.745 million tonnes in November and 5.7 per cent higher than 6.43 million tonnes in December 2022. However, the country’s daily average output fell month-on-month in December by 2.49 per cent, from 224,800 tonnes to 219,200 tonnes. According to SMM data, China’s total alumina production in 2023 reached 79.8 million tonnes, leveraging the operating capacity of 80.04 million tonnes at the end of December. The installed capacity at the end of the year was 100...
