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.
AL Circle x Elliot Mari: The journey of aluminium towards decarbonisation, 25% of low-carbon target achieved and way to go
In conversation with Elliot Mari, a Technical Lead for material industries at the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA), wherein he has shed his insights into the aluminium industry's decarbonisation journey. He has several years of experience working on industry decarbonisation roadmaps with a focus on the cement, steel and aluminium sectors in France. Elliot also worked as a reservoir engineer at Oil & Gas major TotalEnergies in Angola. He holds a Master of Engineering Science from the Ecole Centrale de Nantes in France and a Master of Sustainable Energy from the University of Queensland, Brisbane. AL Circle: What notable progress has the global aluminium industry made in its decarbonisation journey so far? How does the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA) contribute to the...
Europe eyes retaliation over scrap leakage to US
Tariff or no tariffs - the United States’ renewed trade stance aluminium imports is affecting many countries and their domestic industries for sure. If the countries facing the staggering 50 per cent tariff from the US administration are suffering from poor export orders, sluggish economy, and job loss, the same countries are also suffering from the same for aluminium scrap being exempted from tariffs. How? The exemption on aluminium scrap is bleeding the countries off their resources as most of them are diverting to the US. Europe, for example, is suffering from a similar situation, leaving local recycling plants fight for survival. Firstly, the scrap leakage from the EU is creating a void in the domestic market, wherein it is an important source of raw material for producing low-carbon...
US primary aluminium imports rise during Jan-May 2025 despite Canada’s slump; UAE and India step in to fill the gap
According to the latest data from the US Geological Survey, the United States’ aluminium crude metal and alloys imports increased over the year during January-May 2025, even as shipments from Canada - the country’s top supplier - declined. The data highlights two key trends: (1) Canada retained its position as the leading exporter despite a drop in volumes, and (2) the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stepped in to offset the shortfall, driving overall import growth. Canada holds lead but volumes erode From January to May 2025, Canada exported 1.02 million tonnes of aluminium crude metal and alloys, compared to 1.17 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year, reflecting a Y-o-Y decrease of 12.8 per cent. To be noted, Canada’s primary aluminium exports to the US remained...
Rising costs vs rising revenues – the paradox of the new 50% steel and aluminium derivative tariffs
Six months into Donald Trump’s 2025 tariff regime and it seems to be a never-ending roller-coaster journey with new sets coming in. So, what’s the update this time? More than 400 additional aluminium and steel product categories have come under the fold of 50 per cent tariffs. What are included? Auto parts, auto components, railcars construction materials, wind turbines specialty chemicals, and household items like refrigerators, freezers, dryers, and furniture components. In short, anything that contains or is contained in aluminium and steel. Brian Baldwin, vice president of customs at Kuehne + Nagel International AG, quipped anything and everything that looks shiny, metallic, or remotely like aluminium or steel, is included in the new list of product categories hit by tariffs. The new...
India’s aluminium push vs renewable energy mandate: Can both goals align?
Just when the Indian aluminium industry is prioritising its production, aiming to increase it by sixfold to achieve more than 30 million tonnes per annum of output from the present 4.2 million tonnes, the mandate issued by Renewable Consumption Obligation seems to have dampened the spirit because the mandate says the captive power consumers must derive 29.91 per cent of electricity from renewable sources and scale it up to 43.33 per cent by FY2030. On paper, this mandate is a well-meaning policy designed to support the Indian manufacturing industry to decarbonise its production, but in case of aluminium, some are of the opinion that it contradicts the country’s ambitious production dream and may even stall the progress it seeks to accelerate. Critics warn that aluminium smelting requires...
Shaky but steady: Brazil’s aluminium can recycling rate falls 2.7% but stands above 95% for 15 years
Brazil’s well-established recycling system has once again propelled the country’s aluminium can recycling rate to an impressive 97.3 per cent. For more than 15 years, Brazil has consistently maintained a recycling rate above 95 per cent. This achievement is not only the result of a strong recycling infrastructure but also of a deep sense of commitment towards sustainability that encourages people consume aluminium cans. In 2024, aluminium can sales in Brazil rose 7.6 per cent, amounting to 34.8 billion units versus 32.3 billion units. Behind this all, steady economic progress is also a factor that drives aluminium can consumption. According to the World Bank, Brazil, with a population of 205.3 million, recorded a real GDP per capita of USD 10,616 in 2024, up from USD 10,377.59 in 2023. In...
Hydro to cut 750 white-collar jobs: Cost control or structural overhaul?
Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy giant, has announced plans to lay off about 750 white-collar employees. Just two months after signalling a temporary hiring freeze without specifying the affected business areas, the company has escalated the measure into targeted job cuts. The announcement comes against a backdrop of widespread job cuts in the aluminium industry, driven by the United States’ steep 50 per cent import tariff. In Canada, for example, Canada Metal Processing Group was forced to lay off 140 employees as a direct consequence of the tariff. Hydro, however, is largely insulated from this pressure, thanks to extensive domestic sourcing, pass-through pricing, and minimal cross-border exposure. Its Hydro Extrusions and Aluminium Metal division holds a 15–20...
Recycling – the United States’ fastest route to aluminium self-reliance amid tariff and energy crisis
What could be a viable solution for the United States to meet its current aluminium demand when the country is suffering from a domestic primary aluminium production shortage and high import costs due to a 50 per cent tariff on the metal? Recycling it is ! Rightfully, Trond Olaf Christophersen, chief financial officer of Hydro, has pointed out, “If the US administration wants to improve self-reliance on aluminium, the quickest way to do it will be to keep more of the scrap in the US and support recycling capacity.” Recycling – the answer to demand-production mismatch By the end of 2025, the United States primary aluminium demand is projected to reach 4.9 million tonnes. Yet until April 2025, the country’s production stood at only 222,000 tonnes, down by 2.2 per cent from 227,000 tonnes...
Aluminium pays the price, copper gets a pass – here’s solving the US tariff puzzle
The Trump administration’s latest tariff move has left a glaring question: why has aluminium been slapped with a punishing 50 per cent duty, while copper sails into US ports untaxed? At first glance, both metals are strategic, energy-intensive to produce, and integral to manufacturing. Yet Washington’s selective hammering is something that raises several questions. Washington’s contrasting policy agenda – aluminium vs copper The official rationale is rooted in two strategic objectives: reviving domestic smelting capacity and cutting reliance on imports. Aluminium ticks both boxes. In the United States, primary aluminium production has collapsed over three decades - from 3.35 million tonnes in 1995 to 675,600 tonnes in 2024, representing an 80 per cent decline. To fill the void in the...
50% tariff it is! India-Russia ties over oil, aluminium, and mining irk US — what’s next: payback or patch-up?
The protectionist tariff strategy once touted by US President Donald Trump to revitalise domestic aluminium and steel production appears to be yielding the opposite effect - at least in early 2025. Industry indicators point to a clear downturn, with aluminium demand and production trending downward during the first quarter of the year. Image credit: Aluminum Association PMI signals early warning The first signs of contraction came from industrial sentiment. Both the US and Canadian Purchasing Managers’ Indexes (PMI) dipped below the critical 50-point threshold in March 2025, registering at 49 and 46.3, respectively, indicating a shrinking manufacturing sector. Historically, a PMI below 50 signals a downturn in production and purchasing activity, which typically correlates with weakening...
World alumina production dips in June; H1 trend raises doubts over 2025 target
The world alumina production (including chemical-grade) witnessed a notable setback in June 2025, declining 3 per cent month-on-month to 12.147 million tonnes - the lowest monthly output since February, according to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). The downturn was driven by reduced output in both metallurgical and chemical-grade alumina, hinting at broader challenges across the supply chain. Chemical-grade alumina saw a sharp 8 per cent M-o-M decline, falling to 714,000 tonnes, while metallurgical-grade output slipped by 2.72 per cent to 11.433 million tonnes. Although metallurgical-grade alumina recorded a marginal year-on-year increase from 11.385 million tonnes, June’s figure was the second-lowest monthly total of the year, again trailing only February. For the second...
Tariffs toll: Aluminium demand drops across North America amid weak PMIs
The protectionist tariff strategy once touted by US President Donald Trump to revitalise domestic aluminium and steel production appears to be yielding the opposite effect - at least in early 2025. Industry indicators point to a clear downturn, with aluminium demand and production trending downward during the first quarter of the year. Image credit: Aluminum Association PMI signals early warning The first signs of contraction came from industrial sentiment. Both the US and Canadian Purchasing Managers’ Indexes (PMI) dipped below the critical 50-point threshold in March 2025, registering at 49 and 46.3, respectively, indicating a shrinking manufacturing sector. Historically, a PMI below 50 signals a downturn in production and purchasing activity, which typically correlates with weakening...
H1 2025: World primary aluminium output grows despite market headwinds, with China and emerging regions driving gains
The world primary aluminium production seems to have withstood all the recent hurdles like escalating trade tensions, raw material costs, and supply chain disruptions with a decent growth rate of 1.4 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025. Albeit a slower than in 2024, the growth in the world’s primary aluminium production in Q2 2025 was largely encouraged by the bullish aluminium price trend on the London Metal Exchange, ranging between USD 2,499 per tonne and USD 2,593 per tonne. However, the increased LME alumina (Platts) price reaching above USD 363 per tonne dampened the mood of primary aluminium producers slightly, offsetting the output volume. Nonetheless, the world primary aluminium production closed the H1 with a Y-o-Y hike, amounting to 36.459 million tonnes versus...
US aluminium tariffs begin to dent AMAG Austria’s earnings performance, with 15% drop in EBITDA
AMAG Austria Metall AG, the leading player in Austria's aluminium industry, has begun to feel the pinch of the US tariffs in its Q2 2025 earnings—though the impact so far remains modest. However, the full brunt is expected to hit in the second half of the year. The company had entered 2025 on a strong footing, managing to weather the initial 25 per cent tariff shock. But that resilience was soon tested, as the tariff rate doubled to 50 per cent effective June 4, marking a clear turning point in AMAG's performance trajectory. It's often said that all's well that ends well, but for AMAG, a strong start may not guarantee a smooth finish. In Q2 2025, AMAG's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) stood at EUR 80.6 million, marking a drop of 15 per cent Y-o-Y...
50% tariffs on Canadian aluminium and steel bring US housing to suffer from an additional $10,000 construction cost
The American dream of owning a white-picket-fenced home is quietly being priced out - brick by brick, beam by beam. And no, this time it’s not inflation or rising mortgage rates to blame but tariffs it is, with a maple twist. According to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, tariffs imposed on Canadian construction materials can potentially incur an additional cost of USD 10,000 to building a home in the United States by 2027, given some of the key construction materials used in building a house come from Canada. Such as 70 per cent of the lumber used in the US residential buildings, 25 per cent of iron and steel, and 18 per cent of copper. What more? Aluminium, which is widely used in the residential construction sector in US, comes from Canada, is tariff-stricken too. In 2024, the United...
Hydro’s strong EBITDA growth in Q2 2025 is toned down by cautious outlook and cost discipline
Amid an uncertain market trend across the globe, Norsk Hydro from Norway has managed to show resilience in its fiscal Q2 2025 performance, supported by firm aluminium and energy prices. The company reported a 33.41 per cent year-on-year increase in adjusted EBITDA, reaching NOK 7,790 million from NOK 5,839 million. However, beneath these headline numbers lies a more nuanced narrative that reveals both strengths and vulnerabilities shaping Hydro’s strategic trajectory. Caution behind confidence While Hydro’s annual EBITDA growth is noteworthy, the sequential figures suggest growing headwinds. Adjusted EBITDA declined 18.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter from NOK 9,516 million. Revenue followed a similar trend, contracting by7 per cent from Q1, although it still rose 4.26 per cent Y-o-Y to NOK...
AL Circle Team is onward and forward to North America with Lillian Group as ‘Channel Partner’
AL Circle is delighted to announce its partnership with Lillian Group Marketing, LLC as a channel partner in North America. With over 30 years of expertise in integrated marketing communications, public relations, and strategic business development, Lillian Group will play a key role in strengthening AL Circle’s brand presence and sales footprint across the region. Image source: Wikimedia Commons This collaboration stems from a shared vision to elevate AL Circle’s brand positioning and amplify the aluminum ecosystem it has meticulously built over the years. North America, a powerhouse in aluminum demand and consumption, is witnessing a strong pivot towards sustainability and recycled aluminum. Together, AL Circle and Lillian Group aim to harness this momentum to create deeper engagement...
US targets India, Indonesia & Laos with import tariffs on solar panels – a covert move to shield domestic aluminium industry?
The United States’ dumping allegation against India has now extended beyond aluminium to include solar panels. Indonesia and Laos are also carrying similar accusations, as a group of US solar panel manufacturers have claimed that an influx of cheap products from these countries is harming the domestic market of solar items. Image source: Britannica On Thursday, July 17, the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade filed a formal petition, citing the surge in imports from Indonesia, Laos, and India intensified following the imposition of steep tariffs of up to 3,500 per cent on solar panels imported from Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The allegation is clear that the countries hit by US tariffs are rerouting their solar exports through these new channels to sidestep...
