AlCircle News Edited By "Nilanjana Banerjee"
Nilanjana Banerjee is a new leaf on this branch of AL Circle. is a spontaneous author and she writes on inspiration and purpose, not by design. Her penmanship is replete with sensitivity and depth.
AL Circle Analysis: Aluminium’s recycling economics, trade walls and carbon rules converge
The story of the aluminium industry is starting a chapter wherein scrap availability, recycling technology, trade policy, carbon costs and demand growth are becoming increasingly interconnected. From the US and Canada to Europe, India, New Zealand and China, recent developments show that the global aluminium supply chain is being reshaped on several fronts at once. These developments point to a changing aluminium business model: access to metal alone may no longer be enough. Quality of recycled feedstock, domestic processing capacity, carbon intensity, trade exposure and the ability to meet increasingly specific customer requirements could become equally important competitive factors. Join the fourth edition of the webinar “Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours” by Jorge...
Beyond the smelter: Companies powering the US aluminum industry’s rebuild
For the past two decades, the US aluminium industry has been treading through a volatile path, with a domestic primary aluminium sector deteriorating at a rapid and alarming rate, and the number of operational smelters falling from around thirty to only four. Primary aluminum output was estimated at 680,000 metric tons with a domestic demand hovering around 5.8 million metric tons in 2025, leaving the country heavily reliant on imports. Although the annual capacity remained unchanged from that in 2024, at 1.31 million metric tons per year, some smelters were operating at reduced capacities, while some faced temporary shutdown. The situation was compounded by the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum products, further blocking the inbound trade. The rebuilding of domestic capacity, therefore, is...
Malaysia’s rare-earth ambitions face a caveat: Can it control the full supply chain?
Malaysia is emerging as a rare earth hub by developing a domestic “mine-to-magnet” ecosystem spanning exploration, mining, separation, metals, alloys and permanent magnets. But, how is the venture faring? A study by Hiu Dilangit Sasongkojati at the University at Albany, SUNY, puts Malaysia’s ambition under a microscope. Malaysia’s supply chain remains fragmented, with limited domestic upstream activity, heavy reliance on foreign technology and downstream manufacturers still dependent on imported processed metals. To learn about the market potential of aluminium dross, explore “ ALuminium Dross Processing: Generation, Recovery & Strategic Roadmap ” Malaysia has the resources, but not yet an integrated chain Malaysia estimates around 16.2 million tonnes of inferred total rare-earth elements...
Novelis expands coated aluminium solutions for electric mobility, energy storage
Novelis is extending its coated aluminium solutions to batteries and energy storage, transferring its automotive expertise to address the rising demand across electric mobility and stationary energy storage. Its portfolio combines high-performance aluminium sheet with surface technologies to improve manufacturing efficiency, component durability and application-specific material performance. The aluminium solutions are aimed at battery enclosures, casings, electrical connectors such as bus bars and other critical battery components. They bring together lightweight performance, formability and corrosion protection, alongside electrical insulation capabilities where required. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report “ The...
Groupe GPA targets aluminium recovery via closed-loop automotive recycling
French vehicle recycler Groupe GPA is broadening the scope of its automotive recycling strategy. Moving beyond parts reuse, it aims to recover aluminium, rare earth elements or critical minerals, copper, plastics, glass and batteries from end-of-life vehicles and return them to vehicle manufacturing supply chains. The company has created a dedicated five-person R&D team to formulate processes for turning materials recovered during vehicle dismantling into secondary raw materials for the automotive industry. Led by mechanical engineer Marc Jolivet, the team is working around three priorities: extracting greater value from materials amid rising pressure on raw material supplies; helping automakers establish closed-loop recycling systems; and developing safe treatment methods, particularly...
EU aluminium scrap levy hits trade talks as India and Brussels advance FTA plans
The EU aluminium scrap export plan has emerged as a sensitive issue in EU-India trade negotiations. It highlights that Brussels has met with a challenge, attempting to secure recyclable raw materials for European aluminium producers while advancing a long-awaited free-trade agreement (FTA) with New Delhi. India was among 91 countries that would have been exempted from a proposed EU levy on aluminium scrap exports. European and industry sources said that the proposal faltered before the European Commission put the levy on hold as pressure from New Delhi appeared at a crucial juncture of the EU-India negotiations. The Commission has confirmed that the measure is no longer moving ahead in its original form. However, the decision has not been publicly linked to India or the ongoing trade...
How Dhaatu Fabex turns 100% NALCO metal into India’s aluminium extrusion advantage
Aluminium extrusion is quietly powering the global sustainability shift, ranging from solar mounting systems and renewable energy infrastructure to aerospace, electrification, industrial automation and next-generation mobility. Its combination of low weight, durability and recyclability makes aluminium sit at the core of this shift. Against this backdrop, India’s aluminium extrusion industry is gaining momentum, with Dhaatu Fabex emerging as one of the companies strengthening the country’s position in the global aluminium extrusion market. Dhaatu Fabex Pvt. Ltd is an Odisha-based producer of engineered aluminium extrusions and alloy billets, positioning itself in higher-value applications including renewable energy, automotive, aerospace, electrical systems and industrial automation....
From Oklahoma to Quebec: Inside North America’s million-dollar aluminium buildout
North America’s aluminium industry is entering a new era in 2026. As the US races to rebuild primary smelting capacity from near-zero, Canada pairs expansion with low-carbon innovation and recycling. From a USD 4 billion Oklahoma smelter to Quebec’s newly commissioned AP60 plant, here’s how each nation’s projects stack up. The US: Rebuilding primary aluminium capacity The biggest project is the Century Aluminum-Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) joint venture of a 750,000-tonne-per-year primary aluminium smelter planned in Inola, Oklahoma. Announced in January, the investment of around USD 4 billion would become the first new US primary aluminium smelter in almost 50 years and more than double current domestic primary production. The US is also strengthening upstream resilience. The federal...
LME aluminium price rises above 1%; stocks slip to 244,100t on September 14
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price reported improvements, rising above 1 per cent across the pricing segment, followed by modest gains in contracts on the September 14 close, recovering from the downward trend reported at the September 13 session . The LME aluminium cash bid and offer prices gained USD 37 per tonne or 1.13 per cent day-on-day on September 14. The bid climbed to USD 3,310 per tonne from USD 3,273 per tonne and the offer shifted to USD 3,311 per tonne from USD 3,274 per tonne. On September 14, the LME aluminium three-month bid and offer prices reported a USD 7 per tonne or 0.22 per cent rise over the previous close. The bid moved to USD 3,256 per tonne from USD 3,249 per tonne as the offer price surged to USD 3,257 per tonne from USD 3,250 per tonne. The upward...
H1’26 LME aluminium stocks dip 31.82%: Russian sanctions & Gulf crisis pack a double blow
As we reflect on the Middle East crisis that commenced on February 28, 2026, and stretched into the second half of the year, it brings to mind the dramatic rise and fall of the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price that reached four-year highs before cooling down. The skyrocketing prices result from the declining inventory levels of the LME aluminium stocks, thereby reporting a month-on-month decline from 498,670 tonnes in January to 320,314 tonnes in June. LME H1 inventory trend: 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024 How has the LME aluminium inventory scenario fared across the January-June period? Here is the six-month cumulative year-on-year comparison among 2026, 2025 and 2024: H1 2026 – 2.48 million tonnes, down 12.88 per cent Y-o-Y H1 2025 – 2.85 million tonnes, down 31.82 per cent Y-o-Y H1...
AL Circle Analysis: Import rise meets demand growth on aluminium extrusion chessboard
Aluminium’s downstream trade network is getting more fragmented as import dependence, changing end-use demand and trade-policy interventions reshape regional markets. From North America and Europe to Asia-Pacific, the aluminium industry is navigating a market where access to supply, competitive pricing, origin and industrial demand are gaining equal traction as overall consumption growth. These developments offer a glimpse into how geopolitical and trade networks could influence aluminium’s downstream expansion. North America: Import flows shift as downstream demand stays strong The North American market provides the clearest starting point for understanding the changing aluminium trade network. US imports of semi-fabricated aluminium products reached 423,000 tonnes in Q1 2026, up 30.56...
LME aluminium price eases 0.3% on September 10; stocks remain stable at 244,525/t
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price graph contracted on September 10 across cash and contracts, with longer-dated contracts reporting nearly 1 per cent decline. The aluminium opening stocks, however, remained stable. The LME aluminium cash bid price shifted from USD 3,351.5 per tonne on September 9 to USD 3,342 per tonne on September 10, down 0.28 per cent. The LME aluminium cash offer price dipped from USD 3,353 per tonne to USD 3,343 per tonne, easing by 0.3 per cent day-on-day. The LME aluminium three-month bid price closed at USD 3,316 per tonne, compared to USD 3,336 per tonne the previous session, representing a 0.6 per cent decline. The three-month offer price slipped by 0.6 per cent to USD 3,318 per tonne from USD 3,338 per tonne. Continuing the downward trend, the...
Aluminium tariffs, not Trump’s alcohol ban, are the bigger threat to BC brewers
The escalating US-Canada trade conflict is putting pressure on the US alcohol industry from two directions. The BC wine and beer industry is facing fresh uncertainty as the US President Donald Trump proposed to block most Canadian alcoholic beverage imports from September 29, 2026. While British Columbia’s wine industry could face lost US customers if the measure takes effect, craft brewers say the continued rise in aluminium costs is a more immediate concern for their businesses. The latest escalation spurred from Canada’s new retaliatory tariffs on US goods. In response, US President Donald Trump proposed banning several Canadian imports, including certain beer and wine products, from entering the US market. The Canadian retaliatory package covered about USD 20 billion of US goods, with...
Alcoa prices $2.6b senior notes for South32 bauxite, alumina and aluminium deal
Alcoa Corporation has set the price for a USD 2.6 billion senior notes offering to help finance the cash consideration for its proposed acquisition of South32’s bauxite, alumina, and aluminium assets . Along with the cash on hand, this debt is expected to provide permanent funding for the approximately USD 3.1 billion cash part of the transaction. The offering consists of USD 1.5 billion of 6.63 per cent Senior Notes due in 2034, to be issued by Alumina Pty Ltd, and USD 1.1 billion of 6.88 per cent Senior Notes due in 2036, issued by Alcoa Nederland Holding BV. Both of these companies are fully owned by Alcoa. The notes will be backed by Alcoa and some of its subsidiaries on a senior unsecured basis. The deal is expected to finalise on September 23, 2026, depending on usual closing...
85% recycled aluminium: Recorp raises the bar for sustainable beverage cans
Aluminium cans are under the spotlight among consumers and beverage manufacturers looking for more recyclable packaging, with the material already holding a strong circularity position against plastic and glass. Recorp tunes it further with ReCan85, an aluminium beverage can containing 85 per cent recycled aluminium , aimed at giving manufacturers a higher-recycled-content packaging option. From recycling advantage to higher recycled content The conversation around beverage packaging has already highlighted aluminium’s recycling advantage. Aluminium beverage cans recorded a 74.8 per cent recycling rate , compared with 47 per cent for PET bottles and 41.9 per cent for glass bottles in 2023. With a 75.6 per cent collection rate, aluminium cans are placed at the forefront of recycled...
Alcoa strikes $3.1b cash-and-stock deal for South32’s key aluminium assets
Alcoa Corporation is acquiring South32’s key aluminium assets in a USD 3.1 billion deal in cash plus 17,008,960 Alcoa shares, expanding its upstream aluminium portfolio across Australia, Brazil and South Africa. The transaction will also give South32 and its shareholders an equity interest in the enlarged Alcoa business, while backing South32’s broader shift towards copper and other base metals. The update follows Alcoa’s decision to acquire South32’s aluminium value-chain assets with an implied enterprise value of up to USD 5.6 billion. Under the proposed transaction, South32 will initially receive about 6 per cent of Alcoa’s outstanding common stock. At least half of these shares are expected to be distributed to South32 shareholders through an in-specie dividend. Depending on South32’s...
China’s 45Mt aluminium cap pushes producers overseas as global dominance grows
China’s aluminium industry is running close to its limits in 2026. As Shanghai aluminium prices near a three-month high, historically low raw material costs and strong smelter margins encourage producers to operate at maximum capacity. National aluminium output remains above Beijing’s 45-million-tonne cap, projected to reach 46 million tonnes by the ned of 2026. But with the ceiling still firmly in place, Chinese producers are taking projects overseas to Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Angola and Saudi Arabia, strengthening China’s position in the global aluminium supply chain. Domestic capacity leaves little room to grow In August, Chinese smelters were operating at 99.7 per cent of effective capacity, estimated by AZ Global Consulting at 45.26 million tonnes. This is in line with AL Circle’s...
LME aluminium price chart rises further to $3,325/t; stocks remain stable
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price chart continues to record an upward trend across the pricing and contract segments on the September 8 trading session, reporting gains over the September 7 close . Opening stocks remained stable, not reporting any further decline. The LME aluminium cash bid jumped from USD 3,308 per tonne to USD 3,324 per tonne, rising 0.48 per cent. The offer price moved from USD 3,310 per tonne to USD 3,325 per tonne, increasing by 0.45 per cent. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The LME aluminium three-month bid advanced from USD 3,307 per tonne from USD 3,318.5 per tonne, rising by 0.35 per cent. The offer price surged from...
