AlCircle News Edited By "Pratyusha Chatterjee"
A writer with 5+ years of experience in the communication industry, Pratyusha Chatterjee has indulged in content from the business, lifestyle, travel industries and more. Apart from news and content, Pratyusha is immensely fond of participating in cultural events and managing them.
Is Chinese countermeasure upon US a stint to regain control over the losing grip on rare earth?
China has imposed a whopping 34 per cent tariff on all imports but that was not all on Friday’s announcement. The country decided to curtail rare earth exports to the US. Now, out of anything and everything, one must be curious about why rare earth took centre stage. The recent actions, perceived by many as retaliatory measures in the escalating trade tensions with the United States, also hint at deeper motivations: a concerted effort by China to reassert its dominance over the global rare earth supply chain, as some reports by Chinese agencies reveal otherwise. Image for referential purposes only China’s historical dominance in rare earths For decades, China has been the linchpin of the global rare earth industry, supplying approximately two-thirds of the world’s REEs. These elements are...
Hindalco plunges 4% in a five-day slump while Vedanta and Nalco follow suit
Hindalco Industries is deep in the red, marking its fifth consecutive losing session with a sharp 4.36 per cent decline on April 4. The aluminium giant has shed 9.78 per cent in just five days, underperforming its sector by 0.84 per cent and sinking below key moving averages—an unmistakable sign of a bearish trend. Image for referential purposes only Vedanta took a harder hit, tumbling 8.45 per cent to INR 402.40 (USD 4.71), while Nalco slumped 7.38 per cent to INR 159.90 as the broader aluminium sector lost 4.48 per cent. Hindalco’s intraday low of INR 622.55 (USD 7.28) reinforces the downtrend, with the stock now trading beneath its 5-day, 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages. Meanwhile, the Sensex followed suit, plunging 362.03 points (0.65 per cent) to 75,798.06,...
Will all EU votes favour countermeasures? 9 EU nations’ notion revealed as US tariffs take effect…
Voting is in the pipeline to decide the fate of US imports into the US. In an effort to determine whether the countermeasures to the United States steel and aluminium tariffs are going to turn into reality, each EU member is set to vote on April 09, announced a senior EU official. This image is created with the assistance of AI tool for referential purposes only The Commission’s proposal of counter-tariffing big tech companies such as Elon Musk’s social network X and search engine giant Google, as well as major financial institutions like J.P. Morgan and Bank of America, will only be approved as long as it is not opposed by a qualified majority of 15 member states encompassing 65 per cent of EU population. Ahead of the voting and shortly after the ‘liberation day’ tariff was announced,...
In the Indian tariff league, let’s analyse which wins: Tit-for-tat tax or Tariff 2.0
The trade battleground is heating up as US President Donald Trump announces reciprocal as well as a bout of tariff on ‘Liberation Day,’ and India has found herself at the centre of a high-stakes of the sparking trade war. The United States slapped with a 26 per cent tariff on Indian goods, and it seems the brunt is going to be strongest for gems and jewellery along with electronics product export. Is India’s aluminium industry bracing for impact, too? It shouldn’t, at least not yet, as the auto and auto parts have been exempted from the latest tariff announcements apart from the original 25 per cent slab. Alongside, amid the chaos, does India have an overall upper hand? Let’s find out. The US has been steadily tightening its tariff grip, as certain Indian goods already face a 25 per cent...
China tightens regulations on new alumina plant construction to address overcapacity
With an agenda of counteracting persistent overcapacity and subsequently stabilising global alumina prices, China has come up with a bunch of measures (of course, in a series) aimed at curtailing the rapid expansion of alumina production. The new directives, outlined in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) Action Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Aluminium Industry (2025–2027), extensively highlight the need to shift the country’s approach to managing its aluminium supply chain. Policy overview and strategic objectives The latest policy mandates that firms who are planning to establish new alumina projects must secure adequate bauxite supply to ensure a balanced and sustainable growth model. This requirement is a successor to the earlier guidance...
“Recycled aluminium is not available in large volumes. Hence, virgin aluminium will be in demand, especially in a country like India, where, today, scrap has not reached that level of volume,” Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon Carbon Pvt Ltd
Vikram Handa established Epsilon Group in 2010, a prominent industrial conglomerate dedicated to advancing the global carbon black and battery materials sector. With a mission to decarbonise economies and foster cleaner technologies, the group has distinguished itself through its subsidiaries, Epsilon Carbon and Epsilon Advanced Materials. Under his stewardship, a state-of-the-art, fully integrated 320,000 TPA specialty carbon plant was inaugurated in 2017 in Bellary, Karnataka. The company later expanded into the Carbon Black segment, launching operations with a 115,000 TPA production capacity. This Integrated Carbon Complex boasts a 10 per cent lower carbon footprint than its global counterparts and operates as a zero water discharge facility. With aggressive expansion plans, Epsilon...
Novelis shutters 2 plants in US — West Virginia hit by second job loss in a year
For the second time in just a year, West Virginia faces the brunt of business closures and job cuts. Following the shutdown announcement of Novelis’ Buckhannon plant in March 2024, the aluminium giant is now closing its Fairmont manufacturing facility. After days of speculation, workers were informed on April 1, 2025, that the plant was shutting down permanently. Simultaneously, Novelis is also set to close its facility at 1801 Reymet Road in Chesterfield next month. A company spokesperson stated that the move is part of a broader restructuring strategy, with the Chesterfield shutdown costing over 70 jobs. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed in West Virginia, the Fairmont plant will close on June 30, 2025. “This closure is permanent and will affect...
Is foil import from China on track to tank post India’s anti-dumping duty enforcement?
In a calculated move to tackle the overstuffing of the ‘material in question’ in its domestic aluminium industry, the Indian government imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty on aluminium foil imports from China. Effective from March 17, 2025, this measure levies duties ranging between USD 619 and USD 873 per tonne on aluminium foil up to 80 microns in thickness, with the exception of foil below 5.5 microns intended for non-capacitor applications. This action follows the Directorate General of Trade Remedies’ (DGTR) preliminary findings, which concluded that the influx of low-priced Chinese aluminium foil has inflicted material injury on India’s domestic producers. The DGTR’s investigation revealed that Chinese imports had seized nearly 30 per cent of the Indian market despite the...
Japan’s Q2 aluminium premium crashes to five-quarter-low as US tariff intervenes trade
After an initial aggressive uptick at the beginning of March, the premium for Japanese aluminium’s outbound trade during the second Quarter of 2025 (April to June) has reportedly crashed to USD 182 per tonne, which is clearly a 20 per cent decrease from the past quarter (Q1’25), reveals six sources involved in the pricing discussions. The downturn in premiums is the first quarterly drop in the recent five quarters, USD 46 down from January to March, with a premium of USD 228 per tonne. Aluminium has turned out to clasp a premium below initial offers from global production houses, which ranged from USD 245 per tonne to USD 260 per tonne, now raising the question of why such a premium fell. On March 27, Platts evaluated the CIF main Asian ports (MAP) spot P1020 aluminium premium at USD 173...
Tariffs bite: Businesses choose to sway away from aluminium, counting the cost
Aluminium businesses, brace yourselves as your base metal commodities are getting pricier, and it’s not just a minor blip. The latest round of US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports is sending shockwaves through industries that rely on these materials. From roofing to manufacturing, businesses, as well as homeowners, are starting to feel the pinch. And, with no exemptions in sight, the future looks even tougher for those loyal to aluminium. Image Source: https://www.rcmindustries.com/ A roof too far? Here’s why homeowners are ditching metal roofing Metal roofing has always been a premium choice, known for its durability and sleek aesthetics. But now, thanks to the US government’s 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and aluminium, the cost is becoming prohibitively high. The numbers...
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"I foresee huge growth for the platform economy, open talent and freelancing as more companies, organisations and individuals demand freedom, flexibility and choice as to when, where and how they work," Glen Hodgson, Founder and CEO of Free Trade Europa
Free Trade Europa is a think tank delving into the development of short, easily digestible thought pieces on key dossiers and acts as a commentator on European policy developments. The entity also prepares conferences, briefings and seminars relevant concerns. Glen Hodgson, Founder and CEO of Free Trade Europa, with over twenty-five years of experience in communications, public affairs, and lobbying, focuses on promoting free trade, liberalisation, and the rule of law within the European Union and internationally. Glen was previously responsible for the Nordics, Baltics and Central & Eastern Europe within an international communications agency. Prior to this, he worked for European institutions as well as governments, blue-chip international companies, startups and NGOs as a lobbyist,...
Advertisement of mining benefits in dailies causes stir: Vedanta linked to the endeavour?
In the heart of Odisha’s Kalahandi district, a storm brews over bauxite mining — a saga intertwining corporate ambitions, tribal rights, and the promise of progress. Recently, a full-page advertisement appeared in the leading Odisha dailies, championing bauxite mining in Kalahandi. The ad, purportedly from the Lanjigarh Anchalika Bikash Parishad, linked mining to tribal welfare and regional development. However, observers suspect Vedanta’s influence behind this message, given the company’s vested interests in the area. Image source: https://m.rediff.com/ Vedanta’s presence in Kalahandi has been contentious. In 2003, the Odisha government signed an MoU with Vedanta Aluminium Limited to establish an alumina refinery and bauxite mining plant in the Niyamgiri hills, the land which is also...
Rise in India’s aluminium production, a ripple effect of wider mineral market uptick
India’s aluminium production experienced a modest uptick during the April to February period of the financial year 2024-2025, recording a 0.9 per cent increase to reach 38.36 lakh tonnes (3.836 million tonnes), compared to 38 lakh tonnes (3.8 million tonnes) in the same period the previous year, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Mines. This incremental growth echoes the more comprehensive tendencies in India’s mineral production. For instance, iron ore production rose by 4.4 per cent to 263 million tonnes from 252 million tonnes. In comparison, manganese ore production saw a 12.8 per cent increase to 3.4 million tonnes from 3 million tonnes during the same period. Bauxite production, crucial for aluminium manufacturing, also grew by 3.6 per cent to 22.7 million tonnes, up...
EU aluminium trade deficit hits €11B — Imports skyrocket as domestic production struggles against high energy costs
In 2024, the European Union (EU) found itself tussling with a significant trade deficit of EUR 11.1 billion in aluminium and related articles. This figure emerged from imports totalling EUR 29.5 billion, overshadowing exports valued at EUR 18.4 billion. Since 2019, imports have surged by 29.9 per cent (EUR 6.8 billion), while exports have seen a 21.3 per cent (EUR 3.2 billion) rise. Interestingly, these monetary increases occurred despite a slight decline in the physical weight of exports by 1.7 per cent and imports by 6.2 per cent, indicating that rising prices primarily drove the value uptick. Information and Image credit: Eurostat Norway and China lead in imports and UK in export Delving into the origins of these imports, Norway and China emerged as the EU's top suppliers in 2024....
Why should we care about China’s shiny new plan of greening the aluminium industry by 2027?
Fancy a cuppa and a bit of a 'green muscle' news, then? We have already divulged China’s embargo on ad-lib carbon emissions and instead brought in an overhauling carbon trade system for multiple industries. Now, word on the street (or rather, from Beijing) is that China is embarking on a rather ambitious quest to buff up its aluminium industry (thus proving the agenda of extending carbon trading mechanism in the aluminium value chain) – and make it green, to boot. Now, we all know China is a big player (if not the biggest) in the aluminium game, so this is more than just a spot of housekeeping. It is essentially a potential game-changer. The nitty-gritty So, break down the answer to a common question —what’s the plan and what is the big picture in all of this? Well, the picture now is ten...
Mumbai to Pune in just 25 minutes: Hyperloop to change the face of Indian railway’s travel time
IIT Madras has become the nerve centre for Hyperloop development in India, igniting debates about when this futuristic mode of transport will be commercially available. Backed by L&T Technology Services, the institute has constructed a 500-metre-long test facility for its Hyperloop pod prototype, a design that has already made the cut for Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Image for referential purposes only Hyperloop technology, popularised by Musk, leverages electromagnetism to levitate a pod inside a near-vacuum tube, eliminating almost all resistance to movement. The result? An ultra-fast transportation system that could hit speeds of 1,200 km per hour, potentially revolutionising India’s railway landscape. Concept and backstory First introduced by Musk in a 2013 white paper, Hyperloop is an...
Vedanta supplements rail infra in Lanjigarh to back 5 MTPA refinery expansion
In an initiative to curtail its carbon footprint, Vedanta Aluminium — a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, has constructed a 13.4 km long new railway line, which will ensure wholesome raw materials and derivatives transportation by rail. India’s leading aluminium production company, Vedanta Aluminium, has secured a further boost to its logistical infrastructure and has successfully put in place a new railway line, backing its supply chain breadth. The railway infrastructure expansion is strategised to couple with the commissioning of its 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district, Odisha, ensuring production and transportation go hand-in-hand. The railway expansion commissioning will secure hassle-free inbound and outbound movement of raw materials and...
Middle Eastern aluminium sector progressing fast towards forging greener, smarter future, shares global AL leaders
The Middle East’s aluminium industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Leaders across the sector are driving innovation, integrating digital technologies, and embracing sustainability to create more efficient, low-carbon production processes. In a series of exclusive interviews, industry pioneers share their insights on advanced casting techniques, automation, digitalisation, and decarbonisation strategies that are setting new benchmarks globally. Are you in a dilemma of whether to invest in the region’s aluminium industry, expand your business or collaborate with existing enterprises from the Middle East? In this article, we try to decipher the notions of the business leaders through the excerpts from the interviews featured in the Aluminium Middle East: Focus 2025 magazine by...
