AlCircle News Edited By "Pratyusha Chatterjee"
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Post-Venezuela’s capture, 7 countries tremble, fearing for their independence and their reserves
Trump’s foreign policy is now openly borrowing from the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, re-packaged as the “Donroe Doctrine” — a doctrine that signals Washington’s intent to dominate the Western Hemisphere not only militarily, but commercially. With Nicolás Maduro dragged out of Caracas, this rebranding suddenly feels operational rather than rhetorical. Also read: Before sanctions on Venezuela and the likes, Trump’s tariff-induced tussle was already global From the Arctic to the Caribbean, governments are suddenly scanning their coastlines, their oil fields and their shipping lanes with fresh anxiety. Greenland The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, but Trump has made it clear that partial presence is no longer enough. "We need Greenland from the standpoint of...
Global bauxite production refused to blink in 2025, leading to an output exceeding 475 MT
Image for reference only The global bauxite production for 2025 stands at an estimated 475-480 million tonnes, as per AL Circle research. The year has seen it all. From sanctions to initiations, hikes to deflations and a series of volatilities hitting the industry over and over. But the bauxite industry has pushed through all obstacles and maintained the year’s forecast. What all shaped the industry last year? Here’s a list of major to minor incidents that influenced global bauxite 2025. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with our Outlook 2026 insight s across the value chain Courts, coffers and the opening bell of disruption It began with a surge of capital into Guinea when Arrow Minerals secured USD 7 million to accelerate its Niagara bauxite and Simandou North...
Before sanctions on Venezuela and the likes, Trump’s tariff-induced tussle was already global
The US attack on Venezuela has pulled eyeballs from nations across the globe. From the Venezuelan President and his wife’s arrest to zealing to take control of the attacked country’s vast oil reserve, the US supremo’s actions have stirred quite a debate on the world forum. But when we reminisce the past, we have realised that this is not the first time that the world has gone gaga over a Donald Trump-imposed decision. Long before sanctions on Caracas, On March 1, 2018, the US President, Donald Trump, announced his intention to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imports. In a tweet the next day, Trump declared, "Trade wars are good, and easy to win." On March 8, he signed an order to impose the tariffs effective after 15 days. Not long after, the...
CBAM begins in January 2026, but aluminium supply disruptions may stay muted through Q1. What shifts from April?
Image for reference only The European Union’s (EU’s) much-talked-about regulatory framework is finally in full action. The Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are fruits of the Fit for 55 package introduced on July 14, 2021, aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production, which played an equally notable role in shaping carbon-emission curtailment policies. ETS has been proactively adopted by emission-heavy industries since 2005, whereas CBAM’s transitional phase was first introduced on October 1, 2023. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with our upcoming Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2026 report across the value chain The sustainability agenda...
WHO rules out aluminium adjuvant-inclusive vaccine-autism link
Image for reference only A recent report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) global expert committee found no evidence that vaccines cause autism spectrum disorders. This supports the WHO’s long-standing view that childhood immunisation is not responsible for causing autism. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, an autonomous body set up in 1999 to advise WHO on vaccine safety, has shared through its latest review, post a discussion at a meeting on November 27, 2025, that the experts looked at the link between vaccines and autism using the most up-to-date and reliable evidence. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) earlier voiced a similar negating the link ethos, clarifying...
LME throwback 2025: Aluminium vs copper price and inventory movement
When we look back at 2025, we will remember aluminium as the metal that cracked under policy pressure long before demand fundamentals forced anyone’s hand. On the other hand, if aluminium was the year’s political barometer, copper was its economic score. By late 2025, the LME had become a battlefield where two of the world’s most essential non-ferrous metals, aluminium and copper, told different yet intimately connected stories about supply stress, geopolitical friction, climate transition demand, and human cost. While both aluminium and copper ended the year with double-digit gains, the path they took could not have been more different. Must read: Key industry individuals share their thoughts on the trending topics Aluminium’s arc in 2025 was subtle From the outset, prices were on a...
Global aluminium scrap imports fall to 11.9 Mt, even as recycled output climbs to 41.9 Mt
The global aluminium recycling market entered 2025 with record material recovery but shrinking mobility of scrap. While worldwide secondary aluminium consumption touched 28.4 million tonnes as compared to primary consumption of 72.4 million tonnes in 2024, global recycled aluminium production reached 41.7 million tonnes during the same timeframe. Image for reference only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain According to the International Aluminium Institute’s material-flow modelling cited in AL Circle’s World Recycled Aluminium Market Analysis: Industry forecast to 2032 , total aluminium scrap flows combining domestic recycling and cross-border trade expanded from 25.6 million tonnes in 2013 to 41.4 million tonnes in 2023, marking...
2025 aluminium stock & inventory recap: Comparing Japan’s port stocks with global LME inventory trends, including a look back at 2024
Japan’s aluminium inventories at its main ports (Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka) fell slightly in November 2025, hinting at some relief from recent tightness. Total stocks were 312,100 tonnes in November, down 5.2 per cent from October’s 329,100 tonnes, but still 9.2 per cent higher than the 285,800 tonnes recorded in November 2024. Image for representation only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with our Outlook 2026 insight s across the value chain How these three Japanese ports influence aluminium trade trends Nagoya, Japan’s biggest aluminium hub, led the monthly decline. Its stocks dropped to 159,700 tonnes in November from 170,400 tonnes in October, a decrease of almost 10,700 tonnes. This was likely due to increased buying by auto and machinery makers after a slow...
LME aluminium price trend: Historical context, 2025 market dynamics & 2026 price outlook
The LME aluminium price trend over the past 3 years shows a market rebounding from earlier weakness, trading within a varied price range and settling near a multi-year high by year-end. According to Westmetall’s LME aluminium cash price cache, 2025 kick-started with aluminium pricing of USD 2,500s per tonne, reached USD 2,685.50 per tonne by March 20, 2025, and was around USD 2,545 per tonne on August 1, 2025, amid tightening fundamentals and sustained supply concerns. LME primary aluminium cash price is closing in the year 2025 at around USD 2,800, with expectations of further increases in the coming year. Image for reference only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2026 LME aluminium prices before 2025 Before entering 2025, LME...
CBAM compliance: A checklist for importers in the European aluminium market
As both the worldwide aluminium exporters and the EU-based importers must have realised in the meantime, CBAM knocks on the door and is no longer a distant regulatory concept. Here’s a CBAM checklist that distils the compliance pathway into five actionable steps published by the European Commission that will aide the EU importers and external exporters alike in following the CBAM regulation without having to pay undue penalties. Image for reference only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The mechanism is on its way to have quarterly reporting, embedded-emission calculations (CBAM cost) and national oversight. Although aluminium producers outside the EU remain in the spotlight, a large share of legal responsibility rests equally...
Aluminium UBCs supply over 70% of can scrap globally, but metallurgy determines circularity, Innoval’s COP30 factsheet shows
The aluminium beverage cans linger to be one of the strongest proofs that the aluminium industry’s circularity is attainable at scale. Not in theory, but in practice. A recent white paper presented by Innoval at COP30 shows that the evidence lies purely in metallurgy, process control and measurable emissions outcomes. Image for reference only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain An Innoval spokesperson has said, “Can-to-can recycling is not only a technical success but a critical climate solution. By optimising metallurgy and processing, we can unlock real environmental benefits while maintaining quality.” Cans are not made from generic aluminium. They rely on two engineered alloys. One where the can’s body stock uses AA3104 and...
10 days : 10 stories — Downstream and end-user aluminium moving in unforeseen directions
The global aluminium semi-fabricated and consumer product stories this week didn’t move in a straight line. It zigzagged across corporates, trade corridors, design studios, and even distant mountain towns, with each turn bringing forth an industry pulled forward by markets it can’t fully control and reshaped by choices it can no longer postpone. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Ball set the tone early by stepping deeper into Europe’s beverage can landscape, announcing its plan to acquire a majority stake in local manufacturer Benepack after two years of relying on its capacity under a supply agreement. The deal wasn’t framed as expansion for expansion’s sake; it was an insurance policy. Beverage cans’ demand has held firm, but...
As Fastmarkets embeds CBAM into billet premiums, how do aluminium traders calculate costs?
We were all happy when we heard about the scrap exemption from the CBAM regime. But instead, it turned out to be a two-edged sword. If an EU business imports scrap and manufactures secondary aluminium, it will have to pay the tax for the secondary aluminium manufacturing, in accordance with the ETS system. If the business decides to import secondary aluminium, it still has to pay for CBAM. So, is shelter from tax a mere illusion for European aluminium businesses? Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain From January 1, 2026, Fastmarkets will include the European Union’s (EU’s) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) costs in its secondary aluminium billet premium, DDP Europe (MB-AL-0383) and primary 6063 extrusion billet premium,...
China wins the race against the US in aluminium recycling output, capacity and expansion
China and the United States have been vocal about shifting their focus to the recycled aluminium industry for quite some time. And why shouldn’t they? According to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), rapid population and economic growth over the coming decades will push global aluminium demand to double by 2050, with 50-60 per cent of that demand expected to be met by recycled metal. The IAI also estimates that the global Recycling Efficiency Rate (RER) currently stands at 76 per cent, covering both new scrap and old scrap. The transportation sector leads aluminium recycling with an 86 per cent recovery rate, and among all end-use sectors, the automotive industry remains the single largest consumer of recycled aluminium. Having said that, at such a critical juncture for the...
GARMCO employees to visit ALBA’s facility on temporary transfer
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest one-site aluminium smelter, has signed a 2-year agreement with Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Company (GARMCO) to enhance the technical capabilities of GARMCO’s Bahrain-based employees. The agreement will allow selected technical employees to join a part-time secondment with Alba, supporting the growth of the country’s industrial ecosystem. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain During the training, visiting employees will gain hands-on experience at Alba’s top-notch facilities. This opportunity enables upskilling in hydraulic and pneumatic systems, reinforcing their technical foundation and accelerating career development at GARMCO. Commenting on the agreement, Alba’s Chief...
Upstream aluminium’s uneven journey: Tighter margins, new supply, and a bauxite re-shuffle
The global aluminium industry is closing the year on a note that looks calm on the surface but carries deep structural shifts underneath. Prices remained relatively steady, yet the stories shaping the primary metal, alumina, and bauxite markets hinted at a sector adjusting to new geopolitical, economic, and supply-chain realities. Much of the turbulence stemmed from softened Chinese demand, fresh supply pressure from Southeast Asia, and a subtle re of global bauxite routes. Upstream Weekly Recap by AL Circle Pvt Ltd Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain On the primary aluminium front, China’s prolonged economic crisis remains the dominant drag on sentiment. Indian producers, in particular, have been feeling the jolt as weakened...
What will be the global bauxite outlook for 2026 after BMI cuts its 2025 forecast?
Aluminium isn’t just another industrial staple, but the Earth’s most abundant metallic element, quietly making up nearly 8 per cent of the planet’s crust. And almost all of it starts with bauxite: a humble, rust-tinged ore rich in the aluminium minerals gibbsite, boehmite and diaspore. Look closely at the map, and a pattern emerges — the world’s richest bauxite belts lie in today’s tropics or regions shaped by tropical geology, from Guinea and Australia to Vietnam, Brazil and Jamaica. The scale is staggering. The US Geological Survey estimates that, as of 2024, the world is sitting on nearly 29 billion tonnes of known bauxite reserves. Source: https://www.alcircle.com/specialreport/2439/global-aluminium-industry-outlook-2025 Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with...
India & 2050 aluminium prospect: demand is certain, India’s advantage isn’t
By mid-century, aluminium is set to become one of the defining industrial commodities of the energy transition. Long-range modelling (like Marshall’s Equilibrium Model) points in the same direction, i.e., global aluminium demand could grow by around 80 per cent by 2050 compared with 2020. According to World Economic Forum reports, within that aggregate picture, one recent macro-model of primary aluminium fundamentals suggests that demand for primary metal alone could approach 110 million tonnes by 2050, even as a rising share of total use is met by recycled metal. Image for representational purpose only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Those projections are not abstract for India. The country is already the world’s...
