AlCircle News Edited By "Staff Editor"
China NEVs take 63.6% market share as petrol-car output falls 60%
China’s new energy vehicle retail sales declined in the first 16 days of August, but the segment continued to outperform the wider passenger-car market as higher fuel costs weighed more heavily on demand for petrol vehicles. Passenger NEV retail sales reached 399,000 units from August 1 to August 16, down 15 per cent year on year but up 1 per cent from the corresponding period in July, according to the China Passenger Car Association. Overall passenger-vehicle retail sales fell 22 per cent year on year to 628,000 units. NEVs retain a 63.6 per cent share NEVs accounted for 63.6 per cent of passenger-vehicle retail sales during the period, underlining their continued market strength despite the decline in unit sales. The penetration rate remained high, although it was below the record 65.1...
BRICS challenges EU carbon tax as aluminium trade faces new pressure
BRICS environment and climate ministers have opposed the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), arguing that the carbon levy could create additional trade pressure for developing economies exporting aluminium and other carbon-intensive products to Europe. Environment and climate ministers from BRICS member countries have criticised the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), describing it as a unilateral, punitive and discriminatory measure that could act as a trade barrier for developing economies. The issue is particularly relevant to the aluminium industry, as aluminium is among the carbon-intensive products covered by the EU's carbon border mechanism, alongside steel, iron, fertilisers and cement. The BRICS ministers raised their concerns during a meeting...
Nanshan’s alumina sales rise 15%, but profit drops 74.8%
Nanshan Aluminium International sold 15 per cent more alumina in the first half of 2026, but a 39.5 per cent fall in its average selling price drove profit down nearly 75 per cent, showing how quickly a commodity-price downturn can outweigh rising sales volumes. The Hong Kong-listed producer reported revenue of USD 415.0 million for the six months ended June 30, down 30.5 per cent year on year, while profit attributable to shareholders fell 74.8 per cent to USD62.7 million. The company cut its interim dividend but retained a stronger balance sheet and continued work on an Indonesian electrolytic aluminium project. More tonnes, less revenue Nanshan sold about 1.296 million tonnes of alumina during the period, up 15.0 per cent from approximately 1.127 million tonnes a year earlier. Yet its...
India’s aluminium recyclers face a scrap-supply bottleneck
India’s rapidly expanding secondary aluminium industry is facing a shortage of domestic scrap, leaving recyclers dependent on overseas suppliers and vulnerable to changing trade policies in major exporting regions. Secondary aluminium production has increased from approximately 0.85 million tonnes in 2015–16 to nearly 2.2 million tonnes in 2025–26, according to industry estimates cited by the Material Recycling Association of India. The sector now supplies around 35 per cent of India’s aluminium consumption, but imports account for roughly 80 per cent-85 per cent of its scrap requirements. The imbalance is prompting recyclers and primary aluminium producers to push competing policy proposals on the 2.5 per cent basic customs duty applied to imported aluminium scrap. Domestic scrap cannot...
MBSB retains BUY on Press Metal as 24.3% FY26 earnings growth offsets lower aluminium outlook
MBSB Investment Bank Bhd (MBSB Research) has maintained its BUY recommendation on Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd, although it lowered its target price to MYR 9.56 (USD 2.36) from MYR 9.66 (USD 2.39). The research house expects the company’s low-cost, renewable-powered smelting operations and favourable alumina spreads to continue supporting its margins. MBSB Research expects LME aluminium prices to average around USD 3000 to USD 3,200 per tonne in the second half (H2) of 2026 as supply disruptions ease. Prices averaged USD 3,565 per tonne in 2QCY26 but have fallen to USD 3,196 per tonne in 3QCY26 to date. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report " The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035 " Despite the lower price...
LME aluminium cash price falls $11/t to $3,180 on August 20, stocks hold at 246,925t
LME aluminium prices declined on August 20 compared with the previous trading day, while exchange stocks remained unchanged. The LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,180 per tonne on August 20, down from USD 3,191 per tonne on August 19 , marking a decline of USD 11 per tonne, or 0.34 per cent. The cash offer price fell to USD 3,182 per tonne from USD 3,191.5 per tonne, down 0.3 per cent. The LME aluminium 3-month bid price declined to USD 3,182 per tonne on August 20 from USD 3,211 per tonne on August 19, a decrease of 0.9 per cent. The 3-month offer price fell by USD 29 per tonne, or 0.9 per cent. From USD 3,212 per tonne on August 19 to USD 3,183 per tonne on August 20. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market...
Europe targets 88.2 GW solar manufacturing capacity to reduce reliance on imports
Europe is planning a major expansion of domestic solar manufacturing as it seeks to reduce dependence on imported components and build a more integrated regional supply chain. Europe's solar industry is entering a new phase of expansion, with manufacturers and investors planning to increase domestic production capacity across the solar value chain. According to the latest Europe Solar Supply Chain Map, Edition 1, 2026, released by Sinovoltaics, Europe's current solar module manufacturing capacity stands at 24.2 GW. Announced expansion plans could increase this to 88.2 GW between 2027 and 2030, reflecting the region's growing focus on strengthening its own clean-energy manufacturing base. The push comes as Europe looks beyond final module assembly and seeks greater control over the...
Chinese aluminium giant eyes $2b Egypt complex, targeting 3,000 jobs and clean-energy manufacturing
A leading Chinese aluminium manufacturing group is considering a USD 2 billion investment in Egypt that could create more than 3,000 jobs and support the development of a clean-energy-based industrial complex in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The proposed project was discussed by Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein Eissa and a senior delegation from the Chinese aluminium group, as Egypt seeks to attract investment that can strengthen its industrial and manufacturing base. The planned complex is expected to rely on clean energy sources, aligning with the growing focus on more sustainable manufacturing. Egyptian authorities also highlighted the project's potential to bring modern technologies and expertise into the country. Join the webinar by Alberto Monje Gama to...
NALCO explores rare earth and valuable material recovery from bauxite residue and fly ash
NALCO is advancing pilot projects in Odisha to turn industrial residues into valuable resources, including rare earth elements, alumina, iron and titanium, strengthening India's push for critical mineral recovery and a circular economy. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) is expanding its research into ways of converting industrial waste into useful resources, with a new pilot project focused on bauxite residue, or red mud, and another facility already operating for coal fly ash. The initiatives are being developed through collaborations with national research institutions and aim to test indigenous technologies that could eventually offer commercially viable ways of recovering valuable materials from industrial residues. Red mud pilot targets rare earths and metals The latest...
Alcoa and US Department of Energy to explore critical mineral recovery from bauxite residue in Arkansas
The US Department of Energy and Alcoa are teaming up on a pilot project in Saline County, Arkansas, to recover critical minerals from mining waste left behind by earlier bauxite operations. The project is part of USD 162 million in DOE selections for nine private-sector projects aimed at recovering critical minerals and other valuable materials from industrial and mining byproducts. Alcoa has not mined bauxite in the area for decades. However, the company says residue from earlier mining operations may contain rare earth elements and other critical minerals that have been difficult to recover. Alcoa plans to test a microwave-based technology developed to extract these materials from the existing residue. DOE Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson said, “We think their technology can unlock...
Chuangxin Industries reports $1.7b H1’26 revenue as integrated aluminium strategy gains traction
Chuangxin Industries reported a sharp improvement in its first-half (H1) 2026 earnings, supported by higher aluminium prices, lower production costs and reduced finance costs. Revenue reached RMB 11.53 billion (USD 1.7 billion), while profit attributable to the company's owners rose to RMB 2.30 billion (USD 342 million), up about 166 per cent year on year. The company said the stronger market was supported by rising demand from areas including artificial intelligence infrastructure, electric vehicles (EV) and renewable energy. In contrast, geopolitical tensions and higher energy costs continued to affect the aluminium market. A major part of Chuangxin's strategy is its integrated aluminium production chain, covering energy, alumina refining and electrolytic aluminium smelting. The company...
Ducon grabs cooling-system contract at major Indian aluminium smelter
Ducon Infratechnologies has secured an end-to-end contract to supply and service a Forced Cooling Network system for the potlines of one of India’s largest single aluminium smelter plants. The order covers manufacturing, testing, packaging, transportation, installation, commissioning and performance proving, as well as specialised technical support during execution. The company did not disclose the contract’s financial value, so its immediate contribution to Ducon’s revenue, margins and earnings cannot yet be assessed. Full-scope industrial contract Under the agreement, Ducon will manage the FCN system’s delivery across the project lifecycle, from manufacturing and testing through transport, installation and commissioning. The company will also provide technical personnel during the...
Canyon Resources halts trading ahead of Minim Martap funding and schedule update
Canyon Resources has requested a voluntary trading halt in its securities on the Australian Securities Exchange as it prepares an update on the development schedule and funding position of its Minim Martap Bauxite Project in Cameroon. The halt will remain in place until the planned announcement is released or normal trading resumes on August 20, 2026. The move indicates that Canyon expects to disclose information that may be material to investors, particularly regarding the timing of mining and the project’s first bauxite shipment. Investors await schedule clarity The upcoming announcement will be closely watched because Canyon’s project timeline has changed during 2026. In June, the company said mining was scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, while the first bauxite shipment...
IREL offers seven indigenous critical mineral technologies for rare-earth and titanium commercialisation
IREL (India) Ltd has invited entrepreneurs, startups and industries to commercialise seven technologies developed in India for the rare-earth and titanium sectors, as the country looks to solidify its critical-minerals value chain by improving its domestic capacity. The technologies were developed and demonstrated at IREL's Rare Earth & Titanium Theme Park (RETTP) in Bhopal, which was inaugurated on May 10. This is the first time IREL has offered technologies for commercialisation on such a scale. The package consists of technologies for producing lanthanum and cerium, which are used in batteries, catalysts and glass polishing. It also includes technology for producing neodymium, an important material for permanent magnets, as well as recovering neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) from...
More US aluminium scrap heads to Asia amid domestic supply concerns
The United States exported about 1.25 million tonnes of aluminium-bearing scrap in the first half of 2026, up 21 per cent from 1.03 million tonnes during the same period last year. The figures, based on US Census Bureau data cited by Davis Index, show that more recycled aluminium is leaving the country even as domestic producers and policymakers debate whether the material should be retained to support US supply chains. Thailand and India lead purchases Thailand was the largest destination for US aluminium scrap in the first six months of 2026, receiving 268,000 tonnes. India followed with 233,350 tonnes, while Malaysia, South Korea and Hong Kong rounded out the top five destinations with 160,700 tonnes, 139,500 tonnes and 136,200 tonnes respectively. All five markets increased their...
India moves to set up trading exchange for bauxite, iron ore and other major minerals to improve price discovery
The Indian government is moving to allow bauxite and other major minerals to be traded on an exchange, in a move aimed at making mineral trading more transparent and improving price discovery. The exchange is likely to become operational by the next financial year, with the initial list expected to include iron ore, bauxite, limestone and manganese. The Ministry of Mines has notified rules for setting up the exchange and appointed the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) as the nodal agency and regulator. The IBM will invite applications from companies seeking to set up and operate the exchange. For bauxite producers and traders, the proposed exchange could provide a more structured mechanism for price discovery and transactions. According to government officials, the platform is also expected to...
Andromeda Metals launches $3m share plan for alumina project
Andromeda Metals has launched a Share Purchase Plan targeting AUD 3 million (USD 1.95 million) to advance its High Purity Alumina Project and support the next stage of commercialisation. Eligible shareholders can apply for new Andromeda shares at AUD 0.0059 (USD 0.0038) each, representing a discount of about 15 per cent to the company’s recent five-day volume-weighted average market price. Applications will close at 5 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on August 31, 2026. Funds to support HPA development Andromeda said the funds will be used primarily to progress its High Purity Alumina Project, including completion of a pre-feasibility study. The capital will also support co-product evaluation, technical and engineering work, pilot-scale activities, customer engagement and general...
EUROBOND revenue rises 14% in Q1 FY27 as exports and domestic sales grow
EUROBOND, the flagship brand of Euro Panel Products Limited, reported revenue from operations of INR 119.8 crore (USD 12.53 million) for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 14 per cent from INR 104.84 crore (USD 10.97 million) in the corresponding quarter a year earlier. The company said growth was supported by higher domestic sales and exports of its metal composite panels and architectural cladding products. Export revenue rose 15.78 per cent year on year, while domestic business increased 12.04 per cent. Profit before tax for the quarter stood at INR 6.79 crore (USD 710,710), while profit after tax reached INR 4.78 crore (USD 500,000) To know the aluminium casting demand forecast in the construction sector, explore our report "Global Aluminium Casting Market 2026-2032: Plant Economics,...
