ABB has secured two orders from China’s Southwest Aluminum to supply integrated automation and digital technologies for two six-high aluminium cold rolling mills, supporting the manufacturer’s wide-strip production expansion and upgrade. The projects involve a 2,500 mm two-stand mill and a 3,000 mm single-stand mill, with both lines expected to be fully commissioned and operational by the end of 2027. Chongqing-based Southwest Aluminum is a subsidiary of the Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco). The orders build on the longstanding cooperation between ABB and the aluminium producer, with the latest projects focusing on process stability, control precision and production performance. Explore insights and forecasts for the aluminium flat rolled products (FRP) market from our...
India-based PG Foils Limited plans to establish a downstream aluminium manufacturing facility in Bahrain, focusing on electric vehicle (EV) battery foil and pharmaceutical foil production. The proposed investment is expected to expand the kingdom’s aluminium downstream capabilities and strengthen its manufacturing base. Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce signed a letter of intent with PG Foils for the project. The agreement was signed by Industry and Commerce Minister Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro and PG Foils Joint Managing Director Sahil Shah during the fourth edition of the Gateway Gulf expo, which opened on November 1 in Manama. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report – Aluminum Foil Market Report Forecast Till 2035 Hosted by the Bahrain...
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Suntown Technology Group Corporation Limited’s (SNTO) manufacturing sites in Changsha and Changde, China have been certified against Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) Chain of Custody Standard. The certification includes casthouse, re-melting, refining and material conversion activities related to aluminium foil production. With this certification, SNTO becomes the second of ASI’s China-based members to certify multiple facilities against the ASI Chain of Custody Standard. Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI, said “ASI congratulates SNTO for this important Chain of Custody Certification, which covers aluminium recycling and foil production, and builds on their Performance Standard Certification earlier this year. The foil packaging sector has been the most proactive to...
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have emerged as a major hub for primary aluminium production. The aluminium industry, which began only four decades ago with Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), is now one of the key economic drivers for the Gulf region, the fastest growing aluminium producer and exporter after China. The region not only provides an opportunity for the primary aluminium sector but also offers the potential for the development of downstream industries like flat rolled products, extrusion, foil and wire rods. The GCC countries have top companies with their downstream operations. The GCC’s 40% of total primary aluminium production is used by the domestic downstream aluminium industries and about 60 per cent is exported to different parts of the world. The building,...
Shanghai Metals Market found China’s imports of unwrought aluminium alloy marked a record high in September totalling at 18,706 tonnes, as demand from Chinese secondary aluminium producers and die-casting plants increased with Beijing throttling down the inflows of aluminium scrap. The imports were up by 16.9 per cent from a month ago and 140 per cent from a year, the highest since SMM records began in January 2018. By the end of the year, the unwrought aluminium alloy imports to China are expected to reach 40,000 tonnes, buoyed by shrinking aluminium scrap imports and low stocks at domestic secondary aluminium producers. In September, China’s aluminium scrap imports were at 114,000 tonnes, down 19.1 per cent month-on-month but up 17.5 per cent over the year, showed customs data. In the...
South Korea's imports of aluminium including scrap from the US stood at 24,900 tonnes in August 2019, an increase of 15.81% from 21,500 tonnes in July. Imports dropped by 0.4% from June’s imports of 25,000 tonnes, but up 9.21% from May’s imports of 22,800 tonnes. Total aluminium imports from the US reduced by 8.79% from April’s imports of 27,300 tonnes. Aluminium imports amounted to 199,000 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, as updated by the US Census Bureau. Imports of semi-finished products (plates, sheets, bars, etc.) to the US stood at 1,680 tonnes in August, with a month-on-month drop of 8.2%. South Korea had imported 1,830 tonnes in July 2019. Imports declined by 33.33% from 2,520 tonnes in June. Semi-finished imports were up 5% from 1,600 tonnes in May, but down 38.69% from...
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) found the US imports of aluminium plates, sheets and bars from Germany in August 2019 rose by 16 per cent month-on-month to come in at 11,700 tonnes. In July, the US imports of aluminium semis from Germany were at 10,100 tonnes, after declining by 13 per cent from 11,600 tonnes in June. This brought Germany’s three months' exports of aluminium plates, sheets and bars to the US to 33,400 tonnes in total. The United States aluminium semis imports from Saudi Arabia in August were also found higher by 43 per cent from July to 8,450 tonnes; whereas in July, the imports were down month-on-month by 2.32 per cent from 6,030 tonnes in June to 5,890 tonnes, according to the USGS. The above data indicates that Germany’s exports of aluminium semis to the US...
Hindalco Industries Ltd has hiked the prices of its aluminium products for the sixth time in a row, which has taken its prices to their highest level since late March, trade sources told Cogencis. The company has hiked product prices by more than 1% with effect from Saturday, and the products now cost between 148,250-158,850 rupees per tn. Hindalco generally links the prices of its products with the those of the metal in international markets. The three-month futures of aluminium are up nearly 4% so far in the current quarter. Prices of aluminium had fallen in August and September. Hindalco's aluminium operations, excluding those of US-based subsidiary Novelis Inc, generally account for nearly half of its sales, and 70% of its operating profit. At 1524 IST, shares of Hindalco Industries...
In a recent interview with The Economic Times, Satish Pai, the managing director of Hindalco, pointed out that the economy slowdown in India impacted domestic businesses, as a result of which, aluminium demand fell 6 per cent in the second quarter, affecting Hindalco’s business. Mr Pai also said the aluminium demand, which he expected to grow by 2 per cent to 3 per cent, remained low throughout the construction and infrastructure, and the automobile sector. According to him, Hindalco sell about 328,000 tonnes of extrusions in a quarter, of which 5 per cent accounts for the auto sector, 40 per cent for the electrical sector, 10 per cent to 15 per cent for the transportation sector, and another 20 per cent for packaging. What fears him is that despite the downfall in aluminium demand in the...
Hydro has announced that it will close the fabrication business unit in Drunen, Netherlands, due to challenging market conditions. This will affect around 40 employees and is expected to be completed by Q1 2020. “The closure is due to the challenging European market, particularly in trailer construction, which represents a large part of the production in Drunen. Despite several measures taken recent years to improve the situation, it has not been possible to turn the negative development, according to Hydro press release. “Employees, the Works Council, trade unions and other stakeholders have been informed and Hydro will work hard to ensure the restructuring process is carried out in a professional and respectful way for all parties involved.” Hydro has also planned to invest €4.4 million...
According to a recent report, Hindalco’s US-based subsidiary Novelis is expected to close the deal of the acquisition of Aleris Corporation by January 21, 2020. But currently the company is facing an anti-trust lawsuit in the US over its proposed $2.58 billion purchase of Aleris. The lawsuit was filed by the US Justice Department because of the concern over higher prices of aluminium sheet used for making cars. In the lawsuit, the justice department had described Aleris as an aggressive competitor and said the deal would give Novelis up to 60 per cent of the projected domestic capacity. However, Novelis argued that the justice department had ignored the competition from steel automotive body sheet. Currently, negotiations between Novelis and the US justice department hinge on the rolling...
India’s exports of aluminium (crude metal and alloys and semi-finished products) to the US totalled 10,800 tonnes in August 2019, unchanged from last month's data. Exports dropped by 29.41% from June’s exports of 15,300 tonnes, 53.85% from May’s exports of 23,400 tonnes, and 62.63% from April’s exports of 28,900 tonnes. {newsStudioGallery} Crude metal and alloys and semi-finished products exports amounted to 158,000 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, as updated by the US Census Bureau. Exports of semi-finished products (plates, sheets, bars, etc.) to the US stood at 4,340 tonnes in August, with a month-on-month drop of 2.47%. India had exported 4,450 tonnes of these products in July 2019. Exports reduced by 17.49% from 5,260 tonnes in June, 25.56% from 5,830 tonnes in May and 0.46%...
Hindalco Industries Ltd., a global leader in aluminium and copper, announced consolidated results for the second quarter ended 30 September 2019. Hindalco’s consolidated revenue stood at INR 29,657 crore, a decrease of 8.77% from INR 32,507 crore in the previous year. EBITDA was INR 3,918 crore in Q2 FY20 compared to INR 4,276 crore a year ago. This marked a decrease of 8.37% year-on-year. Consolidated Profit before Exceptional Items and Tax was INR 1,748 crore compared to INR 2,152 crore in the prior year. Profit After Tax stood at INR 974 crore in Q2 FY20, down 33% from INR 1,448 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, on the back of global slowdown and lower commodity prices. Revenue from aluminium business declined 10% year-on-year to INR 5,526 crore in Q2 FY20, due to lower...
The global export-import data estimates that the aluminium tubes and pipes exports from Denmark are likely to see a drop this year by 5.2 per cent to come in at 17,006 tonnes. Last year, the exports remained flat at 17,940 tonnes, as compared with 17,973 tonnes in 2017. However, the country’s export volume in 2016 was much lesser at 6,745 tonnes, meaning the amount of export in 2017 saw a sweeping growth of 166 per cent. {newsStudioGallery} Germany is expected to be the leading destination of Denmark’s aluminium tubes and pipes exports, securing an estimated amount of 3,497 tonnes at US$ 13 million. The Czech Republic and France are likely to follow Germany, importing 3,303 tonnes at US$ 15 million and 2,810 tonnes at US$10 million, respectively. In tandem with the estimated decline in...
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) has certified Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) against ASI Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard. CBA has achieved Certification for several of its facilities in Brazil, including the largest integrated plant worldwide. The Certifications covers three bauxite mines in the state of Minas Gerais; an alumina refinery, a smelter and associated potlines, casthouses, anode production, SPL treatment plant and downstream productions, and the CBA headquarters. The downstream activities at the São Paolo operations include sheet and foil production as well as profile extrusion. The ASI Certification program is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. The independent, third-party audit...
The US exports of crude metal and alloys increased 4.92% to 19,200 tonnes in August, as compared to 18,300 tonnes in July, according to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from the US Geological Survey. Exports climbed by 1.05% from June’s exports of 19,000 tonnes, but reduced by 8.13% from May’s exports of 20,900 tonnes and 11.93% from April’s exports of 21,800 tonnes. Crude metal and alloys exports in the US totalled 161,000 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019. The US exports of total aluminium including scrap stood at 259,000 tonnes in August, up by 5.71% from 245,000 tonnes in July, 4.86% from 247,000 tonnes in June and 0.78% from 257,000 tonnes in May, but down 4.43% from 271,000 tonnes in April. Total exports amounted to 2 million tonnes in the first eight months of this...
According to a recent report, GFG Alliance’s £120 million alloy wheel plant, which was originally predicted to open early next year, creating 400 jobs, is moving a bit slow on development and planning. However, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) interim chief executive Carroll Buxton said company managers assured about the commitments of the economic development quango to the project. As per the report, HIE’s board recently paid a visit to the smelter, which was saved from possible closure when GFG Alliance bought it for £330 million in 2016, for holding talks with senior management, including operations director Brian King. Ms Buxton said: “Their plans are moving a bit more slowly than maybe they would have hoped, but they are very committed to the area. She commented, “They have...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, inventories of aluminium billet in China, on November 7, declined for the fourth straight week, even after downstream consumption slowed down. SMM data showed the stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China inched down 3,800 tonnes or 3.27 per cent from October 31 to come in at 112,400 tonnes. Last week, the stocks had declined by 1,900 tonnes to stand at 116,200 tonnes, meaning the decline increased this week. The chart below indicates the current status of aluminium billet inventories across China in more details: The billet inventories in Foshan, Guangdong dropped by 3,500 tonnes or 6.3 per cent to stand at 51,500 tonnes, while that in Changzhou, Jiangsu; and Huzhou, Zhejiang dwindled by 900 tonnes or 5.2 per cent...
Novelis Inc., the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, released second quarter of fiscal 2020 results. The company reported net income of $123 million in Q2 FY2020, compared to $116 million in the prior year period. That was up 6% year-on-year. Excluding tax-effected special items, net income stood at $160 million, up 31% YoY on higher Adjusted EBITDA and a lower effective tax rate. Adjusted EBITDA was $374 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, an increase of 5% year-on-year, primarily driven by higher shipments as well as favourable price and product mix. Results were partially offset by less favourable recycling benefits due to lower aluminium prices. Net sales decreased 9% to $2.9 billion in Q2 FY2020, driven by lower average LME aluminium prices and local market...
Arconic, in the third quarter results, revealed that its revenue grew 1 per cent year-on-year to stand at $3.6 billion, while the net income dropped from $161 million, or $0.32 per share, in the third quarter of 2018 to $95 million, or $0.21 per share in Q3 2019. The operating income also inched down from $345 million in Q3 2018 to $326 million in Q3 2019. Operating income excluding special items was $475 million, up 36% year over year, due to favourable product pricing, higher volume, favourable aluminium prices, and net cost reductions more than offset operational challenges in the aluminium extrusions business and unfavourable product mix. Cash balance, as of the third quarter of the year, was at $1.3 billion, according to the company’s report. Arconic Chairman and Chief Executive...
