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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Craft beer brewers and bottlers are raising questions on the 100% surge in the US aluminium premiums after Trump’s 10% tariffs on imported aluminium. The chairman of Molson Coors Brewing Co. and a bottler for PepsiCo Inc. has already requested the government to investigate the process which is used to set benchmark aluminium premiums. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has supported the move as he too considers the rise unjustified. The premium or the surcharge that needs to be paid for physical delivery of the metal includes transportation and handling costs along with the amount of supply available. The premiums are determined by London-based S&P Global Platts using its own market survey methods. Platts establishes the pricing for commodities by surveying market participants including...
The world’s largest wheel manufacturer Maxion Wheels, with new joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group, reportedly held a ground-breaking ceremony yesterday, on June 6, at their future site of 22,000 square metres plant in Suizhou, China. In mid-March 2019, Maxion Wheels had entered into a joint venture agreement with Dongfeng Motor Parts and Components Group to build a new two-million per year capacity aluminium wheels manufacturing plant in Hubei Province, China, with series production scheduled for second half 2020. The new legal entity Dongfeng Maxion Wheels had invited guests including government officials, company dignitaries, customers, suppliers and associates to grace its new milestone. Maxion Wheels chief executive officer Pieter Klinkers said, "With our...
The United Kingdom-based leading full building envelope specialist FK Group has reportedly acquired architectural aluminium manufacturer Premo Fabrications. Fk Group and premo Fabrications have worked together for many years on many prestigious projects and have shared visions. FK Group believes that this acquisition will bring in a positive impact to the company’s business, which already has a turnover in excess of £100 million. FK Group in the financial year ended on March 31, 2019 recorded a turnover of £107 million generating a pre-tax profit of £2.5 million. This year looks positive as well, with £80m already contracted and another £20m in the order book for 2020/2021. Chief Executive Francis Keenan said, “Our pipeline for 2019/2020 is solid with over £80m worth of projects secured,...
According to the latest figures from the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) aluminium foil deliveries from European rollers dropped in the first quarter of 2019. The drop is attributed to the reduced stock levels in the domestic market by consumers and converters. The total volume dropped 1.2% YoY to 239,400 tonnes from 242,300t tonnes in Q1 2018 leading to a 4% drop in home deliveries. A number of countries registered strong performance in exports in limited product categories, achieving 16% growth year-over-year. Shipments of thinner gauge foils used for flexible packaging and household foils declined 4.3%, while thicker gauges, used for semi-rigid containers and technical applications, rose by 4.5%. Thicker gauge continues the upward trend started at the end of 2018. Analysing...
Reacting to the request of investigation by Rusal on its rolling mill, Braidy Industries says Rusal’s investment on the mill is not something that could cause any national security concern and hence, an investigation of foreign investment is not applicable. A statement from Braidy Industries said that while it “respects and supports the important national security responsibilities” of the Committee on Foreign Investment, its US$1.7 billion rolling mill project in Ashland “does not enter or interfere with (the committee’s) rules or regulations.” The Braidy statement also says that the project being a “greenfield” project is not generally subjected to the review of Committee on Foreign Investment. The Treasury Department, however, has not confirmed or denied any such review. Braidy...
Like many other nations, the United Arab Emirates is increasingly using aluminium semi-finished products in the form of rolls, bars and rods in the building and construction industry. Thanks to the characteristics and properties of aluminium that have led to revolutionary and innovative changes in building techniques and architectural and engineering projects. In 2018, the United Arab Emirates had imported a significant volume of aluminium bar rods and profiles, amounting to 50,541 tonnes in total. This amount was higher from the previous two years, as in 2016 the country had imported 37,177 tonnes while in 2017 around 35,201 tonnes. This indicates that the import volume in 2018 was 36 per cent up from 2016 and 44 per cent from 2017. However, in 2019, the country’s import amount of...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, aluminium billet inventories in China have extended fall over the week ended on June 6, as significant deliveries have yet to arrive at warehouses. SMM data shows that the stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas have decreased today by some 14,000 tonnes to stand at 63,100 tonnes. The decline in billet stocks thus, records higher today compared with May 30 when the stocks had dropped only by 1,200 tonnes. In Foshan, Guangdong, the aluminium billet inventory has dropped by some 7,900 tonnes from the last week to stand at 27,000 tonnes, while that in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Huzhou, Zhejiang has declined by some 6,000 tonnes to stand at 7,200 tonnes and 2,500 tonnes to come in at 7,500 tonnes. In Nanchang, Jiangxi, the inventory,...
The lifting of tariffs on aluminium imports from Canada has been a breather for Oswego, which was under pressure due to the tax increase that affected the city’s two prime businesses. Aluminum is the key product that gets shipped through the Port of Oswego and a large number of jobs are dependent on this commodity. So when Trump placed a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium from Canada, the largest aluminium exporter to the U.S., it took a toll on the budget of Oswego Port Authority, said Director William Scriber. Since most of the aluminium suppliers were already under contract to ship aluminium to the port by the end of 2017, the business of the Port did not get significantly affected last year. But in the first quarter of 2019, imports of aluminium dropped 50 per cent from the same time in...
Japan is a major importer of aluminium as it has stopped producing primary metal altogether shifting its focus towards value added applications and in secondary recovery. The country is Asia's top importer of aluminium and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange cash price set the benchmark for the Asia region. However the country is a key producer of aluminium plates, sheets & strips, the two major rolled product manufacturers being Kobe Steel and Aluminium and UACJ Corporation who make aluminium plates, pre coated sheets and various rolling products for value added applications. Let’s analyse Japan’s foreign trade trends for aluminium plates, sheets & strips in 2018 and in the first quarter of 2019. Japan has a trade surplus...
As announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Vietnam is reportedly levying temporary anti-dumping duties on China’s aluminium semi-finished products, including both alloy and non-alloy products produced in bars, rods or any other shapes that have been extruded, regardless of whether the surface is treated or the products are further processed in Vietnam. These aluminium semi-finished products are used to make industrial machines and structures, aluminium doors, wattle walls, storage cabinets, interior and exterior decorations, as well as construction. The lowest anti-dumping rate to be imposed by Vietnam from June 5 is 2.46 per cent while the highest is 35.58 per cent. MoIT said it conducted a five-month investigation into aluminium imports from China, following all the...
According to the latest report from Aluminum Association, Aluminum net shipments (including exports) by domestic U.S. and Canadian facilities totalled an estimated 925,782 tonnes during April. This registered a drop of 1.2 per cent YoY from the April 2018 total of 937,121 tonnes. Shipments of aluminium mill products or downstream products fell 2.5 per cent YoY in April to 620,060 tonnes. Shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and destructive uses increased 1.4 per cent year-over-year, totalling 305,721 tonnes. Through the first four months of 2019, preliminary producer shipments totalled an estimated 3.7 million tonnes, a drop of 1.5 per cent from the same period of 2018, when the shipment stood at 3.75 million tonnes. April inventory levels totalled an estimated 1.63 million...
In partnership with the Odisha government, Vedanta is reportedly planning to set up a hot metal park at Jharsuguda, which would host auto ancillary units with Vedanta’s aluminium unit being the anchor. According to Business Standard report, the company, while specifically looking at alloy wheels, is already in talk with top automobile original equipment makers (OEMs) and has also signed a few agreements with them. Ajay Kapur, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Vedanta Aluminium and Power told Business Standard, We are in talks with the government of Odisha to put up a hot metal park there and have automobile ancillary units. It (the plan) is at an active discussion stage. The government will provide land and enter into a joint venture with us.” The setting up of a hot metal...
The Supervisory Board of AMAG, an Austrian supplier of premium aluminium cast and flat rolled products, has decided to appoint a Chief Sales Officer (CSO) to support and enhance AMAG’s growth course. As of June 3, 2019, Victor Breguncci would take over this role in the company. Victor Breguncci, a MBA, spent many years in management positions at major aluminium companies such as Vale, Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio and Constellium. AMAG said through a press release that the Management Board team will concentrate on the company's strategic development and its growth course under the leadership of CEO Gerald Mayer, Chief Operating Officer Dr. Helmut Kaufmann and Chief Sales Officer Victor Breguncci. “Victor Breguncci, an internationally experienced industrial manager and sales expert,...
France is the fourth most important regional market in Europe for the rolling aluminium industry. It purchases about 8 per cent of the total production of the European aluminium rolling industry and makes the best use of it across various industries including packaging, transportation, mechanical engineering, electrical technology, construction, and many others. Known for a manufacturing hub, it is found that France has been importing a higher amount of aluminium plates, shits and strips over the years. According to the global export-import data, France in 2016 had imported around 332,989 tonnes of aluminium rolled products, which in 2017 had increased to 398,307 tonnes, up 19.6 per cent. While 2018 saw a further rise in France’s aluminium plates, sheets and strips import by 2.36 per cent...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the price of aluminium alloys (ADC12) has recorded a change today, on June 4, by inching down from RMB 14,400 per tonne to RMB 14,350 per tonne. Prior to this, the aluminium alloys (ADC12) price had registered a decline on May 21, which was also by RMB 50 per tonne. In fact, found that since the beginning of the second quarter, the aluminium alloys (ADC12) price has been found dwindling, with intermittent restraint but no sign of hike. On the first day of the second quarter, April 1, the price dropped from RMB 14,850 per tonne to RMB 14,750 per tonne, which again on April 9, decreased to RMB 14,650 per tonne. The next drop was almost a month later on May 6 to RMB 14,550 per tonne and then on May 17 to RMB 14,450 per tonne and on May 21 to RMB 14,400...
Encore Wire Corporation, a leading manufacturer of a broad range of electrical building wire, has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Commerce Department’s preliminary affirmative determination in the antidumping (AD) investigation on imports of aluminium wire and cable from China. Daniel Jones, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Encore Wire Corporation said: “Today the U.S. Commerce Department issued a preliminary ruling that Chinese aluminium building wire producers have been illegally dumping their product in the United States. Encore welcomes this development and will continue to support the U.S. Government’s antidumping and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations because we believe that these illegal trade practices have undermined our investments...
The U.S. total imports of aluminium for consumption during the first 3 months of 2019 stood at 1.44 million tonnes, 20% less than 1.81 million tonnes in the same period in 2018, according to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey. The U.S. imported 509,000 tonnes of aluminium (crude metals and alloys, plate, sheets, bars, etc., and scrap) in March 2019. This indicates a drop of 31% year-on-year. Canada continued to be the leading source of imported aluminium materials, supplying 38% of all aluminium imports during the first 3 months of 2019, followed by the United Arab Emirates (10%), Australia (6%), India (5%), and Bahrain (4%). Canada exported 543,000 tonnes of crude metals and alloys, aluminium semi-finished products, and scrap to the U.S. during...
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation on imports of aluminium wire and cable from China. The Commerce Department found that exporters from China dumped aluminium wire and cable in the United States at a margin of 58.51 to 63.47 percent, according to the release. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect cash deposits from importers of aluminium wire and cable based on the preliminary rates announced by the Commerce Department said on Thursday. The U.S. imports of aluminium wire and cable from China were valued at an estimated $157.2 million in 2017, the Commerce Department said. The petitioners are Encore Wire Corporation (McKinney, TX) and Southwire Company, LLC (Carrollton, GA). The Commerce...
