
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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(Continued from Part I ) Growing demand for automotive sector has moved the market and boosted investments and expansions in 2018. Trump’s aluminium tariffs also encouraged opening of a number of small and medium size aluminium plants in the U.S. and expansion of many plants, as tariffs boosted domestic purchasing. It is interesting to observe that decisions on most of the expansions and new projects were made keeping in mind the growing automotive demand. Below are a few key developments in 2018, which would also have an impact on the downstream industry in next few years: Mergers & Acquisitions In July 2018, Novelis, the US-based rolling and recycling arm of India’s largest aluminium producer Hindalco Industries has closed on a US$2.3-2.5 billion acquisition deal of Aleris Corp. The...

Demand for aluminium flat-rolled products in North America to grow nearly 5% annually through 2022, said Braidy Industries’ Chief Operating Officer Blaine Holt said on Tuesday, January 16 at the S&P Global Platts Aluminum Symposium in San Diego. Holt expects aluminium foil demand to grow 12.6% during rom 2017-2022 to 900,000 tonnes. He also projects auto sheet demand to grow 78.6% to 1.245 million tonnes during the same period, according to S&P Global Platts report. Domestic aluminium rolling capacity has reached its optimum level, and tariffs and duties have caused a rise in import prices. On top of that, there is supply deficits in common alloy and automotive aluminium sheets, which together will result in demand growth. The situation is also developing as Braidy is constructing the...

Japan is home to two of the world’s leading automotive rolled aluminium producers- UACJ Corporation and Kobe Steel and Aluminium. Globally automotive aluminium rolled product market is growing driving the demand for aluminium plates, sheets and strips. Kobe Steel and Aluminium ships considerable volume of aluminium plates, sheets and strips globally which finds use in automotive BiW and closure applications. In 2016, the company had signed a deal with Toyota as per which it will produce and supply aluminium sheet for the hood and liftgate for Toyota’s 2016 Lexus RX 350 crossover in the US. Now, let us see the amount of aluminium plates sheets and strips Japan as a country exports. Our own third party data shows that Japan’s aluminium plates, sheets and strips exports have been fluctuating...

Gränges, leading global supplier of rolled aluminium products for heat exchanger applications and other niche markets, announced that it has become new member of Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). The company agrees to seek certification against the ASI Performance Standard for at least one facility or product line within two years of membership. <iframe width="540" height="220" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m2FmCSqZMx0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Gränges’ CEO Johan Menckel said: “In all things we do, we have a strong focus on sustainability as an integrated part of our business. We strive to minimize the environmental impacts of our operations, uphold ethical business practices and...

Downstream sector of aluminium has seen an event full 2018, again marked by continuous expansions around the world. Demand remained strong in North America, Japan and Europe. China had a lacklustre year as for downstream growth is concerned. Restrictive trade policies by the U.S. president Trump have affected international trade to a certain extent. 10% import tariffs on aluminium and punitive sanctions on Rusal by the U.S. have also affected the market dynamics. Growing demand for aluminium moved the market in 2018 despite all trade disruptions and auto industry shaped the uptrend. Policy Changes, Import Tariff and Investigations 2018 saw continuation of the protective trade policies of Trump that was announced during the President’s election campaign. On 9th March 2018, Trump imposed...

According to China Customs data released on Monday, January 14, China’s aluminium exports in 2018 increased by 20.9 per cent from a year earlier to a record high. United States sanctions on Russian producer Rusal drove the demand for Chinese metal which as a result, spurred the aluminium exports by China. {newsStudioGallery} China, the world’s top aluminium producer in 2018 recorded a total export of 5.8 million tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products, compared to approximately 4.79 million tonnes in 2017, said the General Administration of Customs. In the whole of 2016, China’s aluminium exports were at approximately 4.6 million tonnes. Thus, the year 2017 also saw a year-on-year rise by around 4.5 per cent. The export increased year-on-year despite a 10 per cent tariff on...

While China’s semi-finished exports to the U.S. have lessened due to tariffs, the surplus metal, minimally transformed to exploit China’s export tax differentials, has been showing up in other Asian countries. Semi-finished aluminium export from China is creating concern among south Asian countries as well. Vietnamese aluminium producers recently expressed their concern that cheap aluminium products imported from China would make their domestic products un-competitive. As a follow up of this, the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Vietnam has decided to conduct an anti-dumping investigation into aluminium, alloy or non-alloy rods, bars and products of other shapes imported from China to Vietnam. Four local shape aluminium producers – Austdoor, Song Hong Aluminium JSC, Tung Yang Co. Ltd,...

Hydro will be more present than ever at BAU 2019, the World's leading trade fair for Architecture, Materials and Systems for exhibitors, visitors and members of the press. The BAU 2019 will take place from Monday, 14 January to Saturday, 19 January 2019 in Munich. On the largest area in the “aluminium hall” C1, Wicona, one of Hydro’s building systems brands, will present novel solutions and innovative façade systems on stand 338 in hall C1. Wicona will also offer an exclusive seminar program for planners, architects, fabricators during the trade fair and live presentations. Adjacent, Hydro’s Rolled Products business area will debut at BAU with its own stand, to show the opportunities with surface-treated, lacquered and anodized aluminium sheet on stand 331.

Etem Bulgaria, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Belgium-based holding company Viohalco, has decided to divide its extruded aluminium profiles manufacturing business and the additional processing of aluminium profile for the automotive industry into two units. The news came when the company itself announced about this in a press release on Thursday, January 10. Viohalco also said that it decided to enter into an investment agreement with Spanish car parts maker Gestamp. Per the agreement, the joint ventures will focus on the extrusion and processing of aluminium profiles for the automotive industry. Around 30 million euro will be invested in the programme. New extrusion line and related machinery will be installed for further processing of aluminium profiles in Bulgaria. Viohalco expects that...

The North America aluminium market was valued at $12,076.0 million in 2015 and is projected to reach $17,995.6 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2015 to 2023, according to a new report published by ReportLinker, titled, "North America Aluminium Market by Processing Method,End-User Industry: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2015 – 2023.” The report identifies development in transport industry and technological advancements in aluminium manufacturing technologies and processing equipment as the major drivers for the North America aluminium market growth. Increasing demand for recycled aluminium products is expected to provide potential growth opportunities for the industry. The market is segmented based on processing method, end use industries, and countries. Based...

Alumex PLC, a manufacturer of aluminium profiles in Sri Lanka, announced its continuing role as Strategic Partner to the country’s largest construction and architecture exhibition, Architect 2019 for the 10th consecutive year. Organized by the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, the exhibition will be inaugurated on 20 February 2019 followed by the National Conference on 21 February. The exhibition, considered to be the largest and most influential events in the field of construction, architecture and design, will be open to the public for four days from the 21st to 24th. Alumex Managing Director, Pramuk Dediwela said: “All of us at Alumex are very pleased to continue building on the long-standing relationship which we enjoy as Strategic Partner to A19. This year marks a full decade of...

Aluminium Bars are the 192nd most traded product according to the Product Complexity Index (PCI). According to a report, global demand for aluminium bar rods and profiles is forecast to expand 5.7 per cent per annum between 2016 and 2020. Currently, aluminium alloy profiles, bars and rods account for 96.0 per cent of the global demand while nom-alloyed aluminium profiles, bars and rods have a 4.0 per cent market share. {newsStudioGallery} The top exporters of Aluminium Bars are China ($3.62B), the United States ($2.06B), Germany ($1.42B), Mexico ($927M) and Italy ($725M). The top importers are Vietnam ($4.07B), Germany ($1.78B), France ($923M), the United States ($863M) and the United Kingdom ($565M). According to the available export-import data, France in 2019 is likely to import...

The global aluminium powder and flakes market is growing steadily driven by the automotive paints and sealants and other industrial pigments sectors. As per a report, the aluminium powder and flakes market across the world is likely to be valued at US$3,453 million by 2021 growing at a CAGR of 3.51 per cent from US$2,808 million in 2015. Amidst this positive market, Germany which is one of the notable importers and exporters of aluminium powder and flakes last year recorded growth in both imports and exports of the product. But this year, the country is estimated to witness a drop in aluminium powder and flakes import and export. {newsStudioGallery} According to the global export-import data, Germany’s estimated import volume in 2018 was at 17,586 tonnes, compared to 15,675 tonnes in...

Endurance Overseas Srl., Italy (EOSrl), a subsidiary of Endurance Technologies Ltd and the special purpose vehicle for strategic overseas investments, has acquired Fonpresmetal Gap SpA (Fonpresmetal) for 8.16 million euro. Fonpresmetal has been renamed as Endurance Castings SpA. Fonpresmetal has its manufacturing facility in Bione (Brescia, Italy) with a capacity of 6,500 Tons of which 50% is dedicated for supplies to the Endurance Group companies in Italy. Consequent to this acquisition, the Endurance Group in Europe now has nine manufacturing plants, of which six are in Italy and three in Germany. Fonpresmetal had been a preferred supplier for highly complex aluminum die casting parts to Endurance SpA (erstwhile Endurance FOA SpA), our operating step down subsidiary in Italy....

According to the latest export-import data released by China's General Administration of Customs, total aluminium plate/sheet, strip exports by China stood at 242,300 tonnes in November 2018, an increase of 83934 tonnes or 53% from 158366 tonnes in November 2017. {newsStudioGallery} On month on month comparison, plates/sheet, strip exports rose 4% from the October export volume of 232970 tonnes. Chinese exports of aluminium foil in November 2018 stood at 114,200 tonnes, compared to 91874 tonnes in November 2017, which marked an increased by 24.3%. On month on month comparison, aluminium foil exports rose 8.8% from the October export volume of 104963 tonnes, according to data from China Customs. According to Shanghai Metals Market, higher value-added tax (VAT) rebates on aluminium products...

Purso Group Oy, based in Nokia, Finland, has purchased the share capital of the Dutch company Nedal Aluminium B.V. in the largest company acquisition of its history. The transaction doubles the former’s production capacity and opens new markets in Central Europe. Purso Oy, which processes aluminium into profiles and components as well as building and lighting systems, is buying the subsidiary Nedal Aluminium from the listed Dutch company Hunter Douglas. Nedal Aluminium, based in Utrecht, The Netherlands, develops, produces and sells aluminium profiles and lighting columns. Jussi Aro, CEO of Purso Oy said:“The transaction brings together the expertise of two traditional aluminium processors when Purso, 60 years, initiates a partnership with the 80-year-old Nedal. Besides doubling our...

Growing consumer demand towards lightweight automobile vehicles has been incessantly stimulating the aluminium wire market demand over the years. So to say, aluminium wire market size is set to surpass US$ 65 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc. {newsStudioGallery} Aluminium wires are utilized in various home electrical appliances, switches, circuit breakers and motors owing to their light weight, corrosion resistance and retention of temperature even at low temperatures properties. They also reduce corona an electric discharge which is associated with high power transmission; and their excessive heating does not separate the electrical fixtures and connections, thus increasing the industry demand." Russia has been exporting a notable amount...

US President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on European aluminium in June 2018, 10% to be precise. Six months on, a German aluminium producer is saying "Thanks Mr. Trump" as the company feels despite the aluminium tariffs, they have managed to earn higher revenue and do profitable business. Alimax, which has a plant near Dusseldorf has been exporting to the U.S. and paying 10% import duties on aluminium but still they are able to make profits as the price of aluminium went up due to tariffs. This was confirmed by alimax CEO Philip Grothe in a media interview. Alimex, the inventor of the cast plate, produces aluminium cast plates for the highest demands. In German precision work, the company also manufactures aluminium components. The company supplies to industries like Mechanical...