
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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Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. which opened an extrusion plant for the automotive sector in Bowling Green, Kentucky in in February 2017 will expand the plant with a US$42 million investment, adding 90 new jobs and increasing overall Kentucky investment to US$95 million. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin announced this yesterday. “This major expansion by Kobelco underscores that Kentucky is the nation’s leader in both aluminium and automotive-related production,” Gov. Bevin said. He also reiterated their commitments to support the growth of existing employers like Kobelco. With the expansion, Kobelco would add a new melting furnace, extrusion press and fabrication equipment, the construction of which will start in January 2019 and production in the expanded operation is expected in...

Rheinmetall Automotive has, together with its Chinese joint venture partner HUAYU Automotive Systems (HASCO), inaugurated new plant in Guangde in the Chinese province of Anhui, northwest of Shanghai. Source:www.rheinmetall-automotive.com This is the sixth location of the joint venture in China, and its range of products will include aluminium cylinder heads. Rheinmetall Automotive, China's biggest manufacturer of cylinder heads, has an annual production volume of around 5.5 million units. The new plant will bring the company's production capacity to over one million units in 2018. The new plant of HASCO KSPG (Guangde) Nonferrous Components Co. Ltd will generate sales of 560 million RMB (equivalent to around €70 million). Over the next five years, annual cylinder head production is planned...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has determined that the Sun Bright International Corporation and Fair Importing Corporation entered merchandise covered by antidumping duty order A-570-967,1 and countervailing duty order C-570-968,2 into the customs territory of the United States by evading necessary duties. The CBP determined that these two companies imported aluminium extrusions from China to the U.S. by transshipping through Malaysia. The Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) investigation was conducted by CBP on a complaint filed by Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC). Jeff Henderson, President of AEC stated, “We want to thank U.S Customs and Border Patrol for this fantastic outcome and victory for the EAPA program. Transshippers like these companies should know we will continue to...

The flexibility of the aluminium to form any shape has made it the most versatile packaging material in the world. A key benefit of using aluminium in the packaging industry is that the aluminium packaging materials can be 100% recycled and reused an infinite number of times. More than 60% of the aluminium used in the packaging industry is processed to foil or thin strips. {newsStudioGallery} According to a report, the aluminium foil packaging market across the globe was valued at USD 18.912 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach a value of USD 23.166 billion by 2023, registering a CAGR of about 3.27% during 2018-2023 (the forecast period). India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, is also seeing a rapid rise in the use of aluminium foil, owing to strong economic growth...

Platina Resources has successfully concluded a definitive feasibility study for its Platina Scandium Project. Platina Resources Ltd has demonstrated that it can produce 2% scandium-aluminium master alloy from the scandium oxide processed from its Platina Scandium Project in New South Wales. Experiment works have been underway since August 2018 to develop proprietary production procedures for scandium-aluminium master alloy. Converting scandium oxide to aluminium scandium master alloy would be a value added business proposition for Platina Resources. The feasibility sample production has concluded and it showed how the procedure developed as part of the test work program can reliably produce 2% scandium-aluminium master alloy. It demonstrated master alloys produced from 3 different...

China is the world’s major producer of aluminium wire rod followed by India supplying together about 67% of the global aluminium wire rod usage. India’s share of the global wire rod market is expected to increase from 18% in 2017 to about 23% in 2025. The aluminium wire rods are then used as raw material for making aluminium wires, cables and overhead conductors that yield excellent mechanical and electrical cable properties. {newsStudioGallery} However, despite being the second largest producer of aluminium wire rod, the country is recently flooded with import of aluminium wire rod from China and the south Asian countries and also by the import of aluminium wire, the finished product. As a result of the simmering US-China trade conflict, India has faced a flood of imports of an array of...

According to a report, global demand for aluminium profiles, bars and rods 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 not alloyed aluminium profiles, bars and rods have a 4.0 per cent market share. {newsStudioGallery} China, Philippines, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States are considered the highest potential markets in the coming years. China, France, Germany, Italy and the United States represent the largest aluminium profile, bar and rod markets while the strongest annual growth is forecast to occur in the United Kingdom (19.6%), Philippines (15.5%), Ukraine (13.7%), Vietnam (9.0%) and China (7.6%). According to the global export-import data,...

India once again is likely to postpone retaliatory tariffs on 29 imported products from the US worth US$235 million to January 31, 2019. This would be the fourth time that India is deferring the duty. A senior government official told Moneycontrol “The implementation of higher import duty is likely to be postponed again by another 45 days.” On June 21, India had first announced its decision to hike import duty on 29 products from the US with effect from August 4, as a retaliatory measure against the Trump administration’s decision to levy additional tariffs on certain aluminium and steel products imported from India. The Indian government later postponed the implementation of the tariff to September 18, in a bid for the two nations to find a mutual solution, and then again to November 2...

Constellium N.V. announced through a press release on December 11 that it signed an agreement with UACJ Corporation and its U.S. subsidiary, Tri-Arrows Aluminum Holding Inc. (TAAH), to acquire TAAH’s 49% stake in Constellium-UACJ ABS, LLC (CUA). The cost of the acquisition will be US$100 million plus the assumption of 49% of approximately $80 million of third party debt at CUA. CUA operates the Bowling Green Aluminium Auto Body Sheet Plant. “This investment will give Constellium greater control over its future development of Auto Body Sheet in North America, a growing market and a strategic focus for our company,” said Jean-Marc Germain, Chief Executive Officer of Constellium. “We are strengthening our position as a global aluminium supplier for our automotive customers and are looking...

According to the Shanghai Metals Market, stocks of 6063 aluminium billet across five major consumption areas in China grew some 2,600 tonnes over the weekend ended on Thursday, December 13 to stand at 120,500 tonnes. The reason behind this increase in billet inventories could be fewer purchases of building materials and lowered deliveries of stocks by 3,100 tonnes last week, found SMM. The demand from construction sites slowed as Chinese New Year neared. The current status of aluminium billet inventories across major Chinese markets is as follows: But despite the surge in billet inventories, the aluminium alloys (ADC12) showed no change in price and neither the aluminium alloy (A356) and aluminium alloy (A380). Aluminium alloys (ADC12) price was still found at RMB 15,100 per tonne while...

The American Primary Aluminum Association (APAA) in collaboration with Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) and the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) addressed the economic effects of Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs in a presentation at the National Press Club of Washington on December 11. During the event, EPI released a new economic study that showed that the tariffs are having positive impact on aluminium production and job creation in the U.S. The EPI study says that driven by aluminium tariffs, twenty-two new and expansion projects have been announced in the domestic downstream aluminium industries producing aluminium extruded and rolled products. The study says these expanded facilities will create 2,000 jobs, generate US$3.3...

LB Aluminium Berhad, one of the largest aluminium suppliers based in Malaysia, has recorded a surge in its net profit for the second quarter ended on October 31. The profit reportedly grew by 69.4 per cent to RM2.83 million against RM1.67 million in the previous corresponding quarter, mainly attributable to higher sales volume. Revenue for the quarter increased 12.9 per cent to RM143.29 million, from RM126.94 million in the same period last year. Revenue from exports also increased by 20.2 per cent to RM46.77 million, primarily due to higher revenue from Canada, Australia, and the United States; reported the company itself in Bursa Malaysia filing. For the six-month period, LB Aluminium’s net profit up 4.4 per cent to RM5.5 million, from RM5.27 million a year earlier and revenue grew 11...

According to a media report, Oman’s first aluminium composite panel (ACP) manufacturing plant has been recently inaugurated at Misfah Industrial Area on the outskirts of Muscat. It is the latest diversification of the Mohammed Riaz & Partners group, a leading building materials company, added the Oman Observer report. At the inaugural ceremony, Alu-Panel’s product specialist Tenzin Tsarong gave an overview of ACP within the market place and its advent some 40 years ago, known then as sandwich panels, because it was made up of two aluminium sheets on either side that were bonded together in a non-aluminium core, the report elaborated. Tenzin Tsarong also highlighted how the launch of the ACP factory in Oman is a testament to the growth and usage of smarter materials in the marketplace that...

JW Aluminium has won this year's award for Industry Innovation and Productivity Excellence from Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce. The award has recognized the expansion currently underway at its Mount Holly flat rolled aluminium plant in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce recently presented its 2018 Business and Industry Awards. The entity honoured the award winners on November 29th at the North Charleston Convention Center during a special event. Through this award, the Chamber recognizes businesses and industries for their contributions to Berkeley County. This year the chamber chose the winners based on the broad categories of innovation and technology, community engagement and volunteerism. “These companies represent respected qualities: drive,...

National Aluminium Company (NALCO), a Navratna CPSE under Ministry of Mines, adds one more feather in its cap by undertaking a product diversification. It is reportedly producing a new product Strontium Modified Aluminium Billets CH-91 grade, which will particularly benefit the end-product manufacturer. Nalco believes this upgrade aluminium billets will decrease energy consumption and improve the overall productivity and output of billets. With this product, the customers will even be able to attain better surface finish with increased metal recovery, according to the state-owned Navratna company. Congratulating NALCO collective for introducing the new product, Dr. T.K Chand, CMD, NALCO, said, ‘’NALCO continues to focus its energies in diversification and increasing its product portfolio...

US companies have paid tariff duties of US$ 6.2 billion in October. The October tariff collections registered a 104% jump YoY from October 2017 amount of US$3.1 million and up from US$ 4.4 billion in September 2018, mostly driven by President Trump’s tariffs on steel, aluminium, and Chinese goods. US companies paid US$ 2.2 billion more to import goods subject to Trump’s tariffs in October. The costs are causing investment delays and layoffs in the American firms. Trump has cheered billions “pouring into the coffers of the USA,” while the costs are adding huge to the operational costs. Compared to the increase in tariff component, the value of imports increased just 13% in the same month, according to data compiled by Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, a pro-free trade group, and research firm...

A Press release from Aluminum Association confirms that The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that the unfairly-traded imports of common alloy aluminium sheet from China have harmed the business of U.S. producers. The U.S. Department of Commerce will impose antidumping duties ranging from 49.85 to 59.72 percent and countervailing duties ranging from 46.48 to 116.49 percent on their import. The USITC’s determination has successfully completed the investigations initiated by the Department of Commerce in November 2017. “Rules are essential to a functioning global trading system and businesses as well as workers must have confidence that rules are enforced fairly and consistently,” said Aluminum Association President & CEO Heidi Brock. “Today’s unanimous decision...

According to the latest report from Aluminum Association, aluminium net shipments (including exports) by domestic U.S. and Canadian facilities increased 6.7 per cent YoY to stand at an estimated 1 million tonnes during October. The October 2017 shipment stood at 933,946 tonnes. Out of the total shipments, aluminium mill product shipments rose 6 per cent over the previous year to 667,234 tonnes. Shipments of aluminium ingot for castings, exports and destructive uses increased 8 per cent year-over-year to 328,401 tonnes. For the period of January to October 2018, preliminary total producer shipments increased about three per cent to an estimated 9.4 million tonnes over the 2017 year-to-date total. October inventory levels stood at an estimated 1.5 million tonnes, slightly up over the...