Bahrain’s aluminium wire exports continued to gain momentum in the second quarter of 2026, with shipments rising significantly compared with the corresponding periods of 2025 and 2024. The country exported 80,895 tonnes of aluminium wire in Q2 2026, taking its total shipments during the first half of the year to 143,518 tonnes. The export data covers aluminium wire under HS code 7605, excluding stranded wire, cables, plaited bands and similar products, electrically insulated wires and strings for musical instruments. Export volume registers strong Y-o-Y growth Comparing the quarterly figures, Bahrain’s aluminium wire export volume increased by 23.76 per cent Y-o-Y in Q2 2026, against 65,366 tonnes shipped during Q2 2025. The latest quarterly volume also marked a considerable rise from Q2...
India-based KEC International Limited is pushing ahead with Phase II of its aluminium conductor capacity expansion, even as a difficult second quarter dragged consolidated profit down. The Q2 FY27 investor presentation, dated November 2, lists the expansion as underway in its Cables & Conductors business, one of the few segments that grew in the quarter. The update comes over a year after KEC’s commissioning of the first phase of the plant in Vadodara in February 2025, marking an investment of about INR 600 million (USD 6.33 million). The company has not disclosed the capacity to be added, the investment or a completion date. Explore AL Circle’s report ALuminium Wires & Cables - Insights & Forecast to 2030 for insights into aluminium applications, industry developments and opportunities...
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Tesla Motors, Inc, the American automotive and energy storage company, unveiled its latest aluminium bodied Model X SUV. The vehicle packs in a lot of innovative features, which include an exclusive aluminium built and Falcon-wing doors, equipped with sensors that prevent contact with other vehicles. According to the industry specialists, when it comes to designing a new SUV, most automakers would have designed in a couple new nifty features and called it a day, but Tesla proved to be an exception. Even though they will have to find new breakthroughs for succeeding generations, Tesla's designers put in a lot of innovations to bring out the Model X crossover. Lamborghinis too have upward opening doors, but they are a novelty and there are painfully few Lambos in this world. Tesla takes the...
The commercial transportation sector in the United States is demanding more aluminium. This includes increased use in trucks and trailers, and Sapa’s plant in California is becoming one of the key suppliers of extruded solutions. Sapa President & CEO Egil Hogna visited the City of Industry plant, near Los Angeles, to learn more about the requirements from the transportation sector and to get a closer look at the plant’s operations. The visit was part of Hogna’s 100-day program, in which he is traveling to company locations and meeting employees around the world. In addition to the California site, he spent several hours at Sapa’s extrusion plant in Oregon. He was joined by Patrick Lawlor, executive vice president responsible for extrusion operations in the Americas, and Rob Rubicky, vice...
The world's second-largest industrial aluminum extrusion producer, China Zhongwang Holdings (1333), expects output at a new Tianjin plant to top current capacity to meet domestic demand. Phase one of the aluminum flat-rolled product project in Tianjin has a designed annual capacity of 1.8 million tonnes and actual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes. It will be fully operational by year's end, said chief financial officer Vincent Cheung Lap-kei, and then there will be a five-year investment payback period. The Liaoning-based firm has already sunk 22 billion yuan (HK$26.8 billion) into the first phase. And a further 10 billion yuan will be invested by Zhongwang by the end of next year, Cheung added. The demand for aluminum flat-rolled products is from industries such as aerospace and in making...
Logan Aluminum, the Delaware based maker of rolled sheets for the beverage industry, has announced its long awaited $240 million investment plans, which would add automotive industry among its customers. Earlier on October 28, Wednesday, Governor Steve Beshear brought the news to Warren County that would exectedly create significant employment opportunities. “Strong, lightweight materials are quickly becoming standard in vehicle production and Logan Aluminum’s expanded operations contribute to Kentucky’s position as a global leader in the aluminum industry,” Beshear said in a news release. “Logan Aluminum sets the example of how innovative Kentucky companies can add capacity, products and jobs by reacting to market forces.” Logan already employs more than 1,000 people. In addition to the...
Ball Corp. announced that it will acquire the minority interest owned by its joint-venture partners in Latapack-Ball that supplies cans and ends to the Brazilian market. Ball Corp. said it will acquire the remaining 39.9 percent minority interest in the Latapack-Ball beverage-can business in exchange for the issuance of 6 million Ball common shares, giving the Broomfield-based company full ownership of Latapack-Ball. Ball’s shares were trading at $66.90 Tuesday, which would give the deal an estimated value of $401 million. The joint venture was established in 1995. The operation supplies cans and ends to the Brazilian market from four manufacturing facilities. The local business has grown over the years as local customers’ packaging mix continues to shift to metal beverage cans, according...
Delaware based Logan Aluminum’s long talked about expansion project will likely be unveiled this week. Logan County’s largest employer announced that it would hold a ground breaking ceremony for an expansion project on Wednesday at 1 p.m. No further details were announced, but in March the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority gave preliminary approval to Logan Aluminum for incentives regarding an expansion project. The preliminary approval is for a proposed $282 million expansion project for the north Logan industry, which is the county’s largest employer and among the biggest in the region. According to the proposal, Logan Aluminum would create 188 jobs that could pay an average of $50 per hour including benefits. The purpose for the potential expansion would be to make...
Sapa's aluminium extrusion unit in Sweden, Sapa Profiler AB, has informed its organization about restructuring of operations and consequent manning reductions. Union representatives have been notified and will begin local negotiations shortly. Sapa's long-term strategy is to build strong and effective production units that meet the demands of local and regional customers. In order to optimize its production facilities and its organization to achieve Sapa’s long-term strategy, Sapa Profiler AB will focus its operations to areas where the company has a competitive advantage and invest in these. The changes have resulted in that the company has given notice to 185 employees, mainly within the manufacturing areas. "Although we have a very strong market position in Sweden, recent improvements...
Rexam has received a statement of objections from the EU Competition Commission regarding the proposed £4.4bn acquisition of the company by Ball Corporation, and it could be instructed to sell its UK operations to rival firms. In July the EU launched a detailed probe into whether the deal could lead to higher prices for beverage cans. It is thought that the commission is concerned the remaining competitors would not provide sufficient competitive constraints on the merged entity. However, it is understood that Ball can walk away from the deal if required to divest assets that generate sales of more than £1bn, but would have to pay a break-up fee of about £300m. The group said it will work on a package of remedies to address the EU’s competition concerns. Typically, the acquirer will have...
China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd , the world's second largest producer of aluminum extrusions, denied U.S. accusations it had evaded import duties, saying its export business had been conducted in strict accordance with rules in China and overseas markets. The accusations are the first formal U.S. move to curb China's aluminum exports, which U.S. producers say have grown steadily over the past year. In a petition filed with the U.S. Commerce Department last Thursday, the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) asked the government to clarify that pallets and 5050 alloys are subject to antidumping and countervailing duties introduced in 2011. That ruling marked a major victory for U.S. extruders that argued Chinese exports were unfairly subsidized. Zhongwang Chairman Liu Zhongtian said in a...
Lanka Aluminium Industries PLC, Sri Lanka’s leading manufacturer and distributor of state-of-the-art aluminium fittings and solutions, has opened their showroom and service centre in the town of Nittambuwa recently. The opening was attended by senior officials from Lanka Aluminium and representatives of construction and interior design establishments in and around Nittambuwa. “We have a wide range of doors and windows which are specifically designed to suit our environment & climate. We take precautions to ensure that there is no water leakage and offer provisions for insect screens which is very important for households especially considering the problem with dengue,” said Dinal Peiris-Managing Director, Lanka Aluminium Industries PLC. “One of the main reasons for opening our showroom...
Rexam has collaborated with Baltika #3, one of Russia’s most popular beer brands, to create 990 different can designs for a first of its kind limited collection. Using Rexam’s patent pending Editions™ technology, the design project, completed in just three days, is the largest undertaken by Rexam to date. The stand out 50cl cans display names of 990 different Russian cities printed on an identical urban skyline graphic. The efficient formatting of the designs onto cans was made possible by using new software installed as part of the recent investment in Rexam’s Moscow Design Centre. Rexam’s Editions™ technology allowed for 24 different Russian city names to be printed simultaneously on one pallet. The innovative campaign, running until December, aims to promote Russian patriotism and...
Operating rate at 15 Chinese A356 aluminum alloy producers dropped to 58.50% in September, Shanghai Metals Market survey found. Output at these producers also fell to 105,300 tonnes, SMM survey showed. Lower profit from tumbling aluminum prices discouraged SMEs from production. Large producers, on the other hand, maintained normal operation.
The average operating rate at Chinese aluminum plate, sheet, strip and foil producers will fall more sharply in October after a slight decline in September, SMM foresees. SMM bases its prediction on the fact that demand is not strong in October, the traditional high-demand period. The rate was 56.72% at those surveyed by SMM in in September, down slightly from 57.61% in August, due mainly to weakening domestic and overseas demand.
At this year North America Automotive Lightweight Procurement Symposium you have the chance to listen and interchange with executive speakers and delegates from the aluminum, magnesium, steel & composite industry. Lightweighting, supply chain and procurement management will be the main theme and localization, best buy country and make or buy are some of the topics to be presented. OEMs will express their needs & expectations from the supplier and technology as well as lightweighting side while Tiers will showcase their leading weight reduction solutions, joining technologies, material and process hybrid components. "Lightweight Transmissions & Driveline Components - Practical Challenges" is the subject of Mr Renneker`s (Chief Engineer, New A/T Programs & Component – Transmission &...
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) filed a petition against China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd. alleging the company has systematically and illegally evaded duties on aluminum extrusions imported into the United States. The alleged scheme involves hundreds of millions of pounds of aluminum extrusions that are simply cut and welded into aluminum slabs. Upon entering the U.S. these extrusions are being identified as ‘pallets’ even though the testimony the Council has gathered makes it clear the sole purpose of these extrusions is to re-melt them back into billets. “In late July, the AEC released a statement to the press calling on the United States Government, as well as others identified in the Dupre Analytics report, to investigate issues of transshipment and circumvention by Zhongwang. We...
French producer of cast aluminium parts for the automotive industry Montupet hopes that the Bulgarian authorities will reconsider their decision to stop one of its production lines in the Balkan country, Bloomberg has reported. The regional environment inspectorate in the Bulgarian city of Ruse, on the Danube river, ordered Montupet EOOD last month to halt immediately the operation of its Carousel 1 aluminium casting installation suspected as a source of excessive air pollution. Montupet EOOD, part of Montupet SA group, has lost the appeal of the decision for an immediate production halt. The stoppage, in force since September 25, has cut the plant’s output by as much as 15% percent and caused delivery delays to clients, Didier Crozet, co-executive managing director at Montupet EOOD, has...
Tennessee-based AMI Metals, a subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum, has secured a contract worth around $300m from Lockheed Martin to provide aluminium flat rolled material for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The multi-year deal covers the value-added, just-in-time, cut-to-size and cut-to-shape processing of aluminium plate to meet all F-35 aluminium flat rolled requirements. AMI Metals president Scott A. Smith said: "We are proud of our long-term relationship with Lockheed Martin and of our ability to assist them going forward with the aluminium products and services needed for the manufacture of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter military aircraft. "AMI Metals and Lockheed Martin have worked together for the past 30 years on numerous programs that have resulted in on-time delivery of high...
Following years of continuous growth during which the production figures for the aerosol can industry raced from one record to the next, the market has now finally taken a pause for breath. AEROBAL, the International Organisation of Aluminium Aerosol Container Manufacturers, reported a small decline in production worldwide of one per cent year-on-year for the first half of 2015. AEROBAL’s secretary general Gregor Spengler does not find the figures particularly disturbing: “After years of unabated growth it is only natural that there is consolidation in the market that can then simply lead for once to a slight decline in demand and production. If one considers the extremely difficult economic situation worldwide and the general political situation and takes the record level from last year...
