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...
Grow with
AL Circle
New Slider Combines a Contemporary Profile with Added Functionality for More Dynamic Office Space Designs. CRL-U.S. Aluminum's line of office partition systems gives architects, interior designers, and glazing contractors the ability to design and build customized office spaces that combine utility with modern aesthetics. To continue with this tradition, the company is proud to introduce the 487 Series Integrated Slider, the latest addition to the 487 Series Office Partition family. The new slider will debut at GlassBuild America, September 16-18 in Atlanta. The 487 Series Integrated Slider is unique in that it comes equipped with an integrated top-hung sliding system that saves valuable floor space compared to conventional pivoting systems. In addition, fully framed doors enhance...
China’s aluminum semis exports surged 46.43% year-on-year to 410,000 tonnes in June, customs data showed. Disguised exports of aluminum - shaped as aluminum semis and re-melted at destination to become a substitute for primary metal – were behind the significant growth, SMM’s aluminum research team said. Extrusion exports hit 163,000 tonnes in June, soaring 133.87% year-on-year and 68.04% month-on-month, customs data showed. Nearly 100,000 tonnes of aluminum extrusion was exported to Vietnam and Malaysia, which might be transhipment points for so-called “disguised Chinese aluminum semis” that will ultimately land elsewhere.
Several international transport companies specialized in automobiles, aircraft and rail cars are planning to establish new assembly plants in Ras Al-Khair Industrial City. The development comes in the wake of the success achieved by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) in increasing its production and imposing global competition in the production of aluminum ore, which is a fundamental nucleus in different means of transport, as well as everyday consumer products, such as foil, pots and cans. Maaden has provided all facilities and support to achieve the aspirations of local and international companies to establish strategic alliances in this regard to activate its plans and benefit from aluminum savings in the Kingdom and work on the establishment of transformative industrial...
South African aluminium products maker and marketer Hulamin Ltd on Monday reported a 34 percent drop in first-half operating profit due to electricity shortages and planned maintenance. Africa's most advanced economy is the midst of its worst power crisis and is struggling to keep the lights on as its aging fleet of power stations becomes more unreliable. Hulamin had earlier warned that disruptions were impacting production. Hulamin reported basic and diluted headline earnings per share of 25 cents and 24 cents respectively for the first half ended June 30, compared with 41 and 40 cents per share a year earlier. Headline earnings per share is the key measure used in South Africa and strips out certain one-off items. In April, the company said it expected first-half earnings to drop by 44...
The pickup wars have broken out again. Ads from General Motors' (GM) Chevrolet are attacking rival Ford's (F) innovative aluminum-body F-150 pickup as too costly and too slow to repair. In online ads -- one of which features National Football League hall of famer and broadcaster Howie Long -- Chevrolet suggests that aluminum isn't as strong as steel and that insurance costs are probably higher for the aluminum F-150. In a previous round of the pickup wars, Chevrolet ran a Super Bowl ad with Chevy truck owners having survived an apocalypse, but their friend wasn't so fortunate because he had a Ford pickup. Ford went to court for a cease and desist order. The Ford F-series pickups, traditionally the best-selling vehicles in America, have continued to outsell the Chevrolet Silverado in the...
Swiss bike brand BMC has announced its 2016 range, which includes a wider range of aluminium bikes as well as some new colour schemes for its carbon models. BMC’s carbon Teammachine is its premium race bike used by its professional racing team. For 2016, BMC has added an aluminium version of the bike to its range, named the Teammachine ALR01. BMC claims 1295g for the painted frame, which comes in five sizes starting at 47cm and has computer-designed tube shapes and asymmetry and a carbon fork. The aluminium version is aimed at new riders and comes with a wide gear range and geometry for a more upright riding position. BMC will offer the ALR01 at four spec levels: Ultegra, 105, Tiagra and Sora, all with full Shimano groupsets. The carbon Teammachine SLR bike family gets new colour schemes...
To make its beers more accessible to consumers, Meadowlark Brewing has expanded into Rexam 12 oz. cans. Two of its core brews are available for the first time in this convenient, single-serve package. BADLANDS Extra Pale Ale incorporates the malt profile of an easy-drinking pale ale with the aroma and flavor of an IPA. Badlands pours a golden orange color with a nose of citrus and tropical fruits. OLE GUS Scotch Rye Wee Heavy is a full-bodied ale with robust caramel notes and a slight crispness due to the use of rye. It pours a dark, ruby color and is accompanied by subtle fruity esters from Edinburgh ale yeast. With a tagline of “Made in Montana. Treasured Everywhere,” the brewery takes its name from the Western Meadowlark or sturnella neglecta. This bird has long had an iconic presence...
AluGlass Tech, an aluminium and glass contractor under the Ajman-based Tech Group, is close to completing multiple contracts worth Dh60 million ($16.3 million) in the UAE emirate. It includes residential and commercial facilities, a medical centre and the multi-million-dollar Al Zorah Resort and Golf Club project, said a statement. A leading name in the aluminium and glass industry, AluGlass Tech manufactures customised and complex windows, door fittings, automatic doors and gates, curtain-walls, cast aluminium decorations, partitions, and insulated glass products, it said. The firm has already provided its aluminium and glass fittings and claddings to some of the landmark projects including Ajman One, City Towers, Orient Towers and Ajman Pearl Towers. Shiraz Hasan, group chief executive...
China Zhongwang Holdings Limited, the world's second largest industrial aluminium extrusion product developer and manufacturer and the biggest one in Asia, today announced a 10-year syndicated term loan facility agreement in the principal amount of up to RMB20 billion or its equivalent. The Facility was entered into by the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Tianjin Zhongwang Aluminium Company Limited, with a consortium of six major state-owned banks in mainland China. The Facility is largely RMB-denominated and carries the same base rate as The People's Bank of China of the same duration. The proceeds will be used to support the development of the Company's high value-added aluminium flat rolled product project iin Tianjin which is expected to commence production soon. Mr. Lu Changqing,...
Laminazione Sottile Group, based in Naples, announces the agreement for the acquisition of Lamp Ariflex, company located in Spinetta Marengo (AL) and specialised in the production of flexible packaging. The company’s new name is IPS Ariflex (Industrial Packaging Solutions Ariflex). Laminazione Sottile Group is one of the European leaders in rolled aluminium production, with more than 150.000 tons including bare and coated rolled aluminium products and food trays. The new Laminazione Sottile Group’s investment will allow IPS Ariflex to keep the production in Spinetta Marengo in order to balance the demands for competitiveness imposed by markets with the support to local communities for a sustainable growth. M. Moschini, CEO of Laminazione Sottile Group, said: “IPS Ariflex represents an...
The new Audi production site in Münchsmünster, 30km east of the main production facility in Ingolstadt, Germany, is where hot and cold formed pressed parts, high tech chassis components and lightweight aluminum structural components, among others, are produced for the new Q7 SUV. By 2017, a total of 900 employees will be working at the site and shipping out 26 million parts worldwide annually. The production site in Münchsmünster, the high-tech Audi Neuburg complex and the future innovation campus (‘INCampus’) are making the Audi Ingolstadt site a key force behind growth in Bavaria. “The components that we are manufacturing in Münchsmünster are helping us to perfect our systematic lightweight construction,” says Audi Production Board Member Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl. The hot-stamped sheet...
CoCo Yachts and AFAI Southern Shipyard Guangzhou Panyu ltd have been awarded a new building contract with Cosco Xiamen for a Coastal Cruiser 322 aluminum fast ferry. The newly built Coastal Cruiser 322 will replace Cosco Xiamen’s current fast ferry with on the passenger service between Xiamen P.R. China and Kinmen Taiwan. The Coastal Cruiser 322 will have feature passenger saloon on main deck with economy seats and a spacious business class and VIP arrangement on the upper deck. Special attention is giving to the noise levels, which are expected to be much lower than Cosco Xiamen’s existing vessel. On the main deck, aft provision will be arranged for cargo, luggage and bicycles. The Coastal Cruiser 322 will be powered by two MTU main engines, each driving one Rolls Rocye S71 water jet...
Crown Holdings says good ties with craft brewers bodes well for the future, as more companies look to cans for their products. Beer is also playing a big part in the beverage can manufacturer’s plans for Mexico: a country seeing growth in beer and brewers, a shift towards cans over bottles, and boost in exports into the US. Global beverage can unit volumes for Crown grew 9% in the quarter ending June 30, mainly attributed to the acquisition of Mexican can manufacturer Empaque last year, said Crown as it released its Q1 results this week. Craft beer – in a glass or can? Crown is the third largest producer of beverage cans worldwide. Net sales for Americas Beverage were $741m (for the three months ending June 30) compared to $594m during the same period in 2014. John Conway, chairman and...
SPEEDMASTER, a tech company that finds its niche in automobile engine radiator manufacturing, recently came up with Aluminium Racing Radiators that can withstand the asperities of long-haul car racing, something that do not usually come from the house of leading automobile manufacturers. The Speedmaster experts, who had put years of research in designing a compatible aluminium radiator for today's automobiles, claimed that the radiators can enhance the performance and strength of the automobiles, regardless of their model or make. Most mass-produced OEM radiators are built with the minimum possible cost and this makes the radiators less competent for the job than expected. Many stock radiators come with maximum possible number of fins and minimum tubing. However, tubes are the primary...
Lightweight and high performance metals leader Alcoa today announced a realignment of its downstream segment as the Company’s value-add portfolio expands. Alcoa’s downstream portfolio will become two segments, one with a core focus on aerospace, and the other centered on the construction and commercial wheels markets. The realignment supports Alcoa’s transformation strategy to build its value-add portfolio for greater profitability. With Alcoa’s successful acquisition of RTI International Metals, Inc. today, the recent acquisitions of Firth Rixson and TITAL, and other innovation-led organic growth investments, the Company continues to deepen its reach into the high-growth aerospace market. The Engineered Products and Solutions (EPS) segment, led by Group President Olivier Jarrault, has...
Minnesota based Crysteel Manufacturing launched the new Aluminum Landscape body combining the strength and durability of the Crysteel Landscape body with the lightweight efficiency of aluminum construction. The dump body also includes increased payload capacity, corrosion resistance and lower maintenance costs. It is ideal for contractors in the landscape industry, refuse/waste industry and recycling industry. The 12-foot Aluminum Landscape body features a ¼-inch floor, 50-inch side door, pull action latch mechanism, two-piece barn door, unibody design, and a Crysteel Lo-Boy® hoist quick installed at the factory. The standard LB510 hoist includes a full-length subframe for added strength and a factory-installed body prop for added safety. Available options include full cabshield, bolt-on...
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of NYU School of Engineering, in collaboration with the Toledo, Ohio company Deep Springs Technology, and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory has successfully completed a series of revolutionary tests on a layered material with a lightweight metal matrix syntactic foam core. The porosity of this lightweight layered material is integrated into metal matrix syntactic foams in their foam-like structure through use of hollow particle.The reserach team used an aluminum alloy packed with hollow alumina particles, which was placed between carbon fabric face-sheets. The layered material they created is lighter in weight, as well as stiffer, with high energy absorption. This material will likely find application in trains, ships, automobiles and...
Rexam has partnered with Dutch brewer Grolsch to produce a range of celebratory cans to mark its 400th anniversary of brewing. The range is made up of three separate cans featuring Gerard Brummer, iconic Art Director and creator of Grolsch advertisements. Rexam HD printing and a matt over-varnish finish are used to showcase and reflect the brand’s creative flair since 1615. The designs take inspiration from previous cans throughout Grolsch’s long history, resulting in a retro style that aims to engage established consumers with this impressive milestone. Johannes Roeleveld, Materials Manager at Grolsch says, “Having worked with Rexam for decades, we were confident that they would be able to provide us with a packaging format fitting for such an anniversary. The dedication of their design...
