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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The average operating rate at Chinese aluminum extruders is expected to fall another 7 percentage points from a year ago to 58% in May, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. Despite interest rate cuts by the PBOC, it is still difficult for aluminum extruders to secure loans from banks, SMM has learned. This will undermine production at extrusions. The average operating rate at 30 aluminum extruders in SMM’s survey sample was 56.7% in April, up 6.02 percentage points from March, but down 9.83 percentage points year-on-year.
New naval architecture consultancy business, Walker Marine Design Ltd, is off to a good start after securing a number of contracts for the offshore wind sector and wider marine industry. Founded by experienced Naval Architect James Walker, the UK-based company specialises in the design, repair and refit of commercial workboats, particularly high-speed light craft. It has the in-house capability to provide stability assessments, stability books and structural calculations for any marine structure. Walker Marine has recently been awarded the design of four aluminium windfarm service vessels for CWind. The designs are two 23m BV classed vessels and two 21m MCA vessels, and will be the first aluminium workboats to be added to CWind’s fleet. All four vessels will be fitted with MTU engines and...
The F-150 isn't the only Ford Motor Co. icon that's been changed to aluminum this year. Get behind the wheel of the 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum, which goes on sale in a few months, and you'll notice that something familiar is missing: the Ford Blue Oval. For the most expensive Explorer series ever, with a starting price of more than $53,000 with shipping, the company's logo has gone upscale. Instead of blue plastic, it's made of brushed aluminum to match accents used elsewhere in the cabin. It's a change suggested by CEO Mark Fields two years ago when, as COO at the time, he was reviewing a prototype with Michael Arbaugh, the Explorer's chief interior designer. "He asked if I'd ever thought of any other finishes," Arbaugh said during a media event in Southern California this month....
The Aluminum Association, Arlington, Virginia, has expressed disappointment in China’s Ministry of Finance’s decision to eliminate the 15 percent export duty imposed on aluminum rods and bars, both alloy and nonalloyed, as well as certain primary alloys. In a statement, the association, which represents U.S. and foreign-based companies and their supplies throughout the value chain, notes that the elimination of the export duties is “inconsistent with China's policy to discourage exports of energy-intensive products, a key element of the country's new normal that puts emphasis on sustainable, quality growth. The association also sees the change as having the potential to encourage unfair trade practices in the aluminum industry. “We urge the Chinese government to maintain global trade...
Rexam has partnered with Heineken to launch a range of Strongbow Apple Ciders in Rexam’s brand new 400ml Super Sleek® can. The latest addition to Rexam’s sleek can range, the 400ml Super Sleek®, provides a stylish on-the-go packaging format, appealing to Strongbow’s key audience of twenty year old males and females. The only manufacturer in Europe to produce Super Sleek® diameter cans, Rexam’s unique 400ml Super Sleek® with a 202 end provides an additional Super Sleek® variation for customers and reaffirms Rexam as a market leader for offering the greatest range of cans. The Strongbow Apple Ciders cans use Rexam’s matt-over-varnish finish to give a premium feel and reinforce the brand’s position as the world’s number one cider. The stand out can designs reflect the refreshing range of...
The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has awarded Rexam’s Joint Venture with Envases Universales in Guatemala with the Shingo Prize. “Receipt of the Shingo Prize is a worldwide recognized symbol of an organization's successful establishment of a culture anchored on principles of enterprise excellence–principles such as respect for every individual, leading with humility, quality at the source, the quest for perfection, creating value for the customer, etc.,” said Mark Baker, executive director at the Shingo Institute. “Ultimately, these recipients are in a class of the best organizations in the world, regardless of industry or country. I congratulate all of the good people at Rexam ECA Guatemala for their great accomplishment in...
The average operating rate at Chinese aluminum wire & cable producers is expected to rise to 58% in May on growing demand, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. State Grid has ramped up power grid construction since April with the weather getting warmer, a trend that is expected to continue until the summer arrives in June. This will bolster demand for aluminum wire & cable. The average operating rate at Chinese aluminum wire & cable producers increased to 54.94% in April from March’s 48.50%, SMM’s survey found.
Tadeu Nardocci, Senior Vice President, Novelis Inc. and President, Novelis South America, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award today at the Platts 2015 Global Metals Awards ceremony in London. "Tadeu has played an important role in leading the aluminum industry and Novelis over the course of his career," said Steve Fisher, Interim President and CEO, Novelis. "He has strengthened global industry alignment and best practice sharing throughout key regions of the world, and we are honored to have him as a valued leader at Novelis." Nardocci was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions and dedication to advancing the aluminum industry globally over the past three decades. Prior to his current role, he served as President of Novelis Europe, Senior Vice...
Increased knowledge is driving the use of aluminium solutions, and Sapa is one of the educators. A new course on aluminium tubing is aimed at improving the company’s ability to provide tailored technical support for customers of heat transfer solutions. In 2014, Sapa provided more than 37,000 hours of technical training to external stakeholders worldwide. The company is working to increase the amount this year. The technical sessions cover all the business areas in Sapa. In addition to seminars related to general extrusions, which accounted for the largest single share of hours provided last year, Sapa hosted and educated another 1,900 external stakeholders in events related to its building systems, automotive tubing and industrial tubing businesses. Sapa’s Precision Tubing business area...
Novelis, the American subsidiary of Hindalco Industries, which is a producer of value-added aluminium products, reported a weak performance for the quarter ending March. Operating earnings (before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, or Ebitda) per tonne was around $265, about a fifth lower than in the March 2014 quarter and 15 per cent lower sequentially. The inability to pass on costs of earlier metal purchases, that Novelis bought at higher regional premiums, impacted the performance and is likely to cause stress in the coming quarters as well, believe analysts. The decline in aluminium premiums (additional price over and above the benchmark rate), especially in Asia, can benefit in the longer run, enabling Novelis to produce at competitive prices compared to Chinese...
A Meeting of the Board of Directors of Manaksia Aluminium Company Ltd will be held on May 30, 2015, to consider, approve and take on record the audited Financial Statements of the Company tor the year ended March 31, 2015. Further, in terms of provisions of the Company's Code of Conduct to Regulate, Monitor and Report Trading by Insiders, the "Trading Window" for trading in the equity shares of the Company shall remain closed from May 20, 2015 and will open 48 hours after the announcement by the Company of the Results to the Stock Exchanges on May 30, 2015. Shares of MANAKSIA LTD. was last trading in BSE at INR 49.45 as compared to the previous close of INR 49.05. The total number of shares traded during the day was 753 in over 42 trades. The stock hit an intraday high of INR 50.4 and...
As metal has become the preferred choice of material for structures and manufacturing, advanced metal manufacturing technology has found its way into an increasing number of applications, such as IT products, medical equipment, and other industries. Acknowledging the importance of the metal industry and its technology, the Kaohsiung City Government is actively promoting the upgrade and reform of the industry. By encouraging exhibitions and conferences in Kaohsiung, it aims to start communication between domestic and international industry players. Kaohsiung City Government officially supports Taiwan’s first and only industry specific exhibition “International Metal Technology Taiwan” which will be held on December 2-4, 2015 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. On January 24, 2015, the...
Shropshire Council’s south planning committee has given Bridgnorth Aluminium the go-ahead for their £41 million extension despite objections from neighbours. Plans are set for a new rolling mill to be added to the complex which will include an air purification building, exhaust stack, oil filter plant and transformer closure. However it is the 26 metres heigh air purification stack that has become the point of displeasure among residents. Bridgnorth Town Council argued that the stack should be painted in a colour that is agreeable with the neighbours while the Bridgnorth Civic Society believes the unnecessarily high stack will be “visually obtrusive” although they back the company’s plans. Richard Fortune, the principal planning officer explains that the high stack was to prevent rolling...
Rolled aluminium products maker Novelis expects a 4 percent rise in demand in Europe this year and is considering further expansion of its European recycling, the European head of the U.S.-based company said on Wednesday. "Demand for rolled aluminium plate is good to very good," Novelis Europe president Erwin Mayr told Reuters. "We expect growth of about 4 percent this year in Europe with the main growth coming from strong demand from the automotive sector and beverage cans sector." Low oil prices are not seen as reducing pressure on vehicle manufacturers to use more aluminium to cut fuel consumption through making vehicles lighter, he said. "CO2 emissions do not depend on the oil price and the pressure to reduce the CO2 footprint will remain unchanged in the short, medium and long term,"...
Working in close cooperation with its design and production partners, Hitachi Rail has developed a PRM-TSI compliant, lightweight storage unit for bicycles for its new class 800/801 series train. According to TRB Lightweight Structures (TRB), these new Hitachi Class 800/801 trains will be replacing existing high speed trains in the UK as part of the latest Intercity Express Programme (IEP). The original concept for the new class 800/801 series train was to design spacious new passenger carriage interiors, including convenient bike storage facilities. It explains that, right at this early concept stage, Hitachi also brought in Lyndon Newman, Engineering Director of TRB and his team. The role of TRB was to evaluate the design and provide a cost effective method of manufacturing the bike...
Novelis UK were unveiled as the winner of the Circular Economy Success category at this year’s Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management, 2015. The annual Awards for Excellence are renowned for delivering true value and recognition to leaders of the innovation in the sector. The Circular Economy Success category – sponsored by the Textiles Recycling Association – was targeted at businesses, local authorities and organisations that show how they have provided for success within the circular economy process in the waste management and recycling sector. Novelis were chosen as the winner for their ‘promotion of recycling aluminium’ and were praised for being a ‘true closed loop pioneer in the UK’. The entry focused on how Novelis are building a new circular economic model for...
Constellium N.V. announces its AIRWARE® technology was aboard Orion’s successful first flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Built by Lockheed Martin, NASA’s Orion spacecraft is designed for human exploration of deep space. In 2010, after a two-year materials study by Lockheed Martin – AIRWARE® 2195 and 2050 low density alloys manufactured at Constellium’s facilities located in Ravenswood, West Virginia, USA and Montreuil-Juigné and Issoire, France, – were chosen as key structural materials of the Orion spacecraft based on their proven reliability and safety in space in the study. The alloys’ inherent low density, high-specific stiffness, strength and excellent mechanical properties ensure material high-performance characteristics during demanding launch and landing phases, and...
Midas Holdings' subsidiary Jilin Midas Aluminium Industries (Jilin Midas) has received a series of contracts worth CNY328.9m ($53m) to deliver high-speed train car body components in China. The latest contracts include CNY185.4m ($29.8m) worth of orders from CNR Changchun Railway Vehicle and CNY143.5m ($23m) worth of orders from CNR Tangshan Railway Vehicle. As part of these deals, Jilin Midas will supply aluminium-alloy extrusion profiles and certain fabricated parts for high-speed trains that will operate at speeds of up to 350km/h and 380km/h respectively. Midas executive director and chief executive officer Patrick Chew said: "As a quality supplier with a long-standing track record and relationship with our customers, we are heartened that our efforts have been rewarded with the...
