Germany and France share one of Europe’s busiest downstream aluminium corridors, and the metal flows in both directions. In the first seven months of 2026, aluminium flat rolled products (FRP), which cover aluminium plates, sheets and strips (HS code: 7606), as well as aluminium foil (HS code: 7607), crossed the border each way, amounting to a total of around USD 692 million. However, the bilateral trade flow is tilted towards Germany, which remains France’s largest FRP supplier. Nonetheless, the inter-dependence remains as the countries do exchange the same products but engage in cross-border trade of specialised high-value products and alloys, feeding the demand on either side. The trade figures for January–July 2026, as compiled from the International Trade Administration, highlight...
KAP Minerals and Cymat Technologies are exploring a partnership to produce scandium-aluminium master alloy in Ontario, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The partnership would use scandium oxide from KAP’s Kapuskasing critical minerals project and Cymat’s aluminium-processing technology to produce alloys for aerospace, defence and manufacturing applications. To know the global production, demand and consumption forecasts of aluminium extrusions, explore our report " The World of Aluminium Extrusions to 2035 " Scandium-aluminium alloys can improve strength, performance and weldability while reducing weight. The companies aim to use the proposed venture to establish a domestic supply chain, converting Canadian critical minerals into value-added industrial materials....
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Shares of aluminium packaging producer Ess Dee Aluminium have been pummelled over the last year. The company produces aluminium packaging for pharmaceutical producers. During the nine months ended December 2011, the company's sales slipped by two per cent to Rs 493 crore as it found it hard to increase volumes. Net profits fared worse dipping by 47 per cent to Rs 56 crore. The company's subsidiary, India Foils, which accounts for nearly half the overall production capacity, has similarly been struggling to increase utilisation rates. Making matters worse, the company also imports nearly all its requirement of aluminium. These prices averaged eight per cent higher during the nine months ended December 2011, compared to the same period a year ago. A weakened rupee led to a larger import...
We recently solicited questions from readers of our Freakonomics blog for Peter Diamandis, founder and CEO of X Prize Foundation, and the journalist Steven Kotler. Here are some of their answers. How did you come up with the book's cover art? It's very eyecatching - but not obviously related to the subject matter. The cover is directly related to the book's message. The book is "wrapped" in aluminium foil and Abundance begins with the story of aluminium . During the early 1800s aluminium was considered the most valuable metal. That's why the capstone of the Washington Monument is made from aluminium, and why Napoleon III threw a banquet for the king of Siam where the honoured guests were given aluminium utensils, while everyone else had to make do with gold.
Aluminium-composite cladding gaining popularity among architects because it is cheap, easily fixed to buildings, comes in different finishes and requires little if any maintenance over the life of a building. It is weather-resistant and is used extensively inside and outside buildings. It is also easy to put up. "You basically start at the bottom of the building and work your way up," said Thomas Bell-Wright, chief executive officer and founder of Thomas Bell-Wright International. Aluminium-composite cladding is the most widely used finish on high-rise residential and commercial buildings in the Middle East. Helping it burn Buildings' exteriors are coated in bitumen-based blackjack paint as a sealant — which is not fire tested nor fire rated. Aluminium fitting strips are then applied in...
BISOL Group continues this year’s trade fair appearances by exhibiting their premium quality solar solutions at SolarExpo trade fair in Verona, Italy. The Company will present its newest generation of BISOL EasyMount aluminium mounting solutions to the general public for the first time. At SolarExpo, Hall 7, Booth D8.2, BISOL Group will exhibit its entire assortment of newly developed solar solutions. BISOL Group, one of the leading European based manufacturers of premium quality PV modules and other solar solutions, has developed its own line of innovative EasyMount mounting systems including the high-quality aluminium understructures and the recyclable polyethylene HDPE bases. The upgraded collection of aluminium understructures is robust yet lightweight, suitable for all types of...
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Novelis Inc. , the world's largest maker of aluminum sheet, said strong U.S. automotive sales this year would help drive U.S. demand for products using aluminum at a pace consistent with an expected 2 percent growth in U.S. gross domestic product. "We look at the U.S. economy, all things considered, as stable and running at about a 2 percent GDP, maybe 2.5 percent. Nothing exciting, but still growing," Chief Executive Phil Martens told Reuters in a recent interview. He projected global aluminum demand growth of 4 percent to 5 percent in each of the next five years, which would exceed U.S. demand growth. In the United States, the aluminum chief was particularly upbeat about the automotive sector's use of aluminum. He forecast that demand will grow dramatically over the...
Pittsburgh-based aluminum giant Alcoa has developed a new coating for its aluminum building panels that passively sucks in airborne pollutants and transforms them into harmless substances. Appropriately enough, the new panels are getting one of their first commercial tryouts at a new regional electronics recycling hub in Badin, North Carolina built by the company Electronics Recylers International, Alcoa announced last week. Though the primary purpose of the coating is aesthetic - Alcoa is pitching it as a way to keep smog, bird droppings and other schmutz from collecting on exterior walls - the positive effect on local air quality is not insignificant, depending on the size and location of the building. Alcoa claims that 10,000 square feet of the coating material - named EcoClean™ - has...
Astarc Group has entered into a joint venture with the Spanish industrial and technological group, Aliberico. The joint venture is between Astarc’s Durabuild Technologies and Aliberico’s Alucoil S.A. – both manufacturers of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) and Colour Coated Coils. Durabuild Technologies (Durabuild) is a leading Indian manufacturer of Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) and Colour Coated Aluminium Coils. Durabuild has supplied over 3 million square meters of ACP to over 1,000 commercial building, airports projects etc. It has a manufacturing facility in Ranjangaon, near Pune, in the state of Maharashtra. The plan has an annual production capacity of 2 million square meters of panels with two ACP lines, one for polyethylene and another for FR core, and an in-house continuous...
At present, cast aluminum products were popular with doors and windows market since its good performance. Cast aluminum doors, aluminum carving doors and copper carving doors were regarded as the new type anti-theft doors which were superior to the traditional in terms of level and art taste. But only several Taiwan enterprises specialized in the production of cast aluminum doors in Xiamen just ship to Taiwan market. The new type anti-theft doors market is still covered with the mysterious veil in domestic market. Luo Baihui who is the secretary-general of ISTMA stated more anti-theft door enterprises have found this market gap, many manufacturers have started business in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian. It is expected that anti-theft doors will make full use of self advantages to occupy...
Aluminum products maker Novelis Inc. may sell more of its non-core foil interests after 2012 to focus on increasing sales for products like drinks cans, and for use in cars and electronics, its chief executive said on Tuesday. The U.S. unit of India’s Hindalco Industries Ltd. said in March it was selling three aluminum foil-manufacturing plants in Europe and said in April it would close its Saguenay Works in Jonquière. The world’s largest producer of rolled aluminum products does not plan asset sales beyond those already announced this year, but could sell more underperforming assets in the years to come. “We have a few more assets (that may be sold), but we’ve done a pretty good job, as in the last three years we’ve closed around 10 facilities and managed to add incremental capacity that...
Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (NASDAQ: KALU) was upgraded by investment analysts at Dahlman Rose from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday. The firm currently has a $70.00 target price on the stock. The analysts wrote, “Though LME aluminum ingot prices remain depressed, Kaiser has steadily increased profitability by passing through metal costs and focusing on increasing value added revenue per pound. Achieving such increases is possible due to Kaiser’s position in key products and end-markets (such as plate for aerospace and automotive) that have seen firm demand in spite of depressed LME prices.” Kaiser Aluminum Corp. traded up 0.81% on Monday, hitting $52.57. Kaiser Aluminum Corp. has a 52-week low of $40.12 and a 52-week high of $57.29. The company has a...
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) of Schaumburg, Ill., has published AAMA CW-10-12, "Care and Handling of Architectural Aluminum from Shop to Site." The document was updated from the 2004 version and covers care and handling of architectural aluminum products from mill to fabricator to job site through project completion. "Fabricated aluminum used in architectural applications is highly susceptible to damage from improper handling, storage, physical contact with other objects and contamination," says Steve Wilkening, chair of the AAMA CW-10-04 Review and Update Task Group. "CW-10-12 provides recommendations for proper care and handling to ensure that aluminum products go through the entire manufacturing, finishing, fabrication, delivery and installation phases...
Provincial Industrial and Commercial Bureau released the products quality monitoring results of the Q1 this year that only 71% of aluminum alloy profiles passed detection, near 70% small appliances were disqualified. They’ve extracted 41 groups of aluminum alloy profiles from the distributors in Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan, after detection 29 groups passed and 12 groups were regarded as disqualification, the yield was 71%. The substandard wall thickness and film thickness were primal problems. Damage: Thin aluminum profiles were easily lead to deformation and drop of doors and windows. A senior merchant in aluminum alloy profiles business said that substandard wall thickness will lead to products declined in resist external forces and easily get deformation lead to drop of doors and...
An aluminium and multi metals components manufacturer has expanded its West Midlands headquarters after getting financial backing. Birmingham Aluminium has invested EUR 300,000 in the purchase of the unit next door to its base on Farrow Road in Great Barr along with additional machinery after securing the funding through Yorkshire Bank’s Investing For Growth initiative. The company which employs a total of 24 people and has increased turnover by 20% to EUR 3.06 million over the last 12 months now has around 22,500 square feet of space after buying the 7,500 square feet unit. Mr Steve Kane joint MD of Birmingham Aluminium said that the investment represented one of the biggest expansions in the company’s 16 year history and was made possible following a surge in demand for its products on...
The aluminum demand may keep balance with last year in China domestic appliances industry 2012. Hu Xiaohong who is the vice minister of China Household Electrical Appliances Association (CHEAA) Information Department pointed out that the aluminum demand in China Domestic Appliances Industry may keep balance this year after the rising of 11% in last year. Hu Xiaohong said at Metal Bulletin Conference that overseas market was likely to cut domestic appliances demand from China this year. While weak inland real estate market and high stock in domestic appliances industry may impacted capacity utilization rate. She also said major appliances manufacturers used more than 800 thousand metric tons of aluminum last year.
Specialist aluminium foil tray manufacturer the Nicholl Group has been acquired by Bawtry Investments Ltd for an undisclosed sum. Nicholl and its subsidiaries will continue to operate as a separate division of Bawtry under their existing management teams and maintain the Group’s long-term growth strategy of developing the widest range of innovative food packaging solutions. “This is an excellent outcome, which will enable us to maximise the potential of our Group,” explains Nicholl Group Chief Executive John Griffiths. “Over the past two years we have completed a major financial restructuring and embarked on a comprehensive and pro-active new product development programme. With the support of a focused new owner, who shares our vision for the further development of the Group, we now have...
According to the media report that casting aluminum alloy plate will replace previous material was widely used in several related industries in domestic. It is learned that casting aluminum alloy will be the main development new material in the next 5 years. The demand of casting aluminum alloy material will increase largely in the following 5 years, also will reaches to the gold development period. Some professional visitors believed aluminum alloy material is the key development new material for casting industry in China, will be widely used in automobile and aviation. With the rapid development of these industries, the development of casting aluminum alloy material has formed a virtuous industry chain gradually.
Aditya Birla Group’s aluminium maker Hindalco Industries Ltd said Wednesday it has raised Rs 3,000 crores by issuing bonds as it helps to cut down interest costs. The company, world's fifth largest can maker, issued non-convertible debentures or NCDs to institutional investors with an assurance to repay in 10 years along with an yearly coupon rate of 9.55%. HDFC Bank and Standard Chartered Bank were joint arrangers for the bond issue. Hindalco has been given an investment grade rating by rating agencies CRISIL and CARE. “With no existing supply of Hindalco paper this provides an opportunity for building exposure to long tenor paper at attractive yields and benefit on capital gains as interest rates ease over the next few quarters,” said Alphonso Richard Das, president – finance at...
Data from China Customs show aluminum strand exports grew 13.99% YoY to 10,303 mt in March, fueling a 64.88% jump YoY to 28,584 mt in 1Q, as large Chinese aluminum wire and cable businesses increase research input and upgrade products to stimulate export. In the meanwhile, China has maintained 13% export rebate for common aluminum strand, steel-cored aluminum strand, aluminum clad steel-cored strand, 150 mm2 aluminum strand and non-insulated steel-core free aluminum strand, which has to a certain extent encouraged investment in the sector.
