Japan imported 1.36 million tonnes of downstream aluminium products in January–August 2026, down 6.2 per cent from 1.45 million tonnes in the same period of 2025. The latest figures show lower overall imports, with shipments from the UAE seeing the biggest decline among the five leading exporters listed, while imports from Australia also fell. Japan’s total imports decline Japan’s downstream aluminium imports stood at 1.36 million tonnes through August 2026, a drop of around 90,000 tonnes, compared to shipments in 2025 during the same period. However, annual imports remained broadly stable over the previous three years, rising from 2.11 million tonnes in 2023 to 2.12 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 0.3 per cent. In 2025, imports edged up by a further 0.1 per cent to 2.12 million...
Alumil India, the fully-owned Indian subsidiary of Alumil Group, has successfully delivered advanced fenestration solutions for NICMAR University in Pune, transforming a precast campus vision into a functional, durable and future facing learning environment. The project required approximately three hundred windows within a tight timeline which was successfully delivered by Alumil India. The project deployed Alumil’s top-hung window systems combined with sleek mullions and glazing. “NICMAR University presented an opportunity to demonstrate how fenestration can become an integral part of both a building’s architecture and its performance. The project required us to respond to large openings, intensive daily usage, acoustic and weather considerations, safety, and the specific challenges of...
Grow with
AL Circle
The downstream sector has seen massive investments and grand advancements this week. Senior PLC, a well-known manufacturer of automotive and aircraft components and systems based in Hertfordshire, England, has recently announced a new contract with Strata Manufacturing PJSC, a company based in the United Arab Emirates. The contract involves the supply of vertical detail parts for Boeing Co 787 and has a value of around $12 million over a period of seven years. Recently, SurTec acquired Aluservice, an Italy-based company. Aluservice is known for its research and development work, as well as its distribution of chemical specialities for surface treatment of alloys made of aluminium, zinc, steel, and iron. Kaiser Aluminum has recently filed a patent application (Publication Number:...
India-based Woodecorina has successfully flagged off the latest Paneluxe factory in India. Situated at FICCI-FLO, Medical Devices Park at Hyderabad, the factory has been overloaded with state-of-the-art, fully automated machinery lines for enhanced production. The company uses aluminium honeycombs instead of conventional plywood for interior decoration. The factory spans a massive area of 10,000 square feet and is designed to focus on delivering high-quality and precise modular kitchens, office furniture, and wardrobes. What makes Paneluxe so unique is its commitment to sustainability. Unlike other factories in India, Paneluxe does not use any wooden boards such as MDF, plywood, or particle boards in its manufacturing process. Instead, it uses 100% green products, such as aluminium...
Dudley's Aluminium, a fabricator based in Wales, has recently announced securing another project in Milton Park, Oxfordshire. The company will work alongside Barnwood Ltd on the Nebula development, consisting of three buildings and seven research and development units. The development aims to meet the 'Excellent' BREEAM sustainability standards and is targeting an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate. A noteworthy feature of this project is the use of sustainably sourced glue-laminated timber in each of the buildings, which adds to the project's eco-friendliness. The upcoming building structures will be designed with vaulted ceilings to accommodate large-scale laboratories and high-tech engineering equipment. Additionally, Dudley's will install both manually and remotely operated...
Weifang Guanghua Aluminum Co., Ltd. completed the trial production of its 3,600-tonne large-scale extruder on November 29th, 2023. The smooth and slow extrusion of the first large-scale industrial material from the extruder marked a significant milestone for the company. This new addition will help broaden and improve the manufacturing capacity and scale of the company's aluminium profiles. The focus should be on promoting enterprise reform and innovation, with an emphasis on strengthening the centre of high-quality development of enterprises. Independent innovation should be considered as the primary driving force that leads to the high-quality development of enterprises. The international vision and global layout should adhere to making good use of both domestic and international...
Sylatech, a North Yorkshire-based company, thinks the potential of aluminium shape casting for aerospace components is yet to be fully defined due to concerns regarding the manufacturing process, product consistency, and mechanical performance. To address these concerns, Sylatech has launched the Digital Liquid Metal Manufacturing (DLMM) project, which has a total budget of £3.4 million. The company has been awarded a grant of £2.07 million from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme for its project aimed at developing geometrically complex castings using aluminium shape casting. The project will utilise MeltX, a metal casting innovation, to enhance the mechanical properties of post-consumer aluminium. The aim is to reduce weight and increase the in-service life of each...
Alubar, a prominent maker of aluminium electrical cables in Latin America, was honoured with the Supply+ Award in the Excellence in Performance category at an event held in Rio de Janeiro in November. The inaugural edition of the award, organised by Transmissora Aliança de Energia Elétrica SA (Taesa), a prominent private conglomerate in the Brazilian electricity transmission sector, recognises suppliers for their significant contributions to the successful development, operation, and upkeep of transmission assets. This includes commendable practises in the domains of security, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, as well as service provision. Taesa selected excellence in performance as criteria for which Alubar was honoured. The evaluation was based on performance in...
Kaiser Aluminum has submitted a patent application for an aluminium alloy sheet that incorporates no less than 50% recycled material in its composition. The patent application (Publication Number: US20230257853A1) was filed recently, describing an aluminium alloy sheet comprising recycled and non-recycled materials. The patent also encompasses the methods for manufacturing the alloy sheet and an aluminium package. This sheet boasts an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) range of 37 to 52 ksi and tensile yield strength (TYS) range of 34 ksi to 47 ksi. The alloy composition comprises a first component made from recycled material and a second component made from non-recycled material. Some of the salient features of Kaiser's patented aluminium alloy are: The aluminium alloy sheet has at least...
As per the reports, the global aluminium flat-rolled products market is expected to increase between 2023 and 2030. It is projected to reach a readjusted size of USD 159,230 million by 2028, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.8 per cent throughout the evaluation period. Based on AL Circle’s report, ‘Global Aluminium Industry- Key Trends to 2030,” extruded aluminium accounted for 32 per cent of global aluminium usage, followed by flat-rolled products at 25 per cent and castings at 23 per cent. Flat-rolled products (FRPs) and wire rods individually accounted for 25 per cent and 8 per cent. Among the end-use sectors, transportation drove the usage by accounting for 27 per cent of the total, followed by building & construction at 23 per cent, packaging at 15 per cent, and...
ALFED has named Mechatherm's Sales Director, Mark Allen, its new President, succeeding Mike Dines as his term concludes. Mark will assume a leadership role on the ALFED board, contributing to the organization's progress until the end of 2025. As the UK aluminium industry's voice, ALFED represents over 150 members spanning the entire supply chain. Ensuring a well-rounded and expert representation across all facets of the aluminium sector is crucial for the ALFED board. Mark, a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the aluminium industry, is set to bring his wealth of knowledge to the ALFED board as the new President. Currently leading a successful sales team at Mechatherm International Limited, Britain's largest global aluminium furnace supplier, Mark has played a...
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited and one of the world’s leading producers of aluminium, conducted the third technical masterclass on innovation and efficiency within the extrusion sector last week. The session, titled ‘The Metallurgy of Extrusion’, led by a globally acclaimed extrusion expert and technical advisor Mr Jonathan Pangbom, attracted almost 200 participants from all over the world, including registrations from the US, UK, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Qatar, UAE, Portugal, and so on. The masterclass provided in-depth knowledge on new product development, applications, current market trends, and technical advancements in the aluminium extrusion industry. Vedanta Aluminium is India’s largest producer and exporter of high-quality aluminium...
SurTec, a company that is an expert in chemical surface finishing solutions, has recently acquired Aluservice, an Italy-based company that focuses on research and development, as well as the distribution of chemical specialities for surface treatment of alloys made of aluminium, zinc, steel, and iron. Aluservice's product range includes a variety of products for aluminium anodization, aluminium coating processes, electroplating of ferrous metals, and coating of other metals. This acquisition is expected to enhance SurTec's capabilities in the field of chemical surface finishing solutions and provide customers with a wider range of high-quality products. The managing director of Aluservice, Dr Raffaele Cadorna, implied: "After 40 years of successful business, we realized that we needed...
BNP Paribas Arbitrage S.N.C., a global leader in financial services, has reportedly reduced its share position in Kaiser Aluminum Co. by 26.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2023. The investor has sold 2,681 shares of Kaiser Aluminum and owns 7,475 shares. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Kaiser Aluminum were worth $536,000 as of the most recent filing with the SEC. On the other hand, several other large investors acquired new shares in Kaiser Aluminum. For instance, State Street Corp raised its holdings by 30.6 per cent in the first quarter, owning 1,132,280 shares worth $106,615,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC also lifted its shares in Kaiser by 20.6 per cent by acquiring an additional 139,145 shares in Q1. The company now owns 815,300 shares valued at $60,846,000. Norges Bank...
USA-based Constellium has extended its hands for a material supply collaboration with Morf3D, Inc., a subsidiary of Nikon located in El Segundo, California. Constellium’s Aheadd® CP1 aluminium powder will be provided for use in SLM®500 AM machines from Nikon SLM Solutions. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Constellium is a brilliant innovator in the additive manufacturing industry. The company’s proprietary Aheadd® CP1 metal powder has set new heights in the precision engineering department for 3D-printed aluminium components . The partnership aims to meet the growing demand for large-format Additive Manufacturing, and the focus of this collaboration is on a specific variant of Aheadd CP1 aluminium powder that is designed to enhance production throughput. The Head of Constellium...
Senior PLC, a renowned manufacturer of auto and aircraft components and systems based in Hertfordshire, England, has recently announced a new contract with Strata Manufacturing PJSC, a UAE-based company. The contract involves the supply of Boeing Co 787 vertical detail parts and is valued at approximately $12 million over a period of seven years. The deliveries for the contract began in November and are being carried out at Senior Aerospace's facility in Chonburi, eastern Thailand. The facility is approved by Boeing for manufacture, treatments, and assembly and has extensive experience in the manufacturing of vertical fin aluminium structures. This is the first time that Senior has collaborated with Strata, and the company is thrilled that Senior Aerospace Thailand has been selected for...
Founded in 2010, Refmon Industries , one of India's leading insulation and refractory products manufacturing companies, has been successfully onboarded by AL Biz to its list of 1700+ clients. AL Biz is the world's first global marketplace that connects millions of buyers and sellers across the entire aluminium value chain. The company specialises in a wide range of refractory, insulation, and industrial flooring products. It has successfully executed over 500 projects, varying in size, across India. The top products offered by Refmon include : High Alumina Refractory Castable Cement Insulation Bricks High Alumina Bricks Aluminium Sheet and Coil They provide customers with a comprehensive range of solutions and convenient "one-stop-shop" selections. They have the flexibility to participate...
The United States aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to Canada improved by 9.22 per cent month-on-month to 30,800 tonnes in August 2023 but could not touch the output volume in June. In June 2023, the US aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to Canada stood at 33,600 tonnes, which, in the subsequent month, fell by 16.07 per cent to 28,200 tonnes. According to the US Geological Survey, the United States aluminium rolled products exports to Canada in June 2023 saw a rise of 8.74 per cent from 30,900 tonnes in May, which, compared to April, stood 4.33 per cent lower than 32,300 tonnes. As indicated in the above graph, the US aluminium plates, sheets and bars exports to Canada have been oscillating since the beginning of the year, recording growth in alternate months. The...
The Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong Province recently released the list of intelligent manufacturing scenarios at the provincial level in 2023. Among the honoured companies is Huajian Aluminum Industry, which was recognised for its "Intelligent Logistics System for Aluminum Profile Whole Plant Based on IoT Platform." This recognition is a result of the company's commitment to implementing the Action Plan for Strengthening the Province with Advanced Manufacturing Industry (2022-2025) and the Action Plan for Digital Transformation of Shandong Province's Manufacturing Industry (2022-2025). The evaluation work was organised and carried out by the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology in accordance with the Shandong Province Intelligent...
Inovatools, a Haunstetten-based cutting tool maker in Germany, is diversifying its product offerings by introducing 22 more tool types designed for various high-performance applications. Three-flute solid carbide graphite milling cutters, the Inox 8xD SC internal coolant twist drill, and different HSS machine taps are among the new goods in the catalogue. The ta-C line of tools for cutting aluminium has been expanded with specific cooling channels to minimise heat and improve tool life. Ditmar Ertel and his colleagues presented a novel trilingual primary catalogue for solid carbide tools at EMO, highlighting innovation, sustainability, and customer-centricity. The company's First Choice premium tools are specifically tailored for materials such as aluminium, steel, stainless steel and...
