India's Diet Coke shortage in 2026 exposed an unexpected weakness in the country's aluminium industry. Despite being the world's second-largest primary aluminium producer, India struggled to ensure adequate supplies of aluminium cans when disruptions to Middle Eastern shipping affected imports of specialised can-sheet material. The episode highlighted a structural gap in the domestic aluminium value chain: producing the metal is one thing, but converting it into higher-value finished products is another. The shortage emerged during the summer drinking season, when Diet Coke became increasingly difficult to find on Indian shelves. Quick-commerce platforms reported limited availability as shipping disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict affected aluminium supplies through the Strait...
Tesla's ambitions for its Optimus humanoid robot extend well beyond factory automation, with the company envisioning a future in which robots could support vehicle servicing, logistics and even last-mile delivery. However, turning that vision into a commercially viable product will require more than advances in artificial intelligence and robotics. It will also depend on access to aluminium, critical minerals and the downstream manufacturing capabilities needed to produce increasingly sophisticated hardware at scale. Tesla has already taken an important step towards that ambition. On October 21, 2026, the company announced that Optimus production had begun on its high-volume manufacturing line in Fremont, California. Tesla described the units coming off the line as its first...
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On 23rd June 2021, the central bank of Thailand, which is known as the Bank of Thailand predicted, the Thai economy would expand by 1.8% in 2021 and 3.9% in 2022. This would be lesser than the previous projection owing to lower foreign tourist figures and domestic demand held down by the third wave of the outbreak. The Southeast Asian country, Thailand has registered an export of 147,409 tonnes of aluminium cans during 2018-19 and the foreign revenue earnings accounted for the export remained at $133.44 million. The export for 2020 stood at 139,314 tonnes and the earnings counted to $82.42 million. However, when the export volume and earnings for 2020 gets assorted with the existing two years, it denotes 286,723 tonnes and $215.86 million respectively. Thailand’s export of aluminium cans...
As per the report published by Care Ratings Africa, the economy of Mauritius pursued to plunge for the fifth successive quarter recording a GDP de-growth of 8.7% compared with - 2.9% in Q1 2020. Notwithstanding, there has been a sequential development from the double-digit de-growth of 11.3% in the previous quarter. The island nation on the Indian Ocean, Mauritius has registered 437 tonnes of aluminium foil during 2019-20 and the foreign revenue expended for the import was accounted for $1.62 million. In 2019, Mauritius import of aluminium foil remained at 213 tonnes and the expenditure occurred for the import was $0.87 million, whereas, in 2020, the import exhibited a gradual rise by 5.16%, as the import volume grew to 224 tonnes, while the expenditure slumped to $0.75 million. The...
The global aluminium sector’s end-user segment remained with few happenings this week. Anglo-Russian company En+ Group’s Metals Segment teams with Ball Corporation to produce ultra-low carbon aerosols, while on the other hand French beverage group Ogeu teams up with Ardagh for beverage can production and TUBEX Aluminium becomes news member of Alupro. The nation which spans Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan has recorded 1202 tonnes of aluminium foil during 2018-19 and the expenditure occurred for the import was $4.35 million. The import for 2020 stood at 753 tonnes and the expenditure accounted was $2.74. However, when the import volume and expenditure of 2020 gets assorted with the existing two years, it denotes 1955 tonnes and $7.09 million. To know more:...
The Zambian economy drove towards a deep recession due to the unfavourable impact of the COVID–19 pandemic. In 2020, the real GDP plunged by an estimated 4.9%, following the 4.0% growth in 2018 and 1.9% in 2019. The landlocked southern African nation, Zambia, during 2018-20 recorded 6139 tonnes of aluminium stranded wires and the expenditure occurred for the import accounted for $12.08 million. Zambia’s imported only 318 tonnes of aluminium stranded wires in 2018 and the expenditure remained at $1.32, whereas in 2019, the import grew by 60.06%, as the import volume grew to 509 tonnes and the expenditure inclined to $1.92 million. The demand for aluminium stranded wire in the country manifested robust growth in 2020, which generated the import volume to 5312 tonnes, an upswing by 943.61%...
Amsterdam-based 2Wine has selected Ardagh Metal Packaging’s specialist Wine Can for its new range. The range includes a Sauvignon Blanc, a Merlot-Cabernet rosé, and Italian sparkling wine in new trio of 250ml slim cans. The 2Wine range comes in three super-contemporary pearlescent colours – gold-bronze for the white wine, apple green for the brut and warm pink for the rosé – with a sleek, simple graphic line suggesting a corkscrew. Wim Lochtenberg, founder and CEO of 2Wine BV said: “Though 2Wine appeals to all generations, we see younger wine drinkers actively looking for ways to have fun while not neglecting the planet. Our ambition for 2Wine is to offer a tasty, stylish and sleek product that’s also sustainable, so friends can simply grab a can to drink or to share anywhere, any time,...
Alupro has added TUBEX Aluminium Tubes to its latest member. TUBEX Aluminium, which is based in Austria, manufactures a large range of aluminium packaging for the cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors. Thierry Bitout, CEO at TUBEX Aluminium Tubes, said: “TUBEX is truly setting the standards through innovative use of low-carbon recycled aluminium. Indeed, our products show that a closed-loop, infinitely circular economy is perfectly possible." “Joining Alupro provides a unique platform to engage with our customers, suppliers and consumers to further promote the aluminium recycling message.” The company’s two main products are Blue Tube (created from 95% post-consumer and 5% post-industrial aluminium) and Monotube (manufactured from a single material type). The products...
On Wednesday, July 7, Rusal, the metals segment of En+ Group, the world’s largest producer of low carbon aluminium and independent hydropower, has announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Ball Corporation to produce aerosols and other containers, using ground-breaking inert anode technology. The ultra-low inert anode carbon aluminium is one of the several levers that Ball uses to reduce the carbon footprint of its aluminium slugs, cans, and bottles. Rusal recently announced that it successfully produced aluminium with the industry’s lowest carbon footprint: less than 0.01 tonnes of CO2e per tonne of metal. Hence, the purity of the metal is higher than 99 per cent. In the smelting process, inert anodes replace standard carbon anodes with inert, non-consumable...
French beverage group Ogeu has teamed up with Ardagh to invest in a beverage can filling line. The new facility will allow the company to enter exciting markets such as hard seltzers, energy drinks and canned teas. Ogeu will add 15cl slim, 25cl slim, 33cl sleek and standard and 50cl standard cans to its range of beverages in multiple categories: alcoholic and non-alcoholic, sparkling and still, and even the most delicate products such as wine-based drinks. Truc de Fou and Breizh Elixir, as well as a pair of canned teas: Thé Noir Pèche (peach-flavoured black tea) and Thé Vert Menthe (green tea with mint), launched under the group’s popular water brand Quézac, will be the first products to come off the new line . “Meanwhile, Ogeu has launched Alqua as its first entry into the trendy and...
As per the World Economic Outlook report presented by the International Monetary Fund in April, it stated that Azerbaijan’s economy is forecasted to grow at 2.3% in 2021. Meanwhile, the national economy is expected to grow at 1.7% in 2022. The forecast for the current year is improved by 0.3% points compared to the previous forecast. The nation which spans Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan has recorded 1202 tonnes of aluminium foil during 2018-19 and the expenditure occurred for the import was $4.35 million. The import for 2020 stood at 753 tonnes and the expenditure accounted was $2.74. However, when the import volume and expenditure of 2020 gets assorted with the existing two years, it denotes 1955 tonnes and $7.09 million. In 2018, Azerbaijan’s import was registered at 377 tonnes and the...
The week remained quite less hyper for the end-user segment, although small economies have shown better results than larger economies, as Sri Lanka’s largest cable manufacturer ‘Sierra Cables Group’ escalates all-time financial result in FY21 and on the other hand French Polynesia’s import of aluminium cans during 2018-20 displays gradual growth with a downfall. Oman, a nation on the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia has recorded import of 7760 tonnes of aluminium foil during 2019-20 and the expenditure occurred for the import remained at $23.07 million. To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/omans-import-of-aluminium-foil-during-2019-20-demonstrates-sharp-downfall-140-growth-predicted-for-2021-67717 The French overseas territory with significant political...
The navigation to shrink dependence on imported materials and technology, particularly from China, India is gearing to invest in a battery technology that uses aluminium rather than lithium as the crucial ingredient. India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation has already collaborated with Israeli start-up company Phinergy to produce aluminium-air batteries. As India faces the scarcity of the ore to produce lithium, the vital metal for this age of electric-vehicle batteries, while the nation holds huge reserves of bauxite, the ore to produce aluminium. S.S.V. Ramakumar, R&D Director, Indian Oil, said: “Lithium is scarce in the country and we started scouting for an element which is abundantly available as a natural resource.” India ranks among the top 10 global bauxite producers....
The Covid-19 pandemic has developed a deadly impact. It created an economic slowdown in Oman, compounded by the whimsy of the international oil market, resulting in a series of youth protests in the country. More than hundreds of unemployed Omani youth, protesting mass layoffs, took to the streets in May 2021 and the government had to use force to put an end to these protests. Oman, a nation on the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia has recorded import of 7760 tonnes of aluminium foil during 2019-20 and the expenditure occurred for the import remained at $23.07 million. In 2019, Oman imported 5000 tonnes of aluminium foil in the country and the expenditure occurred for the import accounted for $16.14 million, whereas, in 2020 the import saw a sharp downfall by...
The commerce ministry of India has been recommended for the imposition of anti-subsidy duty on certain types of aluminium wires imported from Malaysia for five years. This is a movement focused on safeguarding the domestic players from imports that are subsidized in Malaysia. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), the finance ministry’s investigation arm in its detections after a probe stated that imposition of definitive anti-subsidy duty is required to counterbalance subsidization. DGTR said in a notification: "The authority recommends imposition of definitive countervailing duty for five years." “The authority considers it necessary to recommend imposition of the duty on the imports”, it added. However, the finance ministry takes the final call on the imposition of the duty. The...
The French Polynesian economy has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, due to its reliance on international tourism. It was able to rebound strongly after being previously impacted by the Global Financial Crisis and had experienced a long period of continuous growth. The French overseas territory with significant political autonomy, French Polynesian has recorded import of 1426 tonnes of aluminium cans in 2018-19 and the expenditure occurred for the import accounted to $5.61 million. The import for 2020 stood at 596 tonnes and the expenditure remained at $2.51 million. However, when the import volume and expenditure of 2020 gets assorted with the existing two years, it denotes 2022 tonnes and $8.12 million respectively. In 2018, the import of aluminium cans was registered at 608...
Sri Lanka’s largest and the most outstanding aluminium and copper cable manufacturer with footprints in international markets has recorded an escalation in all-time revenue generation of Rs. 5.2 billion, an upswing by 7% from the previous year. The Group also booked the highest ever profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 314 million up 37.4% from FY20. The cable company said: “The financial performance underscores the group’s ability to maintain a healthy Gross Profit margin (GP) of 15.6% and Net Profit margin (NP) of 5.7%.” “This is a commendable performance considering the prevailing pandemic and turbulence environment that the company had to operate in.” The revision to the company’s national long-term rating to AA- (lka) manifested as an encouraging exposure that gained the stakeholder...
In the global aluminium end-user segment, the week resembled DGTR -India endorsing finance ministry to impose anti-dumping duty on aluminium foil imports from China, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. While in North Wales, Airbus and Magellan Aerospace deal for aluminium and titanium structural wing components supply boosted the site, as the aerospace sector has been considered the worst hit in the pandemic. The South American nation, Peru’s import of aluminium stranded wire during 2019-20 was documented at 17,345 tonnes and the revenue expended for the import remained at $32.04 million. To know more: https://www.alcircle.com/news/perus-import-of-aluminium-stranded-wire-during-2019-20-signifies-express-growth-3-growth-estimated-for-2021-67668 On 21st June 2021, the three-decades-old Aparna...
The British fine food maker Potts’ is introducing a duo of Mexican cooking sauces packaged in aluminium beer cans. Potts' cooking sauces, gravies, stocks, pour-over sauces, and dessert sauces are perfect for people who crave products with a distinctively homemade taste and authentic ingredients. On 1st July 2021, the new look of Enchilada and Fajita & Taco variants will be available at Tesco supermarkets. The cans feature an “industry-leading” 360-degree lid for dispensing the sauces. Potts’ commented that they could help save five tonnes of plastic per year and would offer a unique product that allowed for ‘better ingredients and quality. In 2019, Potts’ shifted its Beef, Chicken, and Vegetable stock variants from plastic pouches to 500ml aluminium cans – a move it said had already saved...
The economic output of Peru indicated that it will grow 10% in 2021 and 4.8% in 2022, supported by a favourable external context. However, these forecasts are strongly conditioned to the maintenance of macroeconomic stability by the new government administration and largely reflect a rebound after the sharp output contraction in 2020. The South American nation’s import of aluminium stranded wire during 2019-20 was documented at 17,345 tonnes and the revenue expended for the import remained at $32.04 million. In 2019, the aluminium stranded wire import in Peru was registered at 3856 tonnes and the expenditure occurred for import was $8.97 million, whereas, in 2020, the import signifies an express growth of 249.81%, as the import volume surge to 13,489 tonnes due to rise in demand at the...
