Europe holds 10% of global aluminium extrusion demand, supported by Germany’s Constellium, France’s Hydro Extrusions & Italy’s Metra
Across Europe, aluminium extrusion has become closely woven into some of the region’s biggest industrial and construction markets. From automotive and transport to buildings and industrial applications, extruded profiles are finding demand across a wide range of sectors. This is reflected in Europe’s position in the global market: the region accounted for 12 per cent of global aluminium extrusion capacity, making it the second-largest regional contributor after China. At the same time, Europe represented 10 per cent of global aluminium extrusion usage, out of total global usage of 35.35 million tonnes . With production capacity and usage shares relatively close, Europe’s extrusion capacity and consumption are broadly at par. If we break down Europe’s 10 per cent share of global aluminium...
H1 2026 sees more renewable energy than ever: Here’s a region-by-region guide to renewable energy supply in the recent past
In the first half of 2025, humanity generated more electricity from renewables than from coal for the first time ever. What led to it? It was possible only because of two decades of falling solar panel prices, taller wind turbines, and governments finally treating clean power like an economic opportunity instead of a favour to the planet. But the renewable energy scenario cannot be portrayed as a single global story. To get the full picture, one has to connect dozens of regional stories moving at wildly different speeds. Some countries are already powered almost entirely by sun, wind and water. Others are still warming up. Here is a tour of how renewable energy supply looks across the world’s regions right now, and who is actually leading the charge. The global scorecard: Renewable energy...
Grow with
AL Circle
_0_0.jpg)
Indonesia’s aluminium industry to be hit by 317% inflated power hunger, with a potential 9.5 GW demand by 2028
Indonesia’s aluminium industry is growing fast, tackling all the stalled sites and upgrading technology at processing units. The RKAB structure has made sure that the ore and the subsequent production process are streamlined. But what about the electrons? Globally, electricity alone accounts for roughly 30-35 per cent of the cost of producing one tonne of primary aluminium. By 2028, Indonesia’s primary aluminium smelting capacity is projected to rise from 0.75 million tonnes per annum in 2024 to 3.13 million tonnes in 2028, a 317 per cent increase in just four years. That expansion is the final leg of Jakarta’s downstream pivot: converting bauxite reserves into integrated alumina and aluminium output. But the decisive constraint is neither geology nor capital. It is power. For the global...
Global EV sales 2025: Volume expansion up 20%, but growth paths diverge sharply by regions
The 2025 global EV sales data point to a newly aligned market than even two years earlier. Growth is no longer limited by consumer acceptance or product availability. Instead, it is being rationed by three quantifiable constraints, such as entry price dispersion of more than EUR 20,000 (USD 23,600) between major regions, infrastructure expansion lagging BEV stock growth by a factor of two in key markets, and abrupt regulation withdrawals that can erase a quarter’s worth of demand in a single quarter. Based on cumulative data through October and full-year estimations, total EV sales in 2025 are estimated at approximately 20-21 million units, up around 20-23 per cent year-on-year compared with 2024, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at the core of the expansion. BEV sales across the 40...
With a remarkable capacity of 253.96 GW, India’s power sector advances towards a future in renewable energy
Renewable energy , a key element for a low-carbon future, has immensely flourished in the Indian power landscape. Electrification changes with solar energy, wind energy, hydropower etc., had begun with a nominal capacity of 76.37 GW in 2014, and India made significant progress in upgrading its energy sector in recent years. As of November 2025, the nation has attained a renewable energy capacity of 253.96 GW, denoting an increase of over 228 per cent . It is simultaneously meeting rising electricity demand in India and advancing sustainable practices. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 across the value chain At present, India stands as renewable energy market that is the fourth-largest on the global platform. It reflects the...
Ball Corporation’s 2025 performance: Volume-led growth, margin discipline and a reset capital structure
Ball Corporation exited fiscal 2025 as a structurally leaner aluminium packaging company, delivering double-digit revenue growth, region-wide volume expansion and record free cash flow, while headline earnings declined from an aerospace-inflated 2024 base. The year marked a reset in Ball’s earnings quality, balance-sheet profile and capital allocation framework. On a US GAAP basis, full-year 2025 net sales rose 11.6 per cent year-on-year to USD 13.16 billion, compared with USD 11.80 billion in 2024. Growth accelerated into the year’s close, with fourth-quarter revenue increasing 16.3 per cent Y-o-Y to USD 3.35 billion, reflecting higher shipment volumes and favourable price/mix across regions. Earnings optics distort Y-o-Y comparison Reported net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation...
Feature: China seen moving away from coal supply guarantees amid shifted energy mix
Supply guarantee policy reshapes coal market In May 2021, the Chinese government rolled out the coal supply guarantee policy to address an abrupt coal shortage that had quickly pushed up the fuel prices and caused power cuts in a few areas of the country. The subsequent droughts which dampened hydropower generation and the Russia-Ukraine conflict from 2022 further underscored the national energy security, elevating coal's role in this key task. To know more about the global recycled aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 ". The policy has been optimized constantly in the following couple of years with broader capacity expansions, wider coverage of coal medium- and long-term contracts, stricter contract fulfillment requirements, limits for...
Impact Minerals’ quarterly report marks a success-driven approach in the annual 2025 landscape
Australian Impact Minerals Limited released its quarterly update for October-December 2025 on January 30, 2026. This report completes the full annual cycle of the progress in the Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) Project and the financial performance of the mineral mining company throughout the calendar year 2026. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 across the value chain Quarterly financial reports: December vs September ’25 A Quarter-on-Quarter (Q-o-Q) comparison between the December and September quarters of 2025 depicts a mixed cash flow performance. Operating cash flow weakened by 17.1 per cent, easing from AUD 580 thousand to AUD 481 thousand . Inversely, investing cash flow increased from AUD 732 thousand to AUD 1.09...
Aluminium left out of India’s US and EU trade deals-but the industry may still benefit and here’s how
In a span of just one week, India has signed two major international trade agreements – one with the European Union and another with the United States. Together, these much-awaited deals are projected to add nearly USD 150 billion to India’s exports over the next one decade and ease several longstanding trade frictions. While all this is great, aluminium being conspicuously absent from both the agreements send through some disappointment at a first glance. But later on, a closer analysis suggests that India’s aluminium industry may not be materially disadvantaged and could even benefit indirectly through downstream demand. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 " Aluminium kept outside – what it...
China's 5 per cent GDP in 2025: from de-property pain to green and high-end reconfiguration
In 2025, China delivered around 5 per cent GDP growth, broadly in line with the official target. Behind this headline, the familiar "property + infrastructure" growth model is giving way to a structure driven more by consumption, exports of high-tech and green equipment, and targeted investment in energy and industrial upgrading. For energy and chemical markets, this is already reshaping where volume is created, where it is eroded, and which product chains face the next round of margin pressure. To know more about the global recycled aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 ". 1 | Three drivers of GDP: the old trilogy, new roles Consumption: policy- and digital-led, not property-led Final consumption accounted for 52 per cent of GDP growth...
Guinea’s bauxite exports outpace production by 3.3%, routed to China - What drives China’s dominance and its market impact?
Guinea possesses a geological advantage few countries can rival . Beneath its terrain lies an estimated 7.4 billion tonnes of bauxite - nearly one-third of the world’s reserves. Yet despite this abundance, very little is refined domestically. Instead, the ore departs largely in raw form, feeding industrial chains abroad, mostly to China. As exports of bauxite continue to rise, a natural question follows: has Guinea’s mining engine begun to move in step with China’s industrial demand? The numbers increasingly suggest a relationship shaped by consistency rather than coincidence. By 2025, Guinea’s exports to the world are estimated at 190 million tonnes, with China absorbing the majority. In just the first eleven months, roughly 138 million tonnes were shipped there - about 74 per cent of...
India: Imported aluminium scrap falls w-o-w on LME correction; domestic market stays supported amid tight supply
Suppliers delayed revised price announcements. The market adopted a cautious wait-and-see approach. India's imported aluminium scrap prices fell w-o-w aligning with the correction seen on LME. Meanwhile, domestic scrap prices held largely steady amid tight domestic supply. To know more about the global recycled aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 ". BigMint assessed Middle East-origin Tense (8-9 per cent) at USD1,965 per tonne, down USD35 per tonne w-o-w, whereas Extrusion 6063 edged down by USD35 per tonne to USD2,865 per tonne, though demand for these grades remained firm. Read More: Aluminium scrap export restrictions divide EU policymakers and recyclers LME aluminium prices ease LME aluminium three-month prices fell by 2 per cent...
Gränges AB posts fifth straight year of record profit as volume growth offsets pricing, FX and scrap pressure
Gränges closed 2025 with its strongest operating performance on record, extending its streak of all-time-high operating profit to a fifth consecutive year, even as currency headwinds, weaker HVAC demand and tighter scrap margins weighed on profitability across regions. The year was defined by aggressive market share gains, capacity ramp-ups in Asia, and volume-led growth rather than margin expansion. For the full year ended December 2025, overall aluminium sales volume rose 21.9 per cent year-on-year to 616.6 thousand tonnes from 505.8 thousand tonnes in 2024. Net sales increased 20.7 per cent to SEK 28.36 billion (USD 2.73 billion), despite a cumulative negative foreign exchange impact of SEK 1.69 billion (USD 163 million). Adjusted operating profit edged up 2.7 per cent year-on-year to...
India-US pact: Reduction from 50% to 18% tariffs in exchange for Russian oil halt, rebate on aluminium yet to come
The United States and India are about to shake hands on new duty protocols under which tariffs on most Indian-made products are expected to be reduced to 18 per cent. However, aluminium and steel are expected to face the previously announced higher tariffs until further discussions. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 ". While India has maintained high import tariffs on vehicles and automotive parts to protect its domestic automobile industry from being crushed by global giants and promote local manufacturing, as companies like Hindustan Motors, Tata, and Mahindra were still developing. The agreement also addressed the US concerns over these high automotive tariffs (60-100 per cent). India is now...
MONTHLY: China thermal coal faces muted price swings in holiday-heavy Feb
In January, spot prices at northern ports showed only mild volatility. The benchmark 5,500 kcal per kg NAR coal opened the month at RMB 690 per tonne (USD 99.5 per tonne), rose to RMB 706 per tonne in mid-January, then retreated to RMB 693 per tonne before closing at RMB 699 per tonne on January 30, according to Mysteel assessments. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook, book the report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 ". Earlier in the month, colder weather lifted coal burn at some coastal electricity utilities, prompting stronger spot buying at northern ports. At the same time, reduced rail inflows from northern coal fields led to inventory drawdowns at ports, lending temporary support to prices. As temperatures rebounded and demand softened,...
With up to 51% consumption and 43% export, Australia’s bauxite market shows a balanced story
Australia’s bauxite story doesn’t shout for attention. It is not driven by sharp swings or sudden shifts, but by gradual adjustments across production, trade, and domestic use. Recent data shows output easing, exports rebalancing across markets, and a large share of material staying within the country’s refining system. Taken together, these trends point less to volatility and more to a controlled realignment, as Australia fine-tunes how it supplies both its own industry and a tightening global market. Production slipped from 104 million tonnes in 2023 to 100.2 million tonnes in 2024, a drop of about 3.65 per cent, before recovering in the first eleven months of 2025, when output rose to 101.4 million tonnes, marking a 1.20 per cent year-on-year increase. The longer view points to a...
Europe’s aluminium foil market decoded: Production and consumption drift apart, altering export–import balances
The numbers tell a quiet but compelling story. Year after year, global aluminium foil consumption has moved steadily upward - not in bursts, but in a measured climb that signals durable, long-term demand that helps in aluminium market forecast. Back in 2018, worldwide aluminium foil usage was about 5.3 million tonnes. By 2023, that figure had climbed to 6.1 million tonnes. Current estimates place consumption at roughly 6.8 million tonnes in 2025, with volumes expected to move closer to 7 million tonnes in 2026. Europe is following a similar path. Demand is gradually firming up, supported largely by pharmaceutical packaging and the region’s continued shift toward premium products. However, stricter regulations aimed at reducing packaging waste, along with elevated energy costs, are keeping...
WEEKLY: Output cuts trim China alumina prices while stocks stay high
During January 23-29, alumina prices held largely stable but continued to be soft. Mysteel's price assessment showed that the national spot price for metallurgical-grade alumina edged down by 0.3 per cent on a weekly basis to average RMB 2,648 per tonne (USD 381 per tonne) as of January 29. The pace of decline had slowed from the 0.6 per cent drop recorded the previous week, however. Read More: DAILY: Chinese spot alumina prices largely flat, futures gain further Meanwhile, alumina production fell for a second consecutive week. The 44 Chinese refiners tracked by Mysteel produced a total of 1.83 million tonnes of smelter-grade alumina during the January 23-29 week, down 0.5 per cent from the previous week, according to Mysteel's survey. The modest decline reflected output curtailment at a...
Aluminium price forecast: $3,000 ascent in January demands a global price recalculation
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium contract entered 2026 with a bang of a hike, as in early January, the three-month contract crossed USD 3,000 per tonne for the first time since 2022, trading at USD 3,015.50 before extending gains later in the month. The move was not the product of speculative momentum alone. Back in 2022 production and energy costs, China’s production cap and Russia-Ukraine’s war imparted their fair share of spices into the price hike scenario. But this time, it reflected a convergence of constrained supply, tightening physical availability and US and EU’s policy-driven rigidity, consequently leading to altered price expectations for the rest of 2026. For the global aluminium value-chain 2026 outlook, get our exclusive report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook...
US aluminium midwest premium in Jan’26 exceeds the $2k mark, hitting an all-time high
Ever since the US President Donald Trump’s tariff imposition, the market witnessed its regional aluminium premium rise, exceeding USD 1 per pound. Consequently, for the first time, the US Midwest Premium for aluminium has surged to an all-time high at USD 2,182 per tonne. According to the Fastmarkets report, this development occurred on January 28. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 across the value chain In early June, the Trump administration imposed a 50 per cent tariff on aluminium imports, with the premium hitting a record above 64 cents. The US Midwest Premium, a surcharge over the London Metals Exchange (LME), has more than doubled and remained on a rising trend since then. On January 8, 2026, the premium exceeded USD...
