AL Circle Analysis: US scrap imports hit 580kt as China slips 3.2%, who drives aluminium recycling?
Aluminium scrap is no longer a side story in the metal’s market. Rather, aluminium’s next standoff is over scrap. As US imports surge 37 per cent while China’s purchases decline, manufacturers in Europe and India are confronting a common challenge of securing affordable, reliable raw materials. With recycling rates, trade barriers and low-carbon production reshaping market, the global industry faces a critical question: who will control the metal that powers its circular future? Join the fourth edition of the webinar "Hedging for recyclers - Become an expert in 6 hours" by Jorge Dyszel. A 1.1-billion-tonne stockpile: US stocks up, China steps back, India asks for access The US imported 580,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap worth USD 2.07 billion in H1 2026 , with Canada accounting for 63.62...
A should-cost analysis of an aluminium tower furnace in India: Comparing the economics of LPG, PNG, and electric energy sources
In precision non-ferrous casting and high-volume die-casting operations, thermal energy conversion represents one of the largest controllable operating expenses. In modern aluminium foundries, where margins are squeezed by primary metal price fluctuations and stringent customer cost breakdowns, even a modest INR 1–2/kg variance in liquid metal melting cost can translate into tens of lakhs of rupees in annual cost differences. A rigorous, transparent should-cost benchmark is therefore essential for procurement teams, foundry managers and strategic sourcing leaders. This analysis examines a baseline should-cost model for a 1,000 kg/hour aluminium shaft or tower furnace in an industrial foundry. It compares liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), piped natural gas (PNG) and electric energy across...
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Nalco Chairman TK Chand suggests use of aluminium for building smart cities
National Aluminium Company (Nalco) Chairman and Managing Director Tapan Kumar Chand in his book ‘Aluminium: the strategic metal’ has called for extensive use of the light metal for building smart cities in India. Mr. Chand recently presented a copy of his newly published book to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar. There he said addressing the audience that aluminium was useful for strategic use to give a push to green movement reducing carbon footprint. He said aluminium was useful in the making of wagons to increase haulage capacity by three times, food, beverage and packaging sector, electrical and electronics and transport in making smart cities.
Singapore firm to build carbon-fibre aluminium e-supercar
A Singapore SME is teaming up with an F1 engineering giant to make a carbon-fibre aluminium electric supercar called Dendrobium. With an initial investment of $10 million over the first two years, Vanda Electrics - a unit of family- owned Wong Fong Engineering Works - expects the two-door, two-seater hard-top named after an orchid to be ready for next year's Geneva Motor Show. Wong Fong says Vanda Electrics has already secured funding from Titan Capital, a United States-based lender. The $10 million will just be to get the first unit of the carbon-fibre aluminium car ready for the show, which will be held in March next year. Should production commence, "We know it will be in the excess of $150 million for land, factory, equipment and manpower", a Wong Fong spokesman says. "We are prepared...
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain visits Alba stand at the GIF 2016
His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa honoured Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) by visiting the company’s exhibition stand on February 09, 2016 at the Gulf Industry Fair (GIF) 2016. GIF 2016, which is being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa from February 9 – 11, 2015 at Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Kingdom of Bahrain, was inaugurated by HRH this morning. HRH the Premier, accompanied by VIP guests and dignitaries, was welcomed by Alba’s Chairman of Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa and the Executive Management at the Alba stand. Shaikh Daij presented HRH the Premier with a model...
Indian govt should take measures to curb Chinese aluminium imports: MD, Hindalco Industies
Debnarayan Bhattacharya, managing director at Aditya Birla Group company Hindalco Industries, sounded genuinely concerned about Indian government's role in reducing the worries of the domestic aluminium industry players who are badly hit by Chinese imports and aluminium price freefall. In a recent interview with a leading news daily, Bhattacharya said, "There are almost 750,000 people who are directly or indirectly engaged in the aluminium industry in the domestic market. So, it is important that the government takes some measures to curb Chinese imports in the national interest." Coming from someone who is steering the company at a very difficult time, this certainly stands as a view that every aluminium producer in the country would agree upon. The Aluminium Association of India has,...
ISRI invites application for its 2016 Circle of Safety Excellence
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the Voice of the Recycling Industry, which includes the growing aluminium recycling industry as well, has announced that the 2016 application period for the Circle of Safety ExcellenceTM is currently open. The Circle of Safety Excellence, a member-driven effort to promote and encourage safety in the workplace, brings like-minded companies together to share safety data and best practices for the betterment of their own safety program and the industry in general. “Safety is a core value of the recycling industry,” said Terry Cirone, vice president of safety for ISRI. “The Circle of Safety Excellence shows that ISRI shares a commitment with our members to do all we can for the betterment of safety in the industry.” Companies interested in...
Novelis reports strong Q3 2016 results on record automotive shipments
Novelis, the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, yesterday reported net income of $6 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2016. Excluding tax-effected special items, the company reported net income of $32 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 compared to $54 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2015. Excluding the impact of metal price lag in both quarters, Adjusted EBITDA was $238 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2016, up four percent compared to $228 million in the prior year. The increase was driven by higher shipments of automotive and beverage can sheet, partially offset by less favorable recycling benefits due to depressed aluminium prices as compared to the prior year. Current year results also reflect higher fixed costs associated with new...
4th Iran International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition ropes in global sponsors
As one of the important Aluminium producers in the Persian Gulf region and pioneer in this industry, Iran is considered a strategic point for production. With this goal in mind, The 4th Iran International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition will be a turning point in upgrading Aluminium knowledge. As part of this act Dr. Mehdi Karbassian Deputy Minister & Chairman of the board of IMIDRO (Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization) will act as keynote speaker in this conference. With the growing focus and attention towards this conference, Danieli from Italy has chosen to be a Golden Sponsor and Fives from France a sponsor in the upcoming event, up to now. Plus, there are great speculations that Rusal from Russia and NFC from China will chose to become...
Aluminium price declines likely to extend through 2016
According to a leading investment banking, securities and investment management firm, aluminium prices may fall more than 10 per cent by year’s end amid ongoing weakness in Chinese demand that is unlikely to show any recovery in 2016. The firm cut its aluminium forecast to $1 350 a ton from $1 550 a ton. The analysts at the firm wrote, “We now anticipate no material recovery in Chinese metals demand growth in 2016.” China’s transition from metals-intensive, investment-led growth “is likely to be permanent,” they said, while also citing an overhang of property inventory and the country’s high debt levels as challenging for demand in the world’s top commodities consuming nation. The slowest economic expansion in China in a generation has led to the oversupply of metals and sent aluminium...
MCX aluminium up by 0.5% on global cues
Aluminium prices inched up by 0.54 per cent to INR 103.10 per kg in the futures trade today as participants built up fresh positions, tracking a firm trend overseas. Furthermore, strong demand in the spot markets supported the upside. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in February month traded higher by 55 paise, or 0.54 per cent to INR 103.10 per kg in business turnover of 475 lots. Similarly, the metal for delivery in far-month March contracts edged up by 50 paise, or 0.48 per cent to INR 104 per kg in 13 lots. Marketmen said apart from a firm trend in base metals pack at the London Metal Exchange, increased demand from consuming industries at domestic spot market kept zinc prices higher at futures trade. Meanwhile, aluminium has inched up 0.5 per cent at the London...
Noranda receives court approval of "First Day" motions to support business operations
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced that the company has received approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri for its First Day motions related to its Chapter 11 restructuring. Collectively, the First Day orders issued by the Court on either an interim or final basis will help Noranda continue to operate its business in the ordinary course while the company evaluates options for its various business operations. Kip Smith, Noranda's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "The Court's approval of our DIP financing and other first-day motions should provide our customers, suppliers, and employees confidence in our ability to conduct this process without disruption to our ongoing business activities." The Court granted Noranda interim...
Report on Bua bauxite mining presented in Parliament
A parliamentary report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources has concluded that landowners of Nawailevu in Bua have received the full payment and fair share of royalties for the mining of the bauxite in their area. These landowners had claimed in a petition presented to parliament last year that they were not receiving full payments. The bauxite mining license in Nawailevu, Bua was awarded to Aurum Exploration Fiji Limited. Chairman of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, Joeli Cawaki told parliament that a future generation fund of $600,000 has been paid to the landowners. Cawaki says it is the fair share of royalties formula that is yet to be finalised by the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources. The report has been tabled in parliament and will be debated at a later...
Sluggish bauxite demand drags GMDC profits down 40% in Dec 2015 quarter
The Indian government-owned mineral exploration and development company has reported weaker year-on-year results for the final three months of last year as the Gujarat-based miner succumbed to slowing demand and weakening commodity prices. Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (GMDC) has recorded a 40 per cent drop in net profit for the three months ending 31 December 2015, the third quarter of the Indian fiscal year, with the company’s total income falling by 16 per cent over the same period. The company attributes this decline in profit and total income to sluggish demand for commodities such as fluorspar and bauxite. The whole of mining and commodities market has been experiencing a freefall which has taken a serious toll on the respective value chains across economies, barring...
Fresh selling seen in aluminium, open interest up by 12.75%
Aluminium settled down -2.06% at 102.3 as investors squared positions ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in China. Financial speculators in metal such as hedge funds have been strongly bearish on the market since early November, amid signs of weakening economic growth around the world. The U.S. Department of Labor said nonfarm payrolls increased by 151,000 in January, falling considerably from a downwardly revised 262,000 in December. The sharp declines were blamed in large part to unseasonably warm temperatures over the previous month, which created an unanticipated demand for labor in the construction industry. China imported 4,500 mt of primary aluminum in December 2015, down from 11,700 mt in November, Customs data showed. Some Chinese aluminum processors said orders under tolling...
ITT Cannon receives certification for aluminium and composite connectors
ITT Corporation’s Cannon brand receives European Standard Certification (EN3645) for its aluminium and composite Circular Series III connectors, certified in the United States under MIL-DTL-38999. The certification followed rigorous testing, site audits and data collection by the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe - Standardization (ASD-STAN). It makes these ITT Cannon connectors available for the first time to a wide range of customers in the European commercial aerospace market and supply chain. ITT’s D38999 Circular Series III aluminium and composite connectors provide reliable passage of radio frequency, data and power signals. Created for use in fuselage cable harnesses, electrical systems and avionics equipment, these connectors have performed reliably for years...
Global high purity aluminium production market to grow at 2.93% from 2016 to 2021
According to a recently published market research report, global high purity aluminium production market was 149K million tonnes (mt) in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.93% from 2016 to 2021. High purity aluminium mainly covers product types- 4N High Purity Aluminium, 4N5 High Purity Aluminium, 5N High Purity Aluminium, 5N5 High Purity Aluminium, 6N High Purity Aluminium, and 6N8 High Purity Aluminium. The main application areas include electrolytic capacitor foil, plates for flat panel display industry, semiconductor industry, bonding wire, sputtering targets, thin films, chemical industry, and high purity alloys. High purity aluminium is used to produce computer hard drives and aluminium foil capacitors. China is the largest market of high purity aluminium in the world in...
BIR Non-Ferrous World Mirror February 2016
Changes have been mooted for AQSIQ licences covering imports of scrap into China, including most notably a proposal for licence validity to be extended from three to five years. And with regard to licence extensions, it has been proposed that any two or more changes involving address, legal person and title applicant should require re-application for a new certificate. In China itself, as regards ADC12 aluminium alloy offered by smelters in China and Russia, meanwhile, prices were reportedly dropped by US$ 60-70 per ton in January because of a decline in contracts for exports to Japan. Also in the east of Asia, scrap suppliers in Malaysia are said to be taking advantage of a weaker domestic currency to export, resulting in a tighter local market. 2016 has already brought the annual...
Noranda Aluminum hit by commodity crash, seeks bankruptcy
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp, which smelts and refines aluminum and mines bauxite, filed for bankruptcy on Monday and joined a growing list of commodity-related businesses in Chapter 11. Over the past year scores of commodity-related businesses have filed for bankruptcy as prices for metals, energy and coal have plummeted amid a slowdown in markets such as China and Brazil. Noranda is putting its profitable flat-rolled products business up for sale to raise cash and is winding down a key smelting plant in New Madrid, Missouri, where production will halt around March, court documents showed. The Franklin, Tennessee-based company, whose competitors include Alcoa Inc and Kaiser Aluminum Corp, said challenging market conditions made business without court protection unsustainable. "This is...
Hindalco Industries likely to report loss for Q3 2015
Hindalco Industries Ltd, one of India's leading aluminium producers, will announce its financial results on February 9 for the third quarter ended December 31, 2015. A leading investment research firm forecasts, the company is likely to report a loss of INR 159 crore for Q3 FY16. The firm expects net revenue to decline to INR 8,108 crore at 5.8 per cent y-o-y and 9.2 per cent q-o-q. The EBIDTA margin is expected to go down at 7 per cent, with a y-o-y fall of 3.7 bps. According to the investment research firm, for the non-ferrous space, volumes for most of the players would be higher on a y-o-y basis. Hindalco’s aluminium volumes would be strong on the back of higher output from new capacities.
