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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KEMPER GmbH increases sales profit again
KEMPER GmbH drives their business further on to a higher level. In the previous fiscal year, sales increased by 11 percent compared to 2014. The revenue again increases in the double digit range. In 2014, this manufacturer of extraction and filter systems for the metal-processing industry has already increased its sales at a comparable level by 12 percent. Decisive for the positive business development in 2015 were mainly increases in series devices. The company has recorded a sales jump of 14 percent. Incoming orders in total grew over the past year compared to 2014 by 5 percent. In 2016, Björn Kemper, the CEO of KEMPER GmbH, wants to stay the course: "Because of the current prevailing political and economic crises, we shall remain cautiously optimistic for the time being. But we are...
Expert urges Malaysian govt to review three-month ban on bauxite mining
The long term damage caused by unregulated bauxite mining activities can negatively impact Malaysia's tourism sector, observed Prof Dr Ahmad Puad Mat Som dean of Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, University Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNISZA). "Bauxite mining has caused damages to the environment and locals especially to restaurant operators and fishermen that have affected their income and economy and has created a negative perception among tourists about Malaysia," Ahmad Puad said in a recent interview. On 15 January the government had issued an order to stop all mining activities for 3 months to enable the cleaning up process to begin. However, Ahmad Puad urged the government to seriously consider the long term damage of the polluting industry on the tourism sector. "Due to this, our...
Bell Bay Aluminium strikes deal with Hydro Tasmania to reduce power consumption
Bell Bay Aluminium, one of Tasmania's largest electricity users, has struck a deal with Hydro Tasmania to use 10 per cent less electricity for up to five months to ease pressure on the state's dams. Water storages have dipped below 19 per cent due to record dry conditions and a prolonged BassLink undersea cable outage. The combination of events has culminated into a pressure build-up on the state's power supply. The company said the plant's decision to reduce power consumption is unlikely to affect its permanent employees; however, there are chances that some contractors might lose their work.
Japan aluminium imports down 14% - lowest since 2009
Japan's demand for imported aluminium plummeted to a six-year low in 2015 weighed upon by record-high stocks in the domestic market. The country imported 1.46 million tonnes of primary aluminum in 2015, down 14 per cent from corresponding period previous year, showed data from Japan's Ministry of Finance. The figure is the lowest since 2009. Aluminium imports have been declining since mid-2015 as inventory has been building up at Japan’s three major ports. The stock volume reached its peak in May 2015. Falling aluminium imports allowed the port stocks in Japan to fall to 393,600 tonnes at the end of December 2015. However, the figure was still higher than annual average 250,000 tonnes reported during 2011-2014.
Exclusive Speaker Interview: Francois Nadeau, Technical Leader, Aluminium Assembling Technologies, the National Research Council Canada
With the CAFE standards continuously driving the automotive industry towards manufacturing technologies that allow maximum weight reduction while maintaining parts performance has long since became the priority for automakers. GALM series is bringing the 3rd Annual Lightweight Vehicle Manufacturing 2016: Joining, Forming & Quality Assurance to Detroit from February 24 to 25, 2016. Over last 11 editions, the conference covered three continents, 1500 global delegates and some 130 hours of OEM-led presentations. During the summit, leading experts from OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and technology providers would discuss the most critical areas within manufacturing and quality assurance processes to enable delivery of next-generation lightweight manufacturing technologies to the forecourt. Francois...
Carter County Tomorrow obtains option on former aluminium plant
Carter County Tomorrow will obtain an option on the Matheson property on U.S. Highway 19E, where an aluminium extrusion plant once operated. It includes 22 acres on the building site and an adjoining 10 to 12 acres of undeveloped land. The option guarantees an asking price of $4,069,000 for the building, which was built approximately 40 years ago and was owned and operated by several aluminium companies, including Jarl Extrusions, Alcan, Cressona, Alumax and Alcoa. Alcoa closed the plant in 2002. The building has been vacant since that time. The building was included on a list of Carter County properties submitted to the state for professional property evaluation. Elizabethton Planning Director Jon Hartman told the board of Carter County Tomorrow that the Matheson property was considered...
Toyota's Lotus Evora 400 gets a chassis built of bonded lightweight extruded aluminium
The new Lotus Evora 400 which now becomes the fastest road car that Lotus has ever built, just moved into the supercar category, with a zero to 100km/h sprint time of a mere 4.2 seconds, and a top speed of 300kph from the manual transmission model. There is an automatic version which hits only 280kph. The Evora 400, as the name suggests, develops 400 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, and 410Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm (manual specs) from the 3.5 litre V6 engine. The base engine comes from the ever-reliable Toyota stable, and tweaked by Lotus with the addition of a supercharger, Lotus’ own engine management system, and a sports exhaust system. While the automatic version is made for the convenience of the urban driver, the Evora 400 in other respects is centred on performance. Cross-drilled and...
Fresh buying seen in aluminium, open interest up by 3.75%
Aluminium settled up 0.34% at 104.20 recovered from the day's low despite China's manufacturing growth shrank at the fastest pace in more than three years in January, underlining slowing appetite from the world's top user of metals. Activity in China's manufacturing sector contracted at its fastest pace in almost three-and-a-half years in January, missing market expectations, an official survey showed on Monday. China's leaders are expected to target economic growth in a range of 6.5 percent to 7 percent this year, sources familiar with their thinking said, setting a range for the first time because policymakers are uncertain on the economy's prospects. Meanwhile US economic growth braked sharply in the fourth quarter as businesses stepped up efforts to reduce an inventory glut and a...
US sets new deadline for investigating China aluminium extrusions
The U.S. Department of Commerce has set a new deadline of February 22 to decide whether to investigate allegations that a Chinese aluminium extruder evaded U.S. import duties, a spokesperson said yesterday. New deadline comes after Commerce Dept. asked Aluminum Extrusions Fair Trade Committee to re-file initial petition as several separate cases. Previous deadline had been January 21. According to the Commerce dept. spokesperson, the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Council had initially filed complaint against Zhongwang Group, the world's second-largest producer of aluminum extrusions, on October 22.
Novelis to host Q3 FY 2016 earnings conference call on Feb 9
Novelis Inc. will report its earnings for the third quarter of fiscal year 2016 on Tuesday, February 9, 2016. Following the release, President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Fisher and Interim Chief Financial Officer Steve Pohl will discuss the results via a live conference call for investors at 8:00 a.m. ET the same day. The conference call will also be webcast live via the Novelis website, with presentation materials made available online. Following the meeting, the webcast will be made available for replay on Novelis' website.
Jamaican govt sees more benefits in processing bauxite locally
Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, foresees an inevitable cessation in the export of bauxite, noting that there are more long-term benefits in having it processed here in Jamaica. Addressing stakeholders, delegates and leaders of trade unions representing workers at the St. Ann-based Noranda Bauxite Limited (NBL), at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa, on January 30, Mr. Paulwell said there are telling examples now emerging worldwide, where some leading bauxite countries have either put a lid on, or have placed some restrictions on exports. “There is now a shortage of bauxite worldwide. Indonesia has banned the export of bauxite, while Malaysia recently put a stop order on theirs also. We are seeing the same thing happening in Vietnam, India, Brazil, Guinea...
Redwood City Port to boost bauxite ore imports
The Port of Redwood City Commission has approved expanding acreage use by International Materials Incorporated (IMI) for its handling of bauxite ore imports. IMI entered its initial lease agreement with the Port in 2010 for approximately a 2.4 acre paved open area next to the building occupied by iCracked. IMI uses the area to import, store, and truck-out bauxite ore. In 2012 IMI requested additional area for handling bauxite, and recently an expansion to that area. With the approval by The Port Commission of the amendment to the IMI lease, the area for bauxite has increased by 2.7 acres. Port Executive Director Michael J. Giari reported that lMl, since the start of its lease, has increased the tonnage of bauxite handled at the Port. So far in fiscal year 2016, bauxite imports total...
Hydro announces date and time for the release of Q4 2015 results
Hydro's fourth quarter results 2015 will be released at 07:00 CET (01:00 AM EST, 06:00 UK time), on Wednesday February 17, 2016. The quarterly report and presentation slides will be available Hydro's corporate website at the same time. Presentation in Oslo Hydro will host a combined analyst and press conference at its corporate headquarters at Drammensveien 260, Oslo at 08:30 CET the same day. The presentation will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind Kallevik. There will be a Conference Call at 16:00 UK Time (17:00 CET, 11:00 AM EST,) the same day. The Q&A session will be held by President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg and CFO Eivind Kallevik. The Q&A will be available for two months onthe company's website.
MCX aluminium down by 0.5% on global cues
Aluminium prices fell 0.48% to INR 103.70 per kg in futures trading today with speculators indulged in cutting down their positions, taking weak cues from global markets. Moreover, subdued demand in the domestic spot markets also weighed on the metal prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in current month shed 50 paise, or 0.48%, to INR 103.70 per kg, in a business turnover of 134 lots. Metal for delivery in March fell 6 paise, or 0.38%, to INR 104.30 per kg in six lots. Analysts said the weakness in aluminium at futures trade was mostly in tandem with a downtrend in base metals at the London Metal Exchange (LME) on concern that supply gluts and waning demand in China will keep commodities under pressure.
As an educator, Sapa keeps level of technical training high
Increased knowledge is driving the use of aluminium solutions, and Sapa is serving as one of the educators. The company has provided more than 75,000 hours of technical training to external stakeholders since 2013 - and it is not stopping there. The growth in the amount of technical knowledge training that Sapa has provided over the past three years is taking place in all of the company’s business areas and in all regions. In 2016, the company will arrange technical training in around 20 countries for external stakeholders around the world. Spreading global competence locally is a key target. Most of the training is offered free of charge to customers, product designers and developers, technicians, engineers, and architects across markets and industries. Only in a handful of countries are...
China's imported alumina demand to surpass 5 mln mt in 2016
China’s appetite for imported alumina is to grow voracious in 2016. SMM expects, it will surpass 5 million mt in 2016 mainly due to two reasons. First, domestic supply of alumina will tighten following output cuts by some of the major Chinese alumina refiners; and second, sea freight charges are at multi-year lows. FOB price of West Australian alumina is just around USD 205/mt at present. Such low price is still lucrative enough for the aluminium smelters that are located near ports. So, that will provide a reasonable traction to alumina imports. In 2015, however, China imported 4.65 million mt of alumina, down 11.8 per cent year-on-year, and imports were 544,100 mt in December 2015, customs data showed. SMM in its earlier forecast had attributed this decline to the production cuts and...
Metro Mining readies export logistics at growing bauxite project
Metro Mining has further de-risked its developing export business profile by entering into a deal for the provision of transhipment services relating to the Bauxite Hills project in Queensland. The agreement with Bauxite Transhipment Services (BTS) will allow Metro to minimise capital expenditure as BTS will provide all tugs and barges required for the operation. This move is expected to deliver a low-cost and low-risk transhipment solution that does not require any dredging or bed levelling of the Skardon River. As a joint venture between Transhipment Services Australia and indigenous ship loading company Dadaru, BTS will represent an opportunity for Metro to maximise the employment of local people. The terms of the agreement provide the flexibility to expand the transhipping operation...
Altech Chemicals publishes quarterly activities and cashflow report
Altech Chemicals published its quarterly activities and cashflow report for the period ending December 31, 2015. The highlights of the report are given below: 1) Altech signed mandate with German KfW IPEX-Bank for project financing • Exclusive project finance mandate with German KfW IPEX-Bank • Mandate for senior debt, including German Export Credit Agency (ECA) insured debt • Approx. US$40m of ECA cover project debt • Balance of approx. $15m senior debt 2) Altech appointed HPA sales & marketing manager (China) Mr Martin Ma to develop the HPA business in China 3) Altech received Letter of Interest (LOI) for German export credit cover 4) Altech received LOI from Euler Hermes for • German ECA cover • Around 55% of plant and equipment sourced from Germany & additional 10% from Europe • Debt...
