AL Circle Analysis: Bauxite developments, alumina trade & primary aluminium market dynamics across Australia, Guinea, US & India
The aluminium industry is entering another phase of supply-chain repositioning. Across bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium, companies are investing in new resources, consolidating strategic assets and expanding processing capacity, while governments are increasingly treating domestic supply as a strategic priority. The latest developments from Australia, Guyana, Guinea, Indonesia, the US and India point to a market where resource security, processing location and control over supply chains are becoming as important as production growth. At the same time, new trading mechanisms and changing investment patterns are beginning to influence how aluminium and its raw materials reach the market. Bauxite supply expands, but securing the right tonnes is becoming harder In Western Australia, VBX...
China's 22.87 Mt extrusion market faces a structural shift as 317 GW solar growth counters weak construction demand
The global aluminium extrusion landscape is undergoing a structural transition driven by industrial decarbonisation, global electrification, and the rapid deployment of clean energy infrastructure. Historically anchored by civil engineering and residential real estate, demand for extruded aluminium profiles in China, the world’s dominant manufacturing hub, is decoupling from traditional property sectors. Persistent structural weakness in China’s domestic construction market has slowed the consumption of conventional architectural profiles such as window frames, door sections, and curtain walls. Conversely, advanced industrial applications, specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) racking, battery energy storage systems (BESS), power grid modernisation, and electric vehicles (EVs), have...
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Govt of India may double aluminium import duty to 10%
The government of India is considering a move to double 5 per cent import duty on aluminium in a bid to salvage Rs 1.2 lakh crore of bank-financed capex investments by domestic players like Vedanta and Hindalco, and protect the 7.5 lakh jobs jeopardized by cheap imports that have captured well over half the market. Layoffs and plant shutdowns are already underway and more job cuts are on the anvil with the industry operating at just 49 per cent capacity in 2014-15 amid a sharp slump in global commodity prices that has brought aluminium prices down 30 per cent in three years. Warning of an adverse impact on the Modi government's 'Make in India' drive if this trend continues, CEOs of aluminium producing companies have sought an urgent intervention from finance minister Arun Jaitley,...
Half of world’s aluminium smelters not profitable, price could fall below $1 200/t
About half of the world’s aluminium smelters were not profitable, and continued price pressure would force more smelters offline in the face of a price that could fall as low as $1 200/t, a report by BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research has found. Aluminium prices had continued trading lower in recent weeks, falling below $1 500/t on Thursday. “In our view, the recent dynamic is testament to the ongoing challenging fundamental backdrop. This has perhaps been most visible in the reluctance of China’s aluminium producers to curtail output; in fact, partially supported by subsidies, the country’s smelters have increasingly delivered into the deficits created by production discipline from smelters in [the rest of the world],” the global commodities research team reported. BofA believed that...
Aluminium futures rise, fuelled by global cues
Aluminium prices were up 0.90 per cent to INR 95.35 per kg in futures trade today as participants strengthened their exposure, supported by an upward trend overseas. In addition, rising demand in the spot market influenced metal prices. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in the current month edged up 85 paise, or 0.90 per cent, to INR 95.35 per kg in a business turnover of 4,593 lots. Likewise, the metal for delivery in November traded marginally higher by 80 paise, or 0.83 per cent, to INR 97.10 per kg in a turnover of 763 lots. Marketmen said besides increased domestic demand, a firming global trend in base metals mainly influenced prices in futures trade.
China to keep importing bauxite as aluminium demand grows
China is expected to remain the world's largest consumer of aluminium and will thus continue importing huge amounts of bauxite. China is both the largest consumer and importer of bauxite in the world, accounting for approximately half of global imports of the aluminium-making ingredient. Italian broker Banchero Costa said in a recent report that Chinese bauxite demand growth continues to outpace domestic production growth, increasing import dependency. Chinese bauxite production increased by almost 20% over the last five years while imports rose by more than 80% during the same period. Chinese domestic bauxite is often of lower quality and more expensive than imported supplies, further boosting import demand. Annual aluminium consumption in China reached more than 27 million tonnes in...
Altech Chemicals appoints Tunku Dato’ Ya’acob as director
Altech Chemicals has appointed Tunku Dato’ Ya’acob bin Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah as a non-executive director of the company. Tunku Dato’ Ya’acob has nominated Mr Uwe Ahrens as his alternate.Tunku Dato’ Ya’acob is the executive chairman of the Melewar Khyra Group of Companies (Melewar), a Malaysian base diversified financial and industrial services group. He is the major owner and shareholder of Melewar. Melewar is a substantial shareholder in Altech with close to 12%. Altech is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (HPA) (Al2O3). Luke Atkins, Altech chairman, welcomed the appointment of Tunku Dato’ Ya’acob and his alternate Mr Uwe Ahrens. “These gentlemen are successful businessman in their own right and will add a wealth of experience and...
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters appeal Employment Court judgment
A longstanding Tiwai workers' dispute about lieu days continues after smelter bosses took their case to the Court of Appeal. New Zealand Aluminium Smelters argued on Thursday that an Employment Court judgment was wrong, estimating it could cost the company millions of dollars. In May 2013, 64 Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union [rebranded E Tu] members won an Employment Relations Authority case they took against NZAS concerning the accrual of lieu days for 12-hour shift workers at the Tiwai Point smelter in Southland. E Tu lawyer Greg Lloyd said NZAS appealed the Employment Court's interpretation of section 7A of the Holidays Act 1981 - an Act he said no longer existed. The appeal judges could not overrule an Employment Court decision and could only rule on points of law, he...
Global Market for Aluminium Aerosol Cans Declines Slightly
Following years of continuous growth during which the production figures for the aerosol can industry raced from one record to the next, the market has now finally taken a pause for breath. AEROBAL, the International Organisation of Aluminium Aerosol Container Manufacturers, reported a small decline in production worldwide of one per cent year-on-year for the first half of 2015. AEROBAL’s secretary general Gregor Spengler does not find the figures particularly disturbing: “After years of unabated growth it is only natural that there is consolidation in the market that can then simply lead for once to a slight decline in demand and production. If one considers the extremely difficult economic situation worldwide and the general political situation and takes the record level from last year...
Aluminium hits seven-year low in China
Aluminium prices in China fell to a seven-year low on Thursday, adding to difficulties facing companies in the world’s largest producer. China supplies more than half of the world’s aluminium, but a slowing economy and global glut of the lightweight metal have weighed on prices. Aluminium on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell for the ninth day in a row and is down 30 per cent since the summer of 2014. Goldman Sachs said this month that the aluminium market was “facing the greatest bearish fundamental shock in a generation, and perhaps in its history”. The oversupply in China has hit global markets, with prices for aluminium on the London Metal Exchange at their lowest levels since 2009, touching $1,491.50 a tonne on Thursday. Last month, Alcoa, the US producer, said it would split into...
Primary Aluminum market records deficit during Jan – Aug
The latest report published by the World Bureau of Metal Statistics (WBMS) indicates that global primary aluminum market has recorded a deficit during the initial eight months of the year. As per the report, the market reported a deficit of 257,000 tons when matched with the deficit of 654,000 reported during entire year 2014. The production of primary aluminum was up by 7.2% during the eight-month period from January to August this year. The global production rose by 2,557 kt during this period, when compared with a year ago. The total reported stock of metal has declined further by 164,000 tonnes during the month of August. The stocks at the end of the initial eight-month period stood at 4,280 kt, which is sufficient to meet 29 days demand. It must be noted that the stock levels at the...
LME aluminium may hover around $1,532
LME aluminium may hover around a support at $1,532 per tonne, or rebound to a resistance at $1,548, as indicated by its wave pattern and a Fibonacci projection analysis. The support and the resistance are identified respectively as the 100 percent and the 86.4 percent Fibonacci projection levels of a downward wave (c), the third wave of a three-wave cycle from the Sept. 9 high of $1,655.50. Given that the fall from the Oct. 15 high of $1,601 has not been disrupted by any decent bounce, the chance of a bounce around $1,532 will be very high. A drop to $1,527 could confirm a break below $1,532, and the 114.6 percent level at $1,515 will be approached.
Century Issues WARN Notice at Mt. Holly, SC Smelter
Century Aluminum of South Carolina, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Century Aluminum Company today issued a notice to employees at its Mt. Holly, South Carolina aluminum smelter of its intent to curtail plant operations if the smelter is unable to secure a competitively priced power arrangement to deliver energy to the plant. The announcement was made pursuant to the federal Working Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN). If a competitively priced power arrangement cannot be secured, Century Aluminum of South Carolina will curtail 100% of smelter operations by no later than December 31, 2015, when its current power contract with the South Carolina Public Service Authority, also known as Santee Cooper, to produce and deliver the required power expires. Santee Cooper's current rate...
Left-wing extremism halts India's hopes for bauxite project
India’s plans to develop the first bauxite reserves since the early 1980s has been threatened by a sudden rise in ultraleft-wing extremism opposing the project in the southern Indian province of Andhra Pradesh. Local government officials said armed ultraleft-wing extremists active across forested regions of Andhra Pradesh had been brought under control through active policing by special forces over the past decade. But the extremists were, once again, seen to be gaining control over territories, largely drawing support from the local population, which was opposing all large-scale bauxite mining projects in the province, the officials said. The return of extremism was marked by the abduction of three leaders of the ruling political party of the province earlier this month. Although the...
Norsk Hydro reports record bauxite production in Q3
Hydro's underlying earnings before financial items and tax declined to NOK 2,215 million in the third quarter from NOK 2,667 million in the second quarter of 2015. Weaker alumina and aluminium prices and premiums weighed on results, while strong rolled products sales and record bauxite production contributed positively in the quarter. Bauxite production reached record-levels this quarter for Norsk Hydro, reflecting the continued improvement efforts made over the last years in Paragominas, explained Svein Richard Brandtzaeg, president and CEO, Norsk Hydro. “Bauxite production reached record-levels this quarter, reflecting the continued improvement efforts made over the last years in Paragominas.We continue to strengthen our bauxite operation, and have signed a letter of intent with...
World Aluminium Aerosol Can Award 2015: AEROBAL presents winners
AEROBAL, the International Organisation of Aluminium Aerosol Container Manufacturers, organises the international competition every year. AEROBAL’s secretary general Gregor Spengler explains the aims of the competition: “Our competition is an excellent reflection of the capability of the aluminium aerosol can industry worldwide. In particular, of course, it demonstrates the innovative capability of our member companies, which after all account for about 70 per cent of global production of aluminium aerosol cans. However, the competition also shows at the same time the important trends in this form of packaging and not least provides the markets with valuable impulses.” The winner among the aluminium cans that are already on the market was the Fa Mystic Moments can from Henkel. The can...
UK based Inductaflex pioneers new aluminium window frame curving technique
UK bending machine manufacturer Inductaflex has mastered a brand new technique that the company says completely solves the difficulties and high costs of curving aluminium window frame sections to very tight radii. An Inductaflex AL-1 aluminium bending machine recently successfully curved a 45mm wide x 65mm high extruded glazing section to a 165mm outside radius and 120mm inside radius. Inductaflex Managing Director Craig Barnshaw described it as a significant innovation for the window industry: "Our customer had actually been turned away from two UK companies who considered bending the section to such a tight radius to be impossible. "This was perhaps an understandable response as, on the face of it, it does look to be a curving task beyond normal limits. Nonetheless, we still carried...
Novelis promotes aluminum construction materials
Novelis, a global producer of rolled aluminum and a recycler of beverage cans, has introduced a wide range of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient aluminum construction materials to capitalize on the country's booming housing market. The company said that it is taking part in the Korea Architecture Fair and Festival at the COEX, southern Seoul, through Friday. Among others, it is showcasing Coloris TM, an innovative pre-painted aluminum for façades and roofing, high-strength aluminum sandwich panels and anodized aluminum. "We adopted the pre-painting method, instead of the conventional post-painting, to produce Coloris TM. We apply coating to aluminum coils prior to processing," a Novelis Korea spokeswoman said. She said the innovative product enables panel manufacturers to achieve...
Aluminum's losing streak extends to sixth day on glut concerns
Aluminum fell for a sixth day, the longest slump in three months, on concern that a glut will worsen amid weakening demand in China, the world’s biggest metals consumer. The Asian nation is boosting aluminum production at the same time that economic growth is expected to be the slowest in decades, adding to the outlook for a global surplus. Dwight Anderson, the founder of hedge fund Ospraie Management, said he saw little reason for short-term optimism on industrial metals. “Aluminum is miserable and is going to stay miserable and will have to force closures and bankruptcies,” said Anderson said. Chinese shares retreated from a two-month high as weak trade data from Japan underscored sliding global demand. BNP Paribas SA expects global output of aluminum to exceed demand by 1 million...
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. announces new director
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. announced that it has increased the size of its Board of Directors from nine to ten members and appointed Robert A. McEvoy, 49, to serve as an independent director. Mr. McEvoy's term took effect on October 20, 2015 and will expire at the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. David Hannah, Executive Chairman of the Board of Reliance, commented, "I am very pleased to welcome Rob to Reliance's Board of Directors. Rob's extensive knowledge of the metals and mining industry and his expertise and experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and equity portfolio management will provide valuable perspectives and insights which will enhance the continued execution of our strategy and delivery of industry leading results." Mr. McEvoy retired as a Managing...
