Germany exports 86% of TRIMET’s aluminium production despite 1.84Mt domestic demand from automotive, packaging & extrusion industries
Germany’s last remaining primary aluminium producer, TRIMET Aluminium SE, has a combined nameplate capacity of approximately 540,000 tonnes per year across its German and French smelters. Yet Germany exported 466,756 tonnes of unwrought primary aluminium in 2025, equivalent to 86.44 per cent of that combined capacity. Exports reached 501,678 tonnes in 2023 and 449,590 tonnes in 2024, while shipments totalled 273,080 tonnes between January and July 2026. The comparison presents an intriguing picture of Germany’s aluminium industry. Despite having a limited primary smelting base, the country continues to export hundreds of thousands of tonnes of unwrought aluminium annually. At the same time, it imported 2 million tonnes of primary aluminium in 2025, more than four times its exports. Why...
Indonesian Aluminium: The shift from mining to smelting
Indonesia is pitched as the next big Asian aluminium hub as the country has released an expansive alumina and aluminium expansion plan, based on the abundant bauxite resource in the country. China has exhausted its aluminium capacity cap and is unlikely to raise installed capacity significantly in the coming years. Additionally, geopolitical conflicts, sanctions, and tariffs have made much of global aluminium capacity inaccessible and vulnerable. This includes Russian aluminium and the Gulf output, along with restricted and costly access to Canadian aluminium for the US smelters. The already tight supply conditions have been made worse after the Iran-Israel-US war that disrupted the Gulf aluminium capacity. Under current supply conditions, India and Indonesia will play a critical role in...
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Garmco revamps international operations
Bahrain-based Garmco, an international aluminium rolling mill and one of the largest downstream aluminium facilities in the Middle East, has completed a major restructuring of its international operations. This is in line with the company's three-year strategy, which involves closing unprofitable subsidiaries and non-operating companies; and identifying additional opportunities for growth in high-margin markets where Garmco has established a strong presence, in particular South East Asia, the US and Australia, said a statement from the company. The restructuring has resulted in the closing of unprofitable subsidiaries in the saturated markets of China and Korea, and non-operating companies in Hungary and Cyprus, which do not add value to the company’s core activities, it added. Garmco US...
Chinese aluminum scrap prices declined
The Chinese Aluminum scrap prices declined marginally on the Scrap Monster Price Index on October 13th, Tuesday. 6063 Extrusions witnessed a price decline of CNY 100 per MT over the previous day. Aluminum Ingots and Transformers prices declined by CNY 100 per MT each. E.C Aluminum Wire prices dropped by CN 100 per MT to touch CNY 11,400 per MT. Old Cast prices too witnessed a down move of CNY 100 per MT. The prices of Aluminum Radiators and Old Sheets saw a down move of CNY 100 per MT. UBC and Zorba 90% INF prices declined by CNY 50 per MT each from the previous day levels.
Use of RVM will increase percentage of recycled aluminium packaging in India, says Can-Pack MD
In the recently ended World Packaging Congress in Mumbai, Marek Kura, managing director of Can-Pack, said the use of RVM i.e. Reverse Vending Machine, currently used by many countries for recycling of metal cans, is yet to take off in India. Can-Pack India is the country’s leading aluminium beverage can-manufacturing company with almost 70% of market share. Talking about the aluminium beverage can recycling scenario in India at the global event that took place in Mumbai, during October 9-10, Mr. Kura said, RVM helps by giving incentives in exchange for recyclables. The attractive advantages of RVM are: customised graphics, varied capacities, special software and online monitoring, built-in wall and multimedia versions. This initiative gives advanced, modern solution which can affect...
Instacom catches investors’ eye after Neata acquisition
Instacom Group Bhd saw high volumes of trade the past two days following the acquisition of an additional 43.6 per cent stake in Neata Aluminium (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Neata) which raised the group’s stake in Neata to 78.6 per cent from 35 per cent. Instacom was the third most active counter on Bursa Malaysia on Monday with more than 50 million shares traded, rising to a high of 23 sen and closing at 21.5 sen on Monday, October 12. According to Instacom executive director Choo Seng Choon, Instacom is confident that the acquisition will be beneficial to the group given the strong track record of Neata-Vivocom with its current order book or RM247 million – with visibility up to March 2018. “This means that, the Instacom Group will have strategically diversified into new areas and viable...
Shandong Weiqiao to procure ACHENBACH OPTIMILL® - rolling mills for 32 t coils in China
Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group (China) is building an aluminum flat rolling plant in Weihai with a large 2,300 mm-wide rolling mill and 1,850 mm-wide thin strip rolling mill. The rolling mills, both of which are brought on line, will represent together the core of most modern production for litho sheets. This is in line with Shandong Weiqiao's strategic decision that it took a few years ago; it was decided then that the company would advance its presence in the aluminum industry by investing in a new state-of-the-art aluminum flat rolling plant. Shandong Weiqiao management now feels vindicated in choosing the right suppliers with Achenbach, constituting an ideal combination of state-of-the-art technology and extensive experience.
Alcoa’s alumina segment generates best profitability since 2007
Alcoa is the largest global bauxite and alumina producer, with a strong first quartile cost position in both businesses. Alcoa reports the earnings of its bauxite mining and alumina refining business under its Alumina segment. The segment supplies alumina to Alcoa’s Primary Metals segment as well as sells to third-party customers. Together, Alcoa and Ball Corporation (BLL) form ~4.4% of the Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB). Record earnings: • The Alumina segment’s third-party shipments in 3Q15 stood at 2,798 thousand tons, which represents a 3.1% year-over-year (or YoY) increase. • Alcoa has been gradually moving away from aluminium-based pricing. Now it prices ~75% of its alumina based on the API (alumina price index) or spot pricing. This makes the Alumina segment’s fundamentals...
UC Rusal to produce alumina from Siberian clay
UC RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer, develops acid technology for alumina production of non-bauxite raw materials. The technology will allow the production of alumina using domestic kaolin clay as a substitution to imported bauxites. The new technology will significantly boost RUSAL smelters’ economic efficiency thanks to the low cost of the material and the logistical cost reduction. The technology also allows for the simultaneous production of a number of high demand products, including those with silicon oxide and rare-earth metals bases. Acid technology implementation will create an entire complex of related production and research facilities, having stimulated Russia’s industrial and scientific potential by using modern technologies. The project is being executed within the...
Faurecia inks JV with Beijing WKW Automotive Parts
Faurecia and Beijing WKW Automotive Parts have signed a 50/50 joint-venture agreement to create an entity named Beijing WKW-FAD Automotive Interior Parts. Beijing WKW Automotive Parts is a major supplier of vehicle interior aluminium decoration in China. Faurecia, which claims to be the world market leader for aluminium decoration, will gain an industrial footprint in China to serve its customers, starting with Infiniti and Volvo. Together, the partners claim, they will lead the Chinese market and achieve synergies. With total planned investment of EUR14m (US$15.9m), BWKWFAD will specialise in interior aluminium decoration parts for the Asian market, covering development, manufacturing, assembly and marketing. The company will also provide after sales services and technical consulting....
Jaguar's all new SUV E-Pace to follow F-Pace launch
The Jaguar F-Pace that is awaiting launch will be followed by a smaller SUV built on a different platform. The machine is called the E-Pace. It is part of Jaguar's plan to play catch-up on the global crossover craze and follows shortly after the already-testing F-Pace, originally, the C-X17 concept car. The F-Pace will be an expensive SUV and will go up against the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. The projections suggest that Jaguar's second crossover model should generate enough volume to make a serious impact on the bottom line. Especially as the engineering profile would put it on equal footing with the Range Rover Evoque, helping curb development and production costs. The F-pace employs the British carmaker's aluminium intensive XE platform and would have proved to be too expensive for the...
Sustainability on display at Sapa’s aluminium building systems office
Sapa President & CEO Egil Hogna took his first close look at the company’s aluminium building systems organization in Ulm and its zero-energy test center in Bellenberg. At both German sites, the message was clear: Sustainable solutions come first. After joining Sapa as its chief executive on September 1, Hogna (pictured) said he wished to spend much of his first 100 days visiting company locations and meeting with employees around the world. His visit to Ulm and nearby Bellenberg on October 8 was part of the plan. After spending the morning at Sapa’s multi-brand building systems office in Ulm, Hogna and executive vice president Karsten Lundgaard, who leads Sapa Building Systems, moved on to Bellenberg to visit the systems-dedicated extrusion plant and the Wicona-brand test center. At the...
LME aluminium may fall to $1,562
LME aluminium may fall to $1,562 per tonne, as it has broken a support at $1,597. The support was provided by the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement on the fall from the July 2 high of $1,744.50 to the Aug. 24 low of $1,506. The next support will be at $1,562, the 23.6 percent level, a break below which could cause a loss to the 14.6 percent level at $1,541. A bounce from the current level could most likely be limited to $1,597, now a resistance.
Qatalum attends ALUEXPO 2015
Qatalum has taken part in ALUEXPO 2015, connecting with leaders in the aluminium sector from all over the world over the course of the three-day fair. Billed as 'Eurasia's Leading Event for the Aluminium Industry', ALUEXPO 2015 was held from 8-10 October in Istanbul, Turkey. The event's exhibitors included more than 350 major aluminium industry players from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Based at a stand at the Istanbul Expo Center, a senior management delegation from Qatalum networked with fellow participants and guests, shared knowledge, and disseminated information about the latest developments at the company. At the conclusion of the Fair, Mr Khalid Laram, CEO of Qatalum, said: "This year's ALUEXPO was a first-rate platform to connect with leaders and influencers...
Noble sells off aluminum stockpiles to shrink its metal franchise
Noble Group Ltd, in its effort to free up capital by reducing stockpiles of base metals, has been reported to be selling off some of its large holdings of aluminum, historically one of its biggest businesses. As part of a strategy to shrink its metals franchise, the second-biggest division by revenue after energy, Noble has been quietly selling base metals since July, said an industry source. Still, company officials have privately portrayed them as a shift away from non-core, capital-intensive areas as the company focuses on its legacy strengths, which include alumina and aluminum trading. Yet the inventory reduction has also occurred in aluminum, said the source, suggesting that the metals division shake-up may be deeper than widely known. In August, Noble blamed the second-quarter loss...
China's aluminum glut set to continue
Amid concerns over China's export push, aluminum prices hit a 6-year low of $1,506 per ton on the London Metal Exchange in late August. The commodity will likely have no choice but to remain top-heavy, unless global output declines in aluminum producing nations other than China. Mixed signals Speculations regarding consolidation moves among major aluminum smelters are now doing the rounds in China, due to the country's excessive production of aluminum. Industry sources now say a merger between state-owned enterprises -- Aluminum Corp. of China and State Power Investment -- is most likely to happen. The Chinese government has begun moving to reform state-owned enterprises, promoting mergers and acquisitions among them. The industry's realignment will help control the country's production...
UC Rusal approves first dividend payout
Shares in United Company Rusal, the world’s biggest aluminium producer last year, rose in Hong Kong on Tuesday, October 13, after approving its first-ever dividend payment, even as commodity producers grapple with a rout in prices. The company, controlled by Russian billionaire and president Oleg Deripaska, planned to pay an interim dividend of $0.016 a share in November, it said in a statement. Rusal has not made a payout to shareholders since going public in Hong Kong in 2010. Rusal rose as much as 2.1% to HK$3.42 in Hong Kong, trimming its decline this year to 35%. Aluminium for delivery in three months was little changed at $1,593 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange and is trading at less than half its July 2008 peak. A decision to issue a payout to shareholders comes as...
Orbite Technologies updates on redemption of 2012 debentures
Orbite Technologies Inc. announced that further to its September 9th press release, and in accordance with the terms of the Trust Indenture dated December 13, 2012 governing the 2012 8% convertible secured debentures, it has deposited in trust with Computershare Trust Company of Canada, acting as trustee for the debenture holders, the sum of 25M$ plus accrued interests in order to secure and set in motion the redemption of all outstanding debentures on the October 16th redemption date. Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose innovative and proprietary processes are expected to produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry.
Alpart alumina refinery- technical and equipment auditor at work
A technical and equipment infrastructure review of the alumina refinery, Rusal Alpart Jamaica, is being conducted as part of pre-preparatory work for the plant’s scheduled reopening in December 2016. Audit representatives from UC Rusal's Moscow office, and elsewhere in Europe and Australia are conducting the audit, which started on October 8 and is expected to end later this week. The areas being probed include the powerhouse and refinery operating areas. Alpart, Jamaica’s largest alumina refinery, which is located at Nain in South East St Elizabeth close to the border with Southern Manchester, was shut down in May 2009 at the height of a global economic crisis which caused metal prices to plummet. More than 900 people lost their jobs while hundreds more had been shed in the months...
Bauxite Resources Limited circulates Annual Report 2015 among shareholders
Bauxite Resources Limited published its Annual Report 2015. During the year the company focused on trying to resolve the current impasse on the development of the Felicitas deposit with its joint venture partner Yankuang Resources Pty Ltd. At the same time the company took a staged approach to the evaluation of the 100% Bauxite Resources Ltd Fortuna project. This approach included the undertaking of scoping and environmental baseline studies on the Fortuna project and evaluation of the development constraints on the logistics of exporting bauxite from the project. Achievements during the year include: • Moderate resource growth of 4%; • Completion of Scoping and Environmental Baseline studies on the Fortuna Deposit; • Reduction of non-prospective tenement holdings reducing total tenure...
