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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Global aluminium supply glut to increase by 20 million mt in 2019
The latest available data suggests the rising supply situation is likely to further inflate the global aluminum stock levels. The stock levels are most likely to exceed 20 million mt in 2019, the research note said. According to the analysts, the rapid pace of growth in the metal supply poses big threat to the market. Aluminum inventory levels had hit record highs of 13.7 million mt at the end of 2014. The global aluminum supply witnessed a growth of 8.8% as against the demand growth of 6.6% during the year. The demand is expected to outpace supply growth during 2015 to 2020. Despite this, global aluminum inventory levels are expected to increase in the wake of increased exports of semi-finished products from China. Further, lower energy costs may ramp up aluminum production around the...
Alcoa reports profit for third quarter 2015
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa reported a third quarter profit as its value-add and upstream portfolios delivered solid results in the face of strong market and currency headwinds. Alcoa has been transforming by building its value-add portfolio for profitable growth and creating a globally competitive upstream business. The company’s successful multi-year transformation will culminate with the launch of two Fortune 500 companies, one value-add focused and the other upstream focused, expected in the second half of 2016. Alcoa reported third quarter 2015 net income of $44 million, or $0.02 per share, including $65 million in net unfavourable special items. Special items included restructuring-related costs to optimize the upstream portfolio and transaction costs, partially offset by gains...
LME aluminium neutral in $1,545-$1,573 range
LME aluminium looks neutral in a range of $1,545-$1,573 per tonne, and an escape will point a direction. The range is formed by the October 2 low and the 50 percent Fibonacci projection level of an upward wave c, the third wave of a three-wave cycle from the August 24 low of $1,506. A break below $1,545 could cause a loss to $1,517, based on the range of $1,545 and $1,573, while a break above $1,573 could open the way towards $1,588, the 76.4 percent level.
CARE cuts rating for Hindalco debentures
Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE), one of the world's premiere credit rating agencies, has revised its grade for Hindalco Industries' non-convertible debentures from 'AA+' to 'AA' on continued moderation in profitability and debt protection parameters. The debt amount involved is INR 6,000 crore. Hindalco is part of the Aditya Birla Group. The rating is also AA for the long-term and short-term bank facilities, of INR 31,059 crore. The latter ratings and revision in the long-term one for the debentures factor in the continued moderation in the profitability and debt protection parameters, as compared to the envisaged levels. The ratings also factor in the increased cost of production due to premium paid for acquisition of captive coal mines in auctions held in February 2015, CARE...
SMM aluminum market morning review
LME aluminum shot up to USD 1,592/mt after opening at USD 1,559/mt on October 7. The light metal fell back later in the day, but then rallied to USD 1,577/mt. In overseas market, the euro zone’s final manufacturing PMI was 52.0 in September. ISM’s US manufacturing PMI was 50.2 in September, slightly below 50.6 expected. The US non-farm sector created just 142,000 jobs in September, shy of 201,000 expected. US jobless rate was 5.1% in September, unchanged from August. Depressed data eased expectations for rate hike later this year. The US dollar index fell from 96.2 on September 30 to 95.4 on October 7 as a result. Global stock market rose during the week-long holiday in China. Dow Jones industrial index rose to 16,766 on October 7 from 16,285 on September 30. In China’s domestic market,...
MAN Industries' shares surge on bagging orders worth INR 700 crore
MAN Industries shares surged over 7 per cent in the morning trade on September 8, Thursday, after the company informed Bombay Stock exchange (BSE) on Wednesday post market hours that it has received orders worth approximately INR 700 crore from international and domestic customers for supply of pipes for Oil, Gas and Water sector projects. In a BSE filing, the company said, “With these new orders the outstanding order book as on date stands at approximately INR1,300 crore to be executed over a period of 6 to 8 months, this will result in significant improvement in the coming quarters.” The company has upgraded its Pithampur plant with the enhanced capabilities to become pioneer to produce Pipes up to 3600 mm dia metere with coating facilities. The company has outstanding bids around $ 1.5...
American Specialty Alloys continues with aluminium alloy project as Revolution Aluminum
Construction and installation work at the $2.4 billion aluminum alloy plant in the Pineville area, Louisiana, will still continue, but it will do so under a new name. American Specialty Alloys has changed its name to Revolution Aluminum LLC, although its original name is yet to show up on its website. As American Specialty Alloys, often referred to as ASA, the company announced earlier this year that it will build an aluminum alloy plant at the former site of the International Paper mill near Pineville. “The project is still moving ahead,” said Jim Clinton, president of the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. He was familiar with the company name change. The company has been planning the name change for a while, and documents involving the company are being changed to reflect...
Rexam joins hands with WeCan for UK’s first mobile canning facility
Rexam has teamed up with WeCan Solutions to produce aluminium cans for the first ever mobile canning facility in the UK, one of only a handful in Europe. The pioneering service, backed by Rexam, offers onsite canning solutions for craft brewers and smaller beverage brands with a minimum filling run of 5,000 cans per day. The collaboration sees Rexam providing 330ml (33cl) size cans in a range of formats, including unprinted, one-colour printed and bespoke designs, on demand. In addition, WeCan Solutions offers the application of pressure sensitive labels (PSL) for onsite filling. The partnership highlights both companies’ dedication to helping craft brewers recognise the benefits of cans as an alternative packaging format, whilst reducing investment costs on filling lines and...
Chinese National Day holiday hits India aluminium scrap, MCX aluminium prices
India major aluminium scrap commodities prices declined on Tuesday, September 6, in line with aluminium futures prices at India's Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) as Chinese markets remained closed for its National Day holiday. The major aluminium scrap commodities dropped on Scrap Register Price Index as on Tuesday. India's major scrap commodities like aluminium accessories scrap, aluminium rod local, aluminium sheet cutting, aluminium wire scrap traded down on Tuesday. The most active October aluminium contract on Multi Commodity Exchange settled down by 0.2% to INR 100.50 per kilogram on Tuesday from previous close of INR 100.70 per kilogram. The MXC aluminium prices touched an intra-day high of INR 101.50 per kilogram and an intra-day low of INR 100.20 per kilogram during Tuesday. The...
Clarendon Alumina Production continues losing money
Clarendon Alumina Production Limited (CAP) advises that it has produced 2015 accounts but that these have not yet been laid before the annual general meeting or Parliament. It is unclear how the Government of Jamaica, and in particular, the otherwise progressive Ministry of Finance, does not have a defined policy that the audited accounts can be made available as soon as the audit has been completed. The long delay for the minister to review accounts and place them before Parliament must be embarrassing to the various state companies like CAP that produce their accounts on a timely basis. The March 2014 accounts show that CAP had an income of US$157 million, and that after payment of its cost of sales, totalling US$212million, administrative and finance costs and taxation, it showed a net...
Rusal Aughinish back to pre-tax losses despite revenue rise
The largest alumina refinery in Europe, Rusal Aughinish, last year went back into the red to record pre-tax losses of $12.2m (€10.8m). The loss came despite revenues having increased by $22m from $607.8m to $629m. Based on the Snannon estuary, the principal activity of Limerick Alumina Refining Ltd and subsidiaries is the production and sale of alumina. Separate figures provided by Aughinish Alumina to the Environmental Protection Agency confirm the output at the refinery was 1.955m tonnes of alumina hydrate, representing a marginal increase on the 2013 output. The plant extracts alumina from bauxite, the firm sources around 70% of the bauxite processed at the refinery from Guinea in Africa with the remainder coming from Brazil. The finished product, alumina, is exported for smelting to...
AAI pitches for a safeguard duty in meeting with India's Revenue Secretary
Facing the twin onslaught of galloping imports and meltdown in global prices, the domestic aluminium industry on Wednesday made a strong pitch for a safeguard duty breather in its meeting with revenue secretary even as its demand for doubling import duty to 10% remains unanswered. Sources said representatives from all three major domestic aluminium producers - Vedanta, Hindalco and Nalco - under the aegis of Aluminium Association of India (AAI) met revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia and appraised him that since 55% of domestic demand is being met through imports, nearly half of their 2.1 MT capacity is lying unutilised. “The prices of the metal have also crashed. Since April 2011, aluminium prices at London Metal Exchange (LME) have dropped by 42% from $2,623/tonne to $1,540/tonne in August...
Power cost- the key factor to limit Chinese aluminium smelters’ competitiveness
Escalating power cost is going to be the single critical factor for the Chinese aluminium smelters trying to stay competitive in the domestic as well as international market- China Cheng Xin International Credit Rating Co. (CCXI) made this observation amid slowing Chinese economy and somewhat declining demand for aluminium. Currently, Chinese aluminum smelters source power mainly in three ways: grid power, captive power, or by purchasing power directly from power plants. High grid power tariffs are increasingly making aluminum smelters economically unviable against falling aluminum prices . Local governments are encouraging aluminum smelters to sign power purchasing agreement directly with local power plants via a market-based mechanism. This has helped reduce cost of production to a...
Chinese consortium's initiative to source Guinea bauxite will sideline India
The US$ 200 million worth bauxite mining project that Singapore-based Winning International Group has planned to start in the Boke region of western Guinea of Africa, through its formed consortium will sideline traditional suppliers like India, Australia, and Indonesia. Winning plans to export 30 million tonnes a year of bauxite ore from the new mine in Guinea to China. This comes in the wake of a spate of recent developments in the bauxite market which saw Australia imposing restrictions on bauxite mining for environmental reasons, Indonesia virtually banning export, and the Indian bauxite getting lower in quality. Till now, Winning had been transporting between three to four million tonnes of bauxite ore a year from India's western shores to China. Bosco Lau Chi Wah, chief executive...
"We’re focused … to ensure a level playing field where all global aluminum producers can compete in a fair and open market." Heidi Brock, President & CEO, The Aluminum Association, USA
The Aluminum Association is the leading voice for aluminum industry in Washington, DC that promotes the production and use of aluminum as the sustainable material of choice. The Association provides global standards, industry statistics and expert knowledge to its members and policy makers. Recently, The Aluminum Association published its response on the Joint Presidential Statement by the United States and China which lays out concrete and achievable goals for addressing climate change, and in a time frame that emphasizes the immediacy of these challenges. Heidi Biggs Brock, President & CEO The Aluminum Association shared with AlCircle the Association's perspective on the current aluminium market challenge, US-China trade policy and the US demand situation. Excerpts from the interview:...
Ornamental Fence Depot offers best aluminum fences
Ornamental Fence Depot is the service provider in the area of aluminum fence structures. The products offered by Ornamental Fence Depot have managed to gain the market competitive position because of the authentic design and high quality. Ornamental Fence Depot is one of the main fence product development and installation company in Northeastern Ohio. Aluminum fences are one of the main attractions and security measures in commercial and residential buildings structures. The company has managed to serve all the customers irrespective of the building structure and have been able to serve their needs using the high quality aluminum fence. The company provides high quality reasonable priced products. The products of the company include the wrought iron fences for residential grade yards and...
New lightweight aluminum-steel alloy rivals titanium in strength
Old-fashioned steel has been one of the most reliable and ubiquitous building materials for centuries, so it might seem a bit outmoded to talk of a steel breakthrough. But researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea may have made steel cool again, not to mention stronger and lighter, reports Popular Mechanics. The researchers have devised a method for creating an aluminum-steel alloy that is more flexible, lightweight and stronger than any kind of steel ever made. This isn't the first time anyone has thought to add aluminum to the steel mix. Back in the 1970s, Soviet scientists recognized that by blending steel and aluminum, they could forge an ultra-strong, lightweight metal, but these advantages were always superseded by one major drawback: it was...
LME aluminium to retest resistance at $1,573
LME aluminium is expected to retest a resistance at $1,573 per tonne, with a good chance of breaking above this level and rising more towards a range of $1,580-$1,588. The resistance is provided by the 38.2 percent Fibonacci projection level of an upward wave c, the third wave of a three-wave cycle from the Aug. 24 low of $1,506. It temporarily blocks the way towards the range formed by the 61.8 percent and the 76.4 percent levels. However, this wave is capable of travelling to $1,602, the 100 percent level. The resistance thus looks vulnerable. Only a break below $1,553, the 14.6 percent level, could confirm a resumption of the downtrend from the Sept. 9 high of $1,655.50.
