US produced 339kt aluminum in H1 2026: Can new projects change the outlook?
The US aluminum industry, through its troubled journey over the past four decades, has been holding on to its remaining active smelters to maintain domestic aluminum production. However, its production figures reveal how little ground it has regained. Stability has been a strong suit, with 339,000 metric tons produced in H1 2026, yet matching the volume recorded in H1 2024. With domestic primary production still constrained, the focus is shifting to whether the Century Aluminum’s Mt Holly restart and the proposed Oklahoma primary aluminum smelter can turn modest gains into a sustained supply revival. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ”...
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...
Grow with
AL Circle
China bauxite imports soared in July on rapid alumina capacity expansions
China’s appetite for imported bauxite grew significantly in July due to rapid expansions in the country’s alumina capacity, observed Shanghai Metals Market (SMM). Bauxite imports hit 5.06 million tonnes in July, up 63.52% year-on-year and 25.26% month-on-month, customs data showed. China imported 2.28 million metric tonnes (mt) of bauxite from Malaysia in July, 45.07% of national imports due to price attractiveness of Malaysian ore. China’s imports of Malaysian bauxite might surpass 17 million mt this year, well above forecast made early this year. Malaysian bauxite continued to gain favor thanks to its price attractiveness. Malaysia shipped 2.28 million tonnes of bauxite to China in July, 45.07% of China’s total imports. Average CIF price of Malaysian bauxite was $46.3 per tonnes, 16.37%...
China aluminum shake-up planned in state reform push
China is trying to push its two biggest aluminum businesses together as part of a planned shake-up of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), industry sources said, a move that would create the world's largest aluminum maker. Power company State Power Investment Corp (SPI) is in talks to hive off its aluminum assets to Aluminum Corp of China (Chinalco), allowing SPI to focus on power construction and generation, three industry sources told Reuters. The consolidation is shaping up as a test of Beijing's ambitions to restructure its vast but underperforming state-owned sector, particularly at a time of slowing economic growth. If successful it would be a fillip for reform, but slow progress in what is seen as a relatively simple tie-up underscores the problems China faces in more challenging SOE...
Hindalco seeks shareholders' nod to raise up to INR 6,000 crore
Aluminium maker Hindalco Industries seeks its shareholders' approval to raise up to INR 6,000 crore through issuance of non convertible debentures (NCDs) on private placement basis. "Consent is sought to offer or invite subscription to non convertible debentures up to an amount not exceeding INR 6,000 crore on private placement basis from time to time until September 15, 2016," Hindalco said in a BSE filing. Hindalco said its Board will consider raising funds in one or more series/ tranches. The company's AGM will be held on September 16. Shares of Hindalco were trading at INR 80.15, down 0.68 per cent, on the BSE in the morning trade.
LME aluminium to fall towards $1,504
LME aluminium is expected to fall towards a support at $1,504 per tonne, as it may have completed a bounce caused by this level. The support is provided by the 200 percent Fibonacci projection level of a downward wave C, which developed from the July 15 high of $1,729.50. This wave has been travelling within a falling channel, and the lower channel suggests a target at $1,487, the 214.6 percent level. A further gain from the current level may be limited to $1,560, the 150 percent level, around which, the upper channel line has established a resistance as well.
US primary aluminium output falls in June: USGS
United States' domestic primary aluminium production in June 2015 was 133,000 metric tons, according to latest data released by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The average daily production was 4,450 tons, 3% less than the daily production during the preceding month and 4% less than that in June 2014. Primary aluminium production during the first half of 2015 was 5% less than that of the same period in 2014. Total aluminium recovered from scrap in June 2015 was 308,000 tons, 8% more than that recovered in May and slightly more than that in June 2014. Of this, 174,000 tons of aluminium was recovered from new scrap, 13% more than the amount during the preceding month and 6% more than the amount recovered in June 2014. The amount of aluminium recovered from old scrap was 134,000 tons, slightly...
HELUKABEL publishes first-ever aluminum cable catalog
HELUKABEL has published its first-ever aluminum catalog, which presents its extensive range of aluminum cables and conductors, as well as information about proper processing techniques and the associated connection technology. It is the first catalog of its kind to appear on the market. With more than 100 pages, everything readers need to know regarding aluminum as a conductor material and the extensive product range is clearly presented. Aluminum cables have a long history at HELUKABEL. Thanks to the POWERLINE ALU-series, HELUKABEL has even been able to offer a finely stranded aluminum cable for several years now. Once developed for wind power applications, other industries are also benefitting from this highly flexible cable product. Traditionally used in ground and medium-voltage...
Global beverage containers market to grow at a CAGR 2.83% during 2014-2019
A recently conducted market research reveals consolidation in the packaging industry is going to have a substantial impact on the market. Rexam, the premeire can maker, if merges with Ball will craete a gloabl leader in the metal beverage packaging indsurty. A deal to this effect was announced in February 2015. Together Rexam and Ball is expected to serve its combined end user base in Europe, North America and Latin America in a better way. Post consolidation, the top three vendors will together constitute a major share of the metal beverage container market. As per the report, the global beverage container market is expected to grow at CAGR of 2.83% during 2014-2019. It has been observed the market for carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) has been shrinking over the last one decade, whereas...
Aluminium body of 2015 Ford F-150 unlikely to hurt resales, observe experts
Even before the 2015 Ford F-150 arrived at dealerships there has been some scepticism about the car due to it having body panels made from aluminium. On the plus side was the fact that the aluminium helped the vehicle to shed 700 pounds, which means its better on the fuel economy, on the downside is the fact that there could be higher repair costs. However it is looking as though the aluminium isn’t in fact going to hurt resales. It is now looking as though the resale value for the 2015 Ford F-150 is on the rise, based on the latest calculations. Experts now say that it will hold 58% of its value over three years. Compared to this was the 2014 model which came in at 52%. The figure means that Ford now has the highest resale value forecast in full-size pick-ups in the US. The 2015 Toyota...
Kulshan Brewing Company moves into Rexam cans
Hoping to bring its award-winning beers to even more customers, Kulshan Brewing Company has added cans to its packaging mix. Two of its brews - Bastard Kat IPA and Full 90 Session Ale are available now in Rexam 12 oz. cans. Brewed with passion and precision, Bastard Kat is an American Style West Coast IPA with a full hop flavor and aroma predicated upon the citrus notes of the Cascade Hop. Full 90 Session Ale features crisp, herbal, light citrus German Perle hops balanced with Vienna malt providing a soft bready character to this light ale. To keep up with demand for its beers, Kulshan recently expanded its operations opening a second brewery location that is twice the size of its original brew house. It features a large taproom and a brand-new canning line, which made it possible for...
Alupro announces revisions to the aluminium IBA protocol
Following approval from Defra and the Environment Agencies, revisions are being introduced to the protocol that account for aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Three revisions to the protocol are designed to obtain a more accurate rate of the aluminium packaging currently being recycled in the UK or exported for recycling, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has announced. The existing protocol, which is based on the mixed non-ferrous element of IBA, has been revised. The protocol now recognises that a minimum of 70% of the mixed non-ferrous metals recovered from IBA is aluminium packaging, including drinks, cans, foils and aerosols. This increase from the previous percentage of 50% follows detailed studies of tested samples and discussions...
Growing new aluminum capacity to add to China's 5.5 mt supply glut
China’s aluminum market is in surplus by approximately 5.5 million tonnes at present, and this situation will only get worse in H1 2015 as more capacity come on stream. About 1.8 million-tpy aluminum capacity is expected to enter into service in the second half of the year. New aluminum capacity concentrates in west China, where over 2 million tonnes capacity was newly built in H1 2015 alone. West China contributes to about 60% of the country’s aluminum production, and local operating rate is as high as over 90%. Most smelters there have captive power plants and enjoy lower power tariffs, allowing their production costs to stay low at 8,000-9,000 yuan per tonne. High-cost smelters in other parts of the country have cut or ceased production against falling aluminum prices. However, the...
Chalco swings to profit in H1 on cost cuts
Aluminum Corp of China Ltd (Chalco) posted a first-half net profit of 27.6 million yuan ($4.31 million), helped by lower production costs and rising sale prices of alumina products. Chalco swung to a net profit in the first quarter of this year after having posted a record loss in 2014 that was partly due to huge writedowns. The first-half profit compared with a net loss of 4.12 billion yuan in the six months through June 2014. The company, China's top integrated aluminium group, sells its product mainly in the domestic market. The front-month aluminium contract in Shanghai fell about 4 percent in the first half of this year as overcapacity weighed on prices amid the slow economic growth in China. The contract price, typically reflects domestic demand for spot primary aluminium, has...
Vedanta to halve output at Lanjigarh alumina refinery, job cuts to follow
Vedanta Ltd will halve output at its one- million-tonne-a-year alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Orissa state in about two months, a senior executive said, due mainly to acute shortage of raw material bauxite and weak LME aluminium prices. Job cuts at the refinery, which employs about 2,000 people, are likely to be proportional to output reduction, Abhijit Pati, head of Vedanta’s aluminium business, told on Thursday. This is nothing but a part of the closure process that has already been kicked off by the minerals and metals behemoth in a phased manner. Odisha government, earlier this week, had declined to come to the rescue of the company saying there was inadequate bauxite to feed the big alumina refinery. Hence, the inevitable shutdown and resultant output reduction and job cuts.
Global mining equipment market revenue to reach $95.14 billion by 2022
As per a recent study, the Global Mining Equipment Market is expected to reach USD 95.14 billion by 2022. The mining industry has faced an economic slowdown over the last two years due to reduced investments and weak demand from major geographies including North America & Europe which has significantly hampered the mining equipment market. Leading manufacturers including Caterpillar, Sandvik and Atlas Copco have reported substantial drop in their revenues as a consequence of the mining industry's economic slump. The slowdown is primarily concentrated around new projects and expansion of existing projects. Current operations continue to perform well, with companies striving constantly to improve productivity. The mining industry is expected to start its recovery post 2017, as mining...
Update: Hindalco to ramp up production at MP aluminium smelter
Aditya Birla Group-promoted Hindalco Industries has said it would attain its full capacity at its Mahan aluminium smelter in Madhya Pradesh soon. The investment project faced a few road-blocks earlier pertaining to coal procurement apart from protests from environmentalists, but went on stream in mid-2013. Hindalco said: "Its (Mahan aluminium smelter project) final production capacity will be 3.6 lakh tonnes of aluminium metal per year. Currently, the unit is producing close to 95% of this capacity and is ramping up towards its full capacity, which is expected to be hit soon." In May 2006, Hindalco had signed a deal with state government and had proposed a sector specific special economic zone (SEZ) to attract an investment of more than INR 20,000 crore of which it had proposed to invest...
Manufacturer puts Bolton on the map with worldwide export success
BOLDMAN, the Bolton manufacturer of aluminium structures, is flying the flag for the town across the world with over 50 per cent of its business now coming from overseas sales. Set up in 1996, the manufacturer now employees 22 people in its workshop on the Britannia Way Industrial Estate and ships its aluminium products to Angola, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Norway, Nigeria and the USA. Plans are also in place to see the product exported to Brazil, Czech Republic and Ghana by the end of the year. The company’s export success comes off the back of two record years of growth, with a reported turnover of £3.5million in the last financial year, up on £1.5million in 2013. Boldman began as a distributor of the Paletti Aluminium profile system. It remains the UK & Ireland’s only distributor and has...
New jaguar XE set for Zimbabwe
UK-based automobile manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover's all new premium model Jaguar XE is expected to be unveiled in Zimbabwe soon. The new car – in the pipeline for nearly two years – is billed as a competitor to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 in terms of superfluity, speed and comfort. Jaguar marketing and communications director for South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa Lisa Mallett said the vehicle has an ingenium engine, which makes it fuel efficient, using 4,21 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. “With this new luxury model we are targeting a new customer group that is yet to enjoy our products,” she told . Mallet noted that the new Jaguar, with aluminium-intensive architecture and integral link rear suspension, was specifically made for the rough African terrain. “We are...
Car-O-Liner Aluminum Workstation wins 2015 Innovation Award
Car-O-Liner has been selected as the winner of the Professional Tool & Equipment News (PTEN) Innovation Award in the BodyShop Equipment category for the Car-O-Liner Aluminum Workstation. Every year, PTEN requests tool and equipment manufacturers to submit their new and innovative products for consideration in the PTEN Innovation Awards. This year, the publication received a record 117 product nominations. Evaluated by a panel of judges consisting of technicians and shop owners, the PTEN Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative products introduced in the last year to the automotive aftermarket. These tools, introduced or significantly updated within the last year, are evaluated based on their ability to make vehicle diagnosis and repair easier and more efficient, and make shops more...
