Europe holds 10% of global aluminium extrusion demand, supported by Germany’s Constellium, France’s Hydro Extrusions & Italy’s Metra
Across Europe, aluminium extrusion has become closely woven into some of the region’s biggest industrial and construction markets. From automotive and transport to buildings and industrial applications, extruded profiles are finding demand across a wide range of sectors. This is reflected in Europe’s position in the global market: the region accounted for 12 per cent of global aluminium extrusion capacity, making it the second-largest regional contributor after China. At the same time, Europe represented 10 per cent of global aluminium extrusion usage, out of total global usage of 35.35 million tonnes . With production capacity and usage shares relatively close, Europe’s extrusion capacity and consumption are broadly at par. If we break down Europe’s 10 per cent share of global aluminium...
H1 2026 sees more renewable energy than ever: Here’s a region-by-region guide to renewable energy supply in the recent past
In the first half of 2025, humanity generated more electricity from renewables than from coal for the first time ever. What led to it? It was possible only because of two decades of falling solar panel prices, taller wind turbines, and governments finally treating clean power like an economic opportunity instead of a favour to the planet. But the renewable energy scenario cannot be portrayed as a single global story. To get the full picture, one has to connect dozens of regional stories moving at wildly different speeds. Some countries are already powered almost entirely by sun, wind and water. Others are still warming up. Here is a tour of how renewable energy supply looks across the world’s regions right now, and who is actually leading the charge. The global scorecard: Renewable energy...
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WEEKLY: China's alumina output hits over 1.5-year high
Total metallurgical-grade alumina production among the 44 Chinese producers regularly tracked by Mysteel rose to 1.79 million tonnes over July 4-10, up 2.1 per cent from the prior week and marking the highest weekly output since January 2024, according to Mysteel's latest survey. The increase was largely the result of the ongoing resumption of operations at several alumina refineries in East China's Shandong province, Central China's Henan province, and Southwest China's Guizhou province, market watchers observed. Specifically, on July 6, a Shandong-based alumina producer resumed an 800,000 tonnes per tonne production line following a previous cutback. The next day, two Henan-based refineries each restarted a 700,000 tonnes per year line, while a producer in Guizhou resumed a 200,000...
China’s bauxite shipments and seaborne cargoes review: Inpour surges, but shipments slide
As of mid-July 2025, China’s bauxite supply chain stands at a crossroads, flush with incoming cargo but showing signs of lagging shipments. The latest Mysteel survey, dated July 11, 2025, paints a contrasting picture of China’s bauxite trade dynamics, revealing a week-on-week increase in seaborne cargo volume, even as actual shipments to Chinese ports dropped dramatically. The story here is not just about numbers; it’s about timing, trade strategies, and potential implications for the aluminium supply chain. The latest survey captures this divergence vividly: while seaborne cargo volumes surged past 16.38 million tonnes, the volume of shipments received at Chinese ports plunged by over 1 million tonnes week-on-week. Image for representational purposes only Seaborne volumes climb, driven...
Is Guinea to be slapped with a lawsuit? EGA’s stance raises a question: What is the country’s bauxite reckoning?
GAC (Guinea Alumina Corporation), the bauxite mining wing operating in Guinea has had become extensively dependent on the African country’s bauxite resources. Supporting the statement is the number, wherein the company exported 10.8 million tonnes of bauxite in 2024 alone, a noteworthy volume contributing to both EGA’s own needs and the global aluminium value chain. A portion of this bauxite also went for the supplies of EGA’s Al Taweelah alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi. On July 3, the Guinean military junta finally cancelled Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA) mining contract, stripping Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) of its operating license. Today, we try answering the ‘why’ and add value-added context to the recent industry-impacting turn of events. Image for referential purposes only...
Is Mozal smelter at risk? South32 flags impairment over power supply
South32, the global mining and metals giant has flagged a potential impairment about the future of its Mozal Aluminium smelter, in its FY25 financial results due to deepening uncertainty over the smelter’s long-term electricity supply. The mining and metals major stated that ongoing contract negotiations and worsening drought conditions have thrown the future of the smelter into question. The financial hit though not yet quantified could mark a critical turning point for one of Mozambique’s largest industrial operations. South32 stated in a regulatory filing, “HCB has also recently indicated that drought conditions have the potential to impact its electricity generation and capacity to deliver sufficient hydro-electric power to Mozal. “These factors have resulted in increased uncertainty...
Q1 2025: Thailand scooped up US aluminium scrap when rest of the world slowed down
While the United States witnessed a modest uptick in aluminium imports during Q1 2025, aluminium exports took a noticeable plunge. Not by a marginal 10,000 or 20,000 tonnes, but a steep 95,000 tonnes year-on-year. From 854,000 tonnes in Q1 2024, US aluminium exports (including scrap) shrank to 759,000 tonnes in Q1 2025, marking an 11 per cent annual decline. This decline, however, isn’t evenly spread across all aluminium product categories or destinations, and it raises questions about the underlying shifts in global aluminium trade dynamics. Exports across the board According to recent figures from the US Geological Survey, the fall in aluminium exports touched all categories - crude metal and alloy, semi-fabricated products, and even scrap, though to varying degrees. Crude metal and...
Indian aluminium rises while Russian share falls in LME warehouses – what’s driving the shift in June 2025?
Primary aluminium inventories registered with the London Metal Exchange (LME) continued to rise in June, reaching 338,000 tonnes, up from 321,850 tonnes in May and 250,875 tonnes in April. This steady increase in stock levels was largely driven by a significant surge in Indian-origin aluminium entering LME warehouses. Image for representational purpose Indian aluminium inventories climbed sharply from 25,050 tonnes in April to 97,950 tonnes in May, and further to 114,150 tonnes in June. This rise boosted India’s share of total LME primary aluminium stocks to 34 per cent in June, up from 30 per cent in May and just 10 per cent in April, underscoring the growing global presence of Indian metal. In contrast, Russian-origin aluminium inventories at the LME have remained fairly stable in...
“We have diversified into biomass pellets and green fuel to make our aluminium recycling process more sustainable. Our goal is to go completely green by the end of this year.” – Sudarshan Bagaria, CEO, Bagaria Aluminium Alloys Pvt. Ltd.
AL Circle: Could you please brief us about your journey in producing 1,100 tonnes of secondary aluminium per month at your facility? Sudarshan Bagaria: We started this journey in 2016, when we installed an aluminium plant and it started functioning in June 2017. At that time, we had never imagined that we would reach 1,100 tonnes per month. Starting from a small facility with only one furnace, we produced 100 tonnes in our first month. And thereafter, the journey continued because the automotive sector as well as the electrical sector were expanding. It reaches eight to 10 per cent minimum every year. Some companies are going by 20 per cent, 25 per cent also. This helped us create avenues with only one thing in mind: our quality. We achieved 1100 tonnes solely due to our quality, which we...
5-year countdown: How close is the aluminium industry to meeting the 2030 low-carbon goal?
A gentle but urgent reminder: the world has just five years left to meet the 2030 low-carbon target – a milestone set by high energy-intensive industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent from 2010 levels of approximately 43,420.56 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This ambitious target is not an individual checkpoint but a vital stop on the journey to net zero-emissions by 2050. With the clock ticking, it is essential to track where exactly do the world’s carbon-heavy industries stand today? Are we on pace—or falling further behind? A report by the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP), which is a climate alliance dedicated to accelerating decarbonisation of the world’s heaviest-emitting industries,...
Part 2 - “The X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft is specifically designed to address the most significant environmental noise pollution challenge associated with supersonic flight: the sonic boom,” Kalea Texeira, National Training Program Manager at Federal Aviation Administration
Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation with Kalea Texeira, National Training Program Manager at the Federal Aviation Administration. In this segment, Kalea dives deeper into NASA’s groundbreaking X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, offering an inside look at how its innovative design and material choices help minimize the disruptive sonic booms that plagued earlier supersonic jets like the Concorde and F-18. She also underscores the essential role of aluminium in modern aircraft construction highlighting how this lightweight, high-performance material remains key to pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation. AL Circle: What critical insights were gained from the integration tests using the real aircraft, and how did they shape further refinements? Kalea Texeira : The...
From 274 thousand tonnes to fivefold aluminium production – Know how Indonesia is planning its major production boom
Chinese tycoons are accelerating the growth of Indonesia’s aluminium industry with multibillion-dollar investments that echo the country’s earlier nickel boom and have the potential to disrupt the global aluminium market. Facing tightening production limits at home, giants like billionaire Xiang Guangda’s Tsingshan Holding Group, China Hongqiao Group, and Song Jianbo’s Shandong Nanshan Aluminium are shifting their focus to Southeast Asia’s largest economy, pouring capital into new smelters and refineries. Indonesia’s aluminium industry is on the cusp of dramatic growth, fuelled by both domestic policy shifts and a wave of foreign investment. According to Goldman Sachs, Indonesia’s aluminium output could increase fivefold by the end of the decade. Currently, as reported by Petromindo.com,...
Euric pushes back on EU aluminium scrap export ban while others support it - what drives this divide?
The Brussels-based European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) has voiced strong opposition to a proposed ban on recycled aluminium exports from the EU. On the flip side, several other European industry groups are pushing for tighter controls, citing growing concerns over aluminium scrap leakage. What's fueling this split in opinion?. The recycling organisation, amidst the rising demand for safeguard measures urged by the majority of the EU scrap exporters, have enunciated that the low aluminium scrap export volume indicates a restriction to the trade, providing no solution for the trade and energy concerns of the aluminium producers in the EU. Owing to the previous messages of the European aluminium producers and organisations, the association states that it is deceiving, as it...
Aluminium, part of sector 232, not under reciprocal tariff. Then, what is? And, who pays for it?
“Tariff is the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” Donald Trump once declared. That wasn’t a throwaway line, but what seemed to be a transnational battle cry. Six months into his second term, the former and now current US President has turned the word into a policy instrument of unparalleled weight. And as of this week, the tariffs keep coming, swelling in scale, reach, and global consequence. Image for representational purposes only On July 9, Trump expanded his tariff net further , issuing formal notifications to seven new countries — Algeria (30 per cent), Iraq (30 per cent), Libya (30 per cent), the Philippines (20 per cent), Brunei (25 per cent), Moldova (25 per cent), and Sri Lanka (30 per cent) — warning that reciprocal duties on all goods from these nations will take effect...
Fuelling India’s mineral growth story including bauxite with OMC’s ambitious production target
In April 2025, India’s bauxite production increased by 13.9 per cent year-on-year, rising from 1.87 million tonnes to 2.13 million tonnes. Over the course of FY2024-25, the country produced a total of 24.7 million tonnes of bauxite, solidifying its position as the world’s fifth-largest producer, following Guinea, Australia, China, and Brazil. This growth reflects the country’s expanding role in the global bauxite supply chain and the increasing demand for aluminium and related industries. A significant contributor to this national growth is the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), which has been steadily scaling up its bauxite output to meet both domestic and industrial needs. In FY2024-25, OMC successfully achieved a bauxite production milestone of 3 million tonnes. Building on this...
Part 1 - “Aluminum plays a pivotal role in both the structural integrity and aerodynamic efficiency of NASA’s X-59 QueSST aircraft,” Kalea Texeira, National Training Program Manager at Federal Aviation Administration
In conversation with Kalea Texeira, who explained about NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft. In this interview she highlighted how it used materials and shaped its airframe to minimise sonic booms something earlier aircraft like the Concorde and F-18 never addressed. She also pointed out the importance of aluminium for aircraft construction. To know more of her insights, read the full interview below: Al Circle: What distinguishes the X-59's airframe and materials from earlier supersonic aircraft like Concorde or the F-18? Kalea Texeira: The X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft represents a significant leap in supersonic aircraft design, particularly in its approach to airframe and material selection, distinguishing it markedly from predecessors like the...
20% hike in the United States Q1 aluminium imports - UAE’s role signals trade rethink
A quarterly and annual jump in the United States aluminium imports during the first quarter of 2025 comes as no surprise – and here’s why. President Trump’s February 10 proclamation announcing steep tariffs on aluminium and steel imports, effective March 12, sparked a wave of anticipatory buying. US importers rushed to stockpile metal in the weeks ahead of the tariff deadline, setting off a temporary import boom. According to data from the US Geological Survey, aluminium imports surged to 1.6 million tonnes in Q1 2025, marking a 17.65 per cent jump year-on-year and a 20 per cent rise from the previous quarter. March alone saw a 35 per cent month-over-month spike, from 459,000 tonnes to 619,000 tonnes. Of course, Canada, America’s long-standing aluminium supplier, naturally played a...
Sohar Aluminium advances sustainability with focus on efficiency and decarbonisation
Sohar Aluminium is strengthening its sustainability efforts by prioritising energy efficiency, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and advancing its long-term commitment to environmental stewardship. Image for representational purpose The company’s 2024 sustainability report details a series of targeted initiatives designed to align operations with Oman Vision 2040 and international climate commitments, while reinforcing its position as a leader in responsible aluminium production. Sohar Aluminium Chief Executive Officer Eng. Said Mohammed Al Masoudi said, “Building on our ESG strategy and roadmap, 2024 marked a year of tangible progress in advancing sustainability across our operations. We strengthened our focus on resource efficiency, circularity, and low-carbon initiatives while...
Still shackled by tariffs: Why the UK missed the steel and aluminium deal deadline with the US
In a blow to Britain’s steel and aluminium exporters, the UK has officially missed the July 9 deadline to strike a deal with the United States over the continuation of punitive tariffs first imposed by the Trump administration in 2018. The breakdown in talks risks prolonging a trade dispute that many hoped would be resolved by now, leaving British metal producers disadvantaged and frustrated. Image for referential purposes only At the heart of the issue is a failure to agree on mutually acceptable terms for a deal akin to the ones the US struck with the EU, Japan, and other allies. While those nations secured tariff rate quotas (TRQs) that partially restored access to the American market, the UK remains stuck with Section 232 tariffs — 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium....
A surprising 209% share gain forecasted for Metro Mining by FY’26
Metro Mining Ltd (ASX: MMI), an Australian bauxite producer, is trading at AUD 0.056 per share (as of May 26, 2025). With a substantial discount against the consensus analyst target of AUD 0.17, the pricing hints towards a potential upside of 209 per cent , according to AInvest data. Shaw & Partners, which has been covering the company since 2023, maintains a ‘Moderate Buy’ recommendation, with its latest reaffirmation in February 2025. Image for representational purposes only (source: https://metromining.com.au/) Operational growth and output scale Metro’s production at its flagship Bauxite Hills mine in Queensland has expanded from approximately 3.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in 2020 to 6 Mtpa in 2024. The company has outlined its goal of reaching a run-rate between 6.5 and 7 Mtpa...
