German downstream aluminium exports fall 13% in H1 2026 but US enters top 5 with 228.1% import surge
Germany’s downstream aluminium export map underwent a noticeable shift in H1 2026. Shipments to the world fell, with most of Germany’s traditional European customers taking less aluminium downstream product. Yet, amid that broad retreat, one market moved in the opposite direction: the United States. German downstream aluminium exports to the world fell to 897,773.19 tonnes in H1 2026 from 1 million tonnes in H1 2025, a decline of 13 per cent year on year. The contrast was particularly sharp in the US market. American imports of German downstream aluminium reached 68,061.61 tonnes in H1 2026, up 228.1 per cent from just 20,743.62 tonnes in H1 2025. The increase of more than 47,000 tonnes was enough to push the US into Germany’s top 5 destinations for the first time. The export map is...
Caustic soda plant setup in India: How aluminium growth is reshaping demand, costs and opportunities
Caustic soda may not be the most visible ingredient in aluminium production, but without it, the journey from bauxite to alumina would look very different. The chemical, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a crucial reagent in the Bayer process, where it helps dissolve alumina-bearing material in bauxite and separate it from impurities. The dissolved material is then processed to recover alumina, which ultimately feeds aluminium production. That makes caustic soda more than just another industrial chemical. Its availability, price and efficient use can influence the economics of alumina refining and, by extension, the wider aluminium value chain. As India expands its alumina and aluminium capacity, the requirement for this chemical is also becoming increasingly important. For companies...
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EGA's innovative employees shine at Ideas.America awards
The company's active approach to innovation has seen UAE-based aluminium giant Emirates Global Aluminium's ("EGA") win five awards - including two Gold awards - at the Ideas.America International Competition, held in Colorado, USA from 16 to 18 September 2014. This success is a continuation of the company's proud record at the Ideas.America awards. All five of its shortlisted suggestions in this year's competition -which came from its highly-successful employee suggestion scheme - won awards. EGA is the jointly-owned aluminium conglomerate formed by Mubadala Development Corporation and Investment Corporation of Dubai that combines the businesses of Dubai Aluminium PJSC (" DUBAL ") and Emirates Aluminium Company Limited PJSC (" EMAL "). Although this is the first time EGA took part as a...
Alba's sales figures (metric tonnes) jump 2.3% in Q3 2014
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C ( Alba ) is on track to hit its annual growth targets with Q3 2014 sales figures up by 2.3% YoY to reach 232,922 metric tonnes (mt) versus 227,758 mt in Q3 2013, while its production figures topped 233,496 mt for the same period in 2014, an increase of 3,438 mt versus 230,058 mt in Q3 2013. In addition, Alba increased its Value-Added (VA) sales for Q3 2014 - jumping to 67% versus 65% in Q3 2013. For the nine months of 2014, sales figures stretched to 689,203 (mt), up by 1% YOY; while production figures increased by 14,723 mt to reach 697,508 mt year-to-date. Commenting on Alba 's sales and production figures for Q3 2014, Alba 's Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: " Alba continues to push the limit on operational performance. I would also like to thank all...
Alcoa manufactures world’s largest single-piece forged aluminum hull for combat vehicles to improve troop protection
Alcoa, a global leader in lightweight, high-performance metals, has produced the world’s largest single-piece forged aluminum hull for combat vehicles to improve troop protection as part of a joint Alcoa-US Army initiative launched last year. Announced in Washington, DC at the Association of the US Army Annual Meeting—the largest landpower expo in North America—Alcoa manufactured the single-piece part, which was co-designed by Alcoa and the US Army Research Laboratory, with the goal of replacing today’s assembled hulls. Based on early modeling and simulation, single-piece underbody structures could provide two times better protection against blasts—such as those caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)—than traditional hulls, primarily by eliminating welded seams. In addition to...
Aleris introduces 7017 aluminum alloy in North America
Aleris announced today that it is now offering a new 7017 aluminum alloy in North America for commercial plate and defense end-uses. After extensive review and testing of Aleris 7017, the United States Army Research Lab (USARL) has issued MIL-DTL-32505 for use in armor applications. "7017 has a unique combination of properties making it ideal for the most advanced armor solutions," said Lawrence Kramer, global defense field engineer at Aleris. "These include high strength, weldability and corrosion resistance. This alloy is currently utilized in Europe and Asia on combat vehicles to achieve superior ballistic protection." The weld compatibility of the new alloy gives great flexibility to armored vehicle designers, enabling them to incorporate different design characteristics. The optimum...
Novelis announces price increase on pre-anodized aluminium sheet products
Novelis, the world leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, today announced price increases on its pre-anodized aluminium sheet products. The 10-15 percent price increase will go into effect on January 1, 2015 on all new orders not covered by existing supply agreements. This increase is due to the recently announced processing cost increase of our continuous anodizing partner, Coil S.A. “Overall demand of our premium pre-anodized product range remains strong across the globe,” said Erwin Mayr, Senior Vice President, Novelis and President, Novelis Europe. “The price adjustment reflects the increase in our production costs combined with tighter rolling capacities throughout the industry.” Novelis produces specialized aluminium products to meet exacting requirements of the construction...
Australian Bauxite secures A$8 million investment from Nobel Resources
Australian Bauxite had secured a mining lease last month for the Bald Hill project in Tasmania and now they have even secured an investment of A$ 8 million from a commodities group named Noble Resources. The agreement finalized between the two parties ensures Australian Bauxite receives A$ 6 million in terms of project finance and an additional A$2 million as stand-by facilities which is to be used in case of project expansions. In return, Noble would earn exclusive marketing rights for the entire Bald Hill project. The loan repayment needs to be made two years after the first drawdown which is expected to be in December of this year as around A$1 million is needed as the project goes into construction phase. The interest would be paid on the outstanding balance at a rate of 8.75% a year...
Tomar looking to bring industrialization to Madhya Pradesh
The union minister of steel and mines, Narendra Singh Tomar, has promised to set up aluminium refinery and steel plant in Madhya Pradesh to give a push to the industrialization of the state. He also aims to conduct geo chemical and physical survey of minerals to take a positive step towards mining. Tomar has expressed his interest to help set up an aluminium refinery for Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd. (BALCO) and has also proposed an investment of INR 22,000 crore made by NALCO for the state of Madhya Pradesh in the coming years, along with a proposed investment in the steel sector as well.
“The deliveries of the European foil rolling industry are very stable at present or even showing slight growth.” Stefan Glimm, Executive Director, EAFA - European Aluminium Foil Association e.V.
Being an Information and business portal for the aluminium value chain, AlCircle has long been associated with European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) as news associate. The European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) is the international body representing the aluminium foil, closure and packaging industry. Very recently, just before the Aluminium 2014 Exhibition, AlCircle has conducted an interview with Stefan Glimm, Executive Director, EAFA. Mr. Glimm is an economist with more than 30 years of experience working in national, European and global organizations in the field of sustainability, energy policy and downstream aluminium. He shared with AlCircle some significant insight into the aluminium foil industry, sustainability concerns and the future outlook for aluminium applications....
Century Aluminum receives consensus recommendation of “Buy” from Brokerages
Century Aluminum has been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the ten analysts that are covering the stock, AnalystRatings.Net reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $24.40. Century Aluminum opened at 22.55 on Friday. Century Aluminum has a 52-week low of $8.18 and a 52-week high of $29.54. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $25.56 and a 200-day moving average of $18.25. The company’s market cap is $2.003 billion. Century Aluminum last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the...
LME aluminium to rise towards $1,975
LME aluminium may break a resistance at $1,940 per tonne and rise more towards $1,975, as indicated by its wave pattern and a Fibonacci retracement analysis. The rebound from the Oct. 2 low of $1,885 has not completed, as it will consist of three waves. So far only two have unfolded. The third wave labelled c is expected to approach a resistance at $1,975, the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement on the fall from the Aug. 29 high of $2,119.50 to $1,885. Strategically, the target at $1,975 will be confirmed when aluminium breaks a weak resistance at $1,904, the 23.6 percent level. Support is at $1,919, the 14.6 percent level, a break below which will trigger a further loss to $1,885.
Alba participates in the 10th World Trade Fair & Conference in Dusseldorf
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) was a key participant at Aluminium 2014: 10th World Trade Fair & Conference, which was held from October 7 to 9, 2014 at Dusseldorf, Germany. The Company’s participation emphasised its commitment to strengthen the presence of its product portfolio in Europe and various global markets. Aluminium 2014 is one of the foremost B2B platforms for the aluminium industry. With more than 950 exhibitors, the event provides a comprehensive overview of the business and emerging markets. Alba’s stand at Aluminium 2014 showcased its high-grade aluminium products and highlighted the Company’s operations, productivity and state-of-the-art technology, safety, health and environment policies. Alba officials also held successful meetings with customers and suppliers and gained...
EEG volunteer teams recycle six tonnes of aluminium cans
More than six tonnes of aluminum cans were collected during a nationwide recycling drive on Saturday, 11th Oct. The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) organised their biannual Can Collection Drive to collect 6,009 kilograms of aluminum cans. This brings EEG’s total collections so far to 20,724kg. “Our aim is to pass 27,000 kilograms this year,” said Habiba Al Marashi, chairperson of the EEG. “It shouldn’t be a struggle, 27,000kg is nothing, it’s a drop in the ocean compared with the cans sold in the UAE a year – which is more than 500 million cans. “We try to divert one of our most valuable raw materials, which is aluminum, from the landfill. So this all will be collected, segregated, and cleaned so we only have pure aluminum ... that gets recycled 100 per cent.” The cans collected...
EU may renew import duties on aluminium foil from China and Brazil to avoid dumping
The European Union is investigating whether they need to renew the import duties imposed on the Chinese and Brazilian aluminium-foil exporters making it as high as 30 percent on companies like the Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio and Shanghai-based Alcoa Aluminium Products Co. The tariffs are currently 17.6 percent against Brazil and ranges between 6.4 and 30 percent against China which varies according to the exporter, even Armenia is under the imposition with 13.4 percent all of were due to lapse on Tuesday. The review will revel whether the cancellation of duties will revive the issue of dumpling faced from these manufacturing countries. The decision to review these cases originates from a request put forth by a group of companies on June 30 which includes Alcomet, Symetal, Eurofoil...
Alcoa reports a rise in end markets
According to Alcoa yearly report their projected aerospace sales growth is a healthy 8 to 9 percent thanks to growing demands in both large commercial aircraft and regional jets. They have even revised their global automotive production growth for 2014 from a previous estimation of 1-4 percent to 2-4 percent in the second quarter. Growth in global packaging sales and global building and construction sales remained constant at 2-3 percent and 4-6 percent respectively in 2014. The projected decline in the industrial gas turbine market of 8-12 percent also remained unchanged for the year. The company increased its estimate for production growth in the commercial transportation market in North America from a previous range of 10-14 percent to a revised range of 16-20 percent in the second...
Vimetco Extrusion starts production on new extrusion press from SMS Meer
Vimetco Extrusion has successfully commissioned a 32/35-MN-short-stroke front-loading extrusion press supplied by SMS Meer at its works in Slatina, Romania. The company uses the machine to produce aluminum profiles for the automotive industry and for building applications. Compared with conventional machines, the extrusion press reduces energy consumption by up to 25 percent and thereby meets the criteria for an ecoplants solution. The press is equipped with a start/stop function and electric servo motors for the side table and billet loader. With this “ecoDraulic” concept, energy savings of up to 25 percent are achieved compared with conventional presses with press speeds under 7 millimeters per second and billet lengths up to 1300 millimeters. The short-stroke front-loading extrusion...
JNARDDC and NFMTDC researching to produce high performance aluminium power cables
The Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) is undertaking a research that could change the face of the power sector in the next three to four years. A new aluminium and zircon alloy based alloy conductor could replace the current All Aluminium Alloy Conductor (AAAC) and the Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) used in overhead high tension wires to carry electricity over large distances. The new alloy being called new generation conductors would be able to carry the double the current carried at present at high temperature of 210 degrees Celsius. In fact, the wires are capable of carrying electricity efficiently at temperatures as high as 260-270 degrees Celsius in emergency or peak periods. This has also earned them the name of Super Thermal...
Vedanta Resources publishes production Release for the Second Quarter and Half Year ending 30 September 2014
Vedanta Resources publishes production Release for the Second Quarter and Half Year ending 30 September 2014. The company posts the following update on the Aluminium segment. The Lanjigarh alumina refinery operated above 90% of its rated capacity and produced 226,000 tonnes in Q2. The numbers for the corresponding prior period are not comparable as the plant restarted in July last year and ramped up thereafter. In Q2, production at the 500kt Jharsuguda-I & 245kt Korba-I smelters remained stable and above rated capacities despite incidences of grid failures. We have realised healthy premiums during the quarter. The continued challenges to coal availability in the country due to lower volumes of e-auction coal, rail logistics constraints and increased reliance on imports continue to...
AEC process optimization workshop offers a “Soup-to-Nuts” overview of extrusion process
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) is offering a newly revised and enhanced educational workshop that provides aluminum extruders with a comprehensive review of the entire extrusion process. The AEC Process Optimization Workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4 and Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. Just announced, the early registration discount has been extended through Thursday, October 16, 2014. The Process Optimization Workshop is a new educational workshop that offers a “soup to nuts” overview of the extrusion process, equipment, data systems, and more. The Workshop provides a comprehensive learning experience of the complete extrusion process and was developed by a dedicated team of AEC volunteers who are experts in their fields....
