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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Maxion to open new aluminum wheel manufacturing facility in Limeira, Brazil
Maxion Wheels, a producer of wheels for passenger cars, light trucks, commercial trucks and trailers, has announced that it will open a new light vehicle aluminum wheel manufacturing facility in Limeira, Brazil. The new facility will join an existing steel wheel plant on the same site and create 800,000 wheels of new wheel capacity in year one, eventually growing to a capacity of 2,000,000 annually. The facility will provide 500 new jobs with an anticipated start of production in the second half of 2015. Maxion Wheels is also initiating an expansion of their current automotive aluminum wheel facility in Santo Andre. The Santo Andre plant will add to their existing capacity by more than 50% to meet growing domestic demand. Don Polk, Maxion Wheels' President of the Americas stated, "Maxion...
Bhoruka Aluminium Ltd to consider 1st quarter results on August 13, 2014
A meeting of the Board of Directors of Bhoruka Aluminium Ltd will be held on August 13, 2014, to consider and take on record the Unaudited Financial Results for First quarter ended June 30, 2014. Under the "Code of Conduct for prevention of Insider Trading" , the Trading Window for dealing in the securities of the Company shall remain closed for the Directors and Others covered under the Code from the closure of business hours of August 05, 2014 and shall continue to remain closed upto 24 hours after the information is submitted to the Stock Exchange on August, 2014. Shares of BHORUKA ALUMINIUM LTD. was last trading in BSE at INR1.18 as compared to the previous close of INR 1.24. The total number of shares traded during the day was 19693 in over 525 trades. The stock hit an intraday high...
Novelis increases prices for automotive and specialty aluminum sheet products in North America
Novelis the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today announced price increases on its North American Automotive and Specialty aluminum sheet products for all new orders effective immediately. All existing orders and firm agreements confirmed prior to August 7, 2014 will be honored throughout the contract period. Automotive Products Increase 6xxx series automotive alloys +$0.06/lb 5xxx series automotive alloys +$0.06/lb Specialty Products 1xxx and 3xxx series alloys +$0.05/lb 5xxx series +$0.03/lb 6061-O +$0.03/lb The Automotive price increase is in addition to the previously announced pricing adjustment made on January 1, 2014 of $0.11 per pound for 6000-series, 5182-series and 5000-series coated Automotive alloys. "To support the rapidly growing automotive market demand,...
Orbite begins construction at its high purity alumina production facility
Orbite Aluminae Inc. announced today that it has commenced construction activities at its high purity alumina (HPA) production facility in Cap-Chat, Québec. This first phase of construction entails the structural reinforcement of the HPA building structure required for the subsequent installation of the Outotec calcination equipment. The contract was awarded to a contractor from the Gaspe region in Québec, Atelier de Soudure Gilles Roy. “Following more than six months of design review and detailed engineering, we are pleased to begin this final phase of construction at our HPA facility,” said Denis Arguin, Orbite’s VP of Engineering and Operations. “The site has been prepped for construction and our construction management team is in place and operational. We look forward to driving...
Aluminium futures gain 0.24% on pick-up in demand
Aluminium prices edged up by 0.24% to INR 123.15 per kg in futures trade today as speculators enlarged positions due to pick-up in demand at the spot market. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in August moved up marginally by 25 paise, or 0.24%, to INR 123.15 per kg in a business turnover of 308 lots. Likewise, the metal for delivery in September traded higher by 30 paise, or 0.24%, to INR 123.55 per kg in eight lots. Market analysts attributed the rise in aluminium futures to pick-up in demand in the spot market.
Kaiser Aluminum CEO unloads $385,200 in stock
Kaiser Aluminum Corp. CEO Jack A. Hockema sold 5,000 shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corp. stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.04, for a total value of $385,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,786,558. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Kaiser Aluminum Corp. in a research note on Friday, July 25th. They now have a $85.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $80.00. Separately, analysts at Cowen and...
The auto industry falls for aluminium: Automotive World report
A detailed report on the increasing use of aluminium in the automotive industry has been published by Automotive World. Featuring interviews with industry experts and executives from leading OEMs including Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Audi, Automotive World Briefing: The auto industry falls for aluminium examines aluminium’s potential in automotive manufacturing. Interviews with the aluminium suppliers at the forefront of automotive applications revealed the key challenges that lie ahead in convincing OEMs to make more extensive use of their lightweight products. High-level representatives from aluminium suppliers including Alcoa, Novelis, Constellium and Hydro gave their perspectives on why aluminium is a smart choice for improving fuel efficiency, and what must be done for it to...
Ess Dee Aluminium to consider quarterly results on August 14, 2014
A meeting of the Board of Directors of Ess Dee Aluminium Ltd will be held on August 14, 2014, to consider and take on record the Unaudited Financial Results of the Company for the quarter ended June 30, 2014. The Trading Window for the purpose of transacting in the Company's share will remain closed with effect from August 07, 2014 to August 18, 2014 (both days inclusive). Shares of ESS DEE ALUMINIUM LTD. was last trading in BSE at Rs.525.8 as compared to the previous close of Rs. 537.4. The total number of shares traded during the day was 9176 in over 463 trades. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs. 539 and intraday low of 522.2. The net turnover during the day was Rs. 4859388.
Aleris Reports Second Quarter 2014 Results
Aleris Corporation reported results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014. Second Quarter Summary Adjusted EBITDA of $65 million; Net loss of $17 million Sequential Adjusted EBITDA improvement but disappointing year-over-year performance Significantly higher automotive volumes Global aerospace volumes and price negatively impacted by customer destocking Operational issues limited shipments and increased costs in rolled products North American rolled products margins down due to product mix and competitive imports Nichols acquisition integration efforts progressing; raising synergy capture target Improvement in Specification Alloy metal spreads and overall Recycling business profitability Liquidity of $431 million as of June 30, 2014 Third Quarter Outlook Sequential and...
Encore Wire to expand Texas plant
The wire manufacturing firm Encore Wire Corp., headquartered in McKinney, Texas, has announced plans for a 250,000-square-foot expansion to its existing aluminum wire manufacturing plant in McKinney. The company’s aluminum wire manufacturing plant presently measures 200,000 square feet. Encore says it expects the cost of the expansion, as well as other upgrades to the McKinney facility, to cost from $4.1 to $4.6 million. The company says the expansion project is part of its capital expenditure plan for 2014 and 2015, which will include the purchase of additional manufacturing equipment. Encore estimates its total capital expenditures for 2014 to be as much as $45 million. Commenting on the announcement, Daniel Jones, president and CEO of Encore Wire, says, “Encore Wire has experienced...
Century Aluminum stock jumps 5.5%
Century Aluminum Co. was a big mover last session, as the company saw its shares rise more than 5% on the day. The move came on solid volume too with far more shares changing hands than in a normal session. This continues the recent uptrend of the company as the stock is now up 27.25% over the past one-month time frame. The stock has witnessed 3 upward estimate revisions in the past 30 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has also moved up over the same time frame, suggesting that more solid trading could be ahead for Century Aluminum. So make sure to keep an eye on this stock going forward to see if the latest jump can turn into more strength down the road.
Aluminium Services UK Limited acquired by Reliance Steel & Aluminum
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. announced that, effective August 1, 2014, it has acquired all of the capital stock of Aluminium Services UK Limited, the holding company parent of All Metal Services ("AMS"), the world's largest independent raw material service provider to the aerospace and defense industries. AMS will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., through UK holding companies. Current management will remain in place. Additional transaction terms were not disclosed. "We are excited to expand our aerospace presence in this growing market," said David H. Hannah, Chairman and CEO of Reliance. "This acquisition is especially attractive given the current and anticipated growth of the global aerospace industry. AMS is a well-established and trusted supplier...
Shutdown of Ohio aluminum giant Ormet appears final
The Niagara World-Wide company announced July 31 the final and permanent closing of the former Ormet Primary Aluminum Corporation's plant near here. Along with the closing, Niagara fired the last twenty workers still employed at the former Ormet facility. Ormet, including its property and assets, had been bought out by Niagara at a Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction sale held July 27, only a few days earlier. Thursday's announcement dashed any hope that the workers and their communities may have had that Ormet's operations might be revived. At the time of the shutdown announcement, in addition to the final 20 workers, there were over 3,000 who had already been laid off and another 1,000 Ormet retirees. Not only did Ormet's workers rely on the company for a decent living but the economies of...
AAM encouraged by analysis results for Toubal bauxite project in Guinea.
Anglo-African Minerals is encouraged by initial results from the sample analysis for its Toubal bauxite project in Guinea. The company engaged ALS Minerals in Ireland to undertake the analysis of 10,627 samples from the Toubal project in April. Initial interim results of the chemical analysis undertaken by ALS Minerals show that Toubal has the potential to produce high grade bauxite with an alumina content of higher that 40% and a low silica content. Chief executive James Lumley said: "The initial results from ALS Minerals are very encouraging and have highlighted that the Toubal project has the potential to become a world class bauxite deposit.We look forward to updating shareholders once we receive the final analysis results"
China bauxite imports grow 37.91% to 2.93 M tonnes
Inbound shipments of bauxite to China grew 37.91% from May to 2.93 million tonnes in June due to increased imports outside Indonesia, Shanghai Metals Market learned. Except one shipment of Indonesian ore from bonded area in May, no arrivals of Indonesian goods have been reported since this April after the country implemented its export ban on unprocessed ore early this year. Imports increased from other countries during the first six months of the year, though. Imports throughout June from Ghana, Brazil and Malaysia grew by 176.67%, 187.6% and 92.35% respectively, all on a yearly basis. However, China still witnessed a 39.82% decline in June’s imports from a year ago, down to 19.52 million tonnes. SMM attributes the slump to last year’s high base following large stockpiling and the...
China’s alumina imports to slow in H2 following 67.82% surge in H1
China’s alumina imports will slow for the remainder of the year following a 67.82% year-on-year surge in H1 as prices for imported alumina will follow primary aluminum up, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. Inbound shipments in June, though rocketing 307.75% from a year ago to 372,300 tonnes, did retreat from April’s peak, bringing imports to 2.76 million tonnes throughout the first six months, China customs data showed. Port stocks hit over 1 million tonnes at one point as domestic traders ramped up imports in response to Indonesia’s export ban and production cuts in China. This, along with depressed prices for imported alumina, curtailed appetite for imports, SMM understood.
Glencore seeks dismissal of U.S. aluminum price-fixing claims
Glencore Plc, one of the world's largest mining companies, has asked a U.S. judge to dismiss it as a defendant from nationwide antitrust litigation over the alleged manipulation of aluminum prices. In a Monday night filing with the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Glencore said it lacks minimal contacts with New York, Michigan and California, where the alleged violations took place, and does not even conduct any business in those states. Glencore said it is solely a Jersey holding company with offices in Baar, Switzerland, and as a result has never bought or sold physical aluminum, London Metal Exchange warrants or LME aluminum futures, and never owned or operated warehouses. Plaintiffs in the various cases include so-called direct purchaser plaintiffs, commercial end-user plaintiffs,...
China’s aluminum imports slump to 14,700 tonnes in June on rising aluminum premiums
China’s aluminum imports fell to 14,700 tonnes in June on rising aluminum premiums, Shanghai Metals Market learned. The 20.02% year-on-year and 38.92% month-on-month slump was largely the consequence of continuously rising aluminum premiums in international market. Aluminum premiums hit more than $ 380 per tonne and added to import costs of Chinese buyers, overshadowing the higher SHFE/LME aluminum price ratio. Inbound shipments during H1 amounted to 227,200 tonnes, surging 128.47% from a year ago, though.
