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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World primary aluminium production declines 3% in April 2025, extending three-year trend
In April (30 days) 2025, the world's primary aluminium production decreased by 3.27 per cent M-o-M despite no decline recorded in daily average output. According to IAI, the world’s daily average aluminium production in April was 201,100 tonnes, remaining flat compared to 201,200 tonnes in March. However, on an annual basis, the output increased by 2.25 per cent, showed the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Decoding the output trend of April According to IAI data, the world primary aluminium production in April was 6.033 million tonnes, compared to 6.237 million tonnes a month ago and 5.9 million tonnes a year earlier. Throughout the year so far, the world primary aluminium production recorded the second monthly fall, but it is important to analyse if this has been a trend over the...
China’s downstream aluminium market in Q1 ’25: Cracks emerge in trade landscape
Since January, US President Donald Trump has announced the probable implementation of tariffs. He did not disclose the details then, but the history made aluminium traders susceptible to the future of the global aluminium import-export scenario, which, with time, proved to be true. China’s downstream aluminium product exports deflated while domestic consumption numbers balanced the production vs demand scenario. Image for representational purposes only China’s downstream aluminium domestic sector remained a cornerstone of its industrial economy in the first quarter of 2025, with total domestic consumption touching 9.7 million tonnes. This consumption, spanning multiple industrial segments, was valued at approximately USD 25.2 billion. Q1: Production and consumption The construction sector...
India’s EV sales grow 45% in single month, supplementing aluminium demand - Who’s capitalising on the market?
Since the end of 2024, market analysts in India consistently signalled strong growth prospects in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, urging the manufacturing industry to gear up for a major transformation. A central narrative in this shift was the soaring demand for aluminium, a vital material used extensively in engine parts, chassis, body panels, and wheels. Even ex-Vedanta CEO John Slaven had highlighted last year that the growing impact of electric vehicles, particularly four-wheelers, on the aluminium industry. He had explicitly said, “I think (electric) four-wheelers is where we expect to see the largest growth. There’s more (aluminium) content per vehicle than in a two-wheeler. And then also, as the four-wheelers become electrified, there’s more aluminium per EV than there is per IC...
Reiterated proof of Guinea’s ‘build locally, hire locally, pay locally, or leave’ sentiment through Lindian’s confidence
Where companies fear losing rights and concessions, Lindian Resources, an Australian mining entity, is confident about its safety in the Guinean mining business. But where is this confidence stemming from? The answer lies in three nouns — Lelouma, Gaoual and Woula. Lelouma bauxite project, described as a ‘Tier 1’ bauxite project, is a recently secured (April 2025) Lindian Resources’ 100 per cent ownership project. It boasts a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource of 900 million tonnes at 45 per cent aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) and 2.1 per cent silicon dioxide (SiO₂). The project aims to produce direct shipping ore (DSO), meaning it won’t require extensive processing. It’s strategically located near existing infrastructure, including a railway line and the Kamsar port. The Gaoual bauxite project,...
"China’s 2025-2027 action plan aims to boost clean energy adoption to over 30 per cent, increase recycled aluminium production beyond 15 million tonnes, and improve energy efficiency across at least 30 per cent of capacity by 2027,” Michelle Leung, Head of Asia Metals & Mining, Sustainability, at Bloomberg
Michelle Leung is the Head of Asia Metals and Mining, Sustainability at Bloomberg Intelligence, where she conducts comprehensive research on key metals in Asia, with a particular focus on China and an active speaker at global conferences. Prior to her current role, Michelle served as an ESG Analyst who specialized in climate-related ESG strategies and analysis, as well as ESG integration research and data, including ESG Scores. she took the lead in the ESG committee at Women in Finance Asia. Before working for Bloomberg, Michelle worked for various international and Chinese Investment banks. Her areas of expertise extend across sectors such as metals and mining and utilities in Asia. Notably, she has been recognized as one of the top-ranked analysts for institutional investor and...
“Mine here, refine here” — is Guinea’s underlying approach for 50+ external miners! But Guinea is not alone in this bargain...
Guinea, a West African country bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, has an economy that is profoundly intertwined with its bauxite mining industry, which serves as a cornerstone of national economic activity, export earnings, and foreign investment. Recently (May 2025), Guinea announced the repossession of 51 mining licenses, including those for bauxite, citing non-compliance with development timelines and operational requirements. This includes licenses for companies like Kebo Energy SA and Emirates Global Aluminium, specifically due to their failure to fulfil commitments to build local alumina refineries. This serves as a strong warning to other major operators. But why is the country, whose economic development largely depends on bauxite trade, taking such an eccentric decision?...
Switzerland cracks down harder on Russian aluminium imports – here’s why
Switzerland has reportedly banned the sale and import of Russia-origin aluminium in unwrought form, effective Thursday, May 15. The measure also extends to Belarusian aluminium, alongside new restrictions imposed on certain exports. This move by Switzerland is in line with the European Union's 16th sanctions package , introduced in February 2025, targeting imports of aluminium, military equipment, and all those vessels transporting Russian oil. The goal of the EU's sanctions was to undermine Russia's revenue streams and limit its ability to finance the war with Ukraine. Switzerland had implemented similar sanctions at the onset of the conflict three years ago. However, authorities observed Russian aluminium continued to enter the country indirectly, often routed through intermediaries...
EGA’s global gambit: From strategic minerals to smelting autonomy amid Guinea bauxite mining uncertainty
In a week of proud announcements, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has unveiled two noteworthy investment decisions with an intent of sweeping diversification and localisation strategy, while simultaneously contending with mounting geopolitical pressure in its upstream supply chain. On May 16, EGA signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE’s Tawazun Council and US-based RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) to extract and refine gallium, a strategic rare metal, at its Al Taweelah alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi. Once operational, this initiative would elevate the UAE to the second-largest global producer of gallium, following China, reinforcing its ambitions to become a central node in the critical minerals supply chain for semiconductors, defence systems, and next-gen...
India’s aluminium imports may double if US allies redirect their exports; Anil Agarwal calls for 12% safeguard duty
Vedanta Chairperson Anil Agarwal has reportedly called for imposing a 12 per cent safeguard duty on aluminium imports into India, similar to the one recently applied to steel. According to Agarwal, such a measure is essential to protect the domestic aluminium industry from a surge in cheap imports. Image source: Vedanta Aluminium In April, the Indian government introduced a safeguard duty on steel imports for 200 days, aimed at protecting local producers from an influx of low-quality steel. The move targets explicitly imports priced below the global benchmark. Agarwal is now urging the government to implement a similar safeguard on aluminium, arguing that India, a rapidly growing economy, is increasingly vulnerable to cheap imports. He pointed out that, with the United States no longer a...
UK resetting Brexit? Which trade partner, Brussels or Washington, deserves Britain’s top attention?
When London hosted the first formal UK–EU summit since Brexit on 19 May 2025, it wasn’t just a photo opportunity. It was a full-blown recalibration of economic realism. The commonly called ‘Brexit reset deal’ signalled a deliberate pivot back to Brussels after half a decade of friction, lost trade, and mounting industrial fatigue. With four key pillars, including access to the EU’s EUR 150 billion defence rearmament fund, regulatory easing for agricultural checks, a youth mobility visa scheme, and reinstated e-gate privileges for UK travellers, this was no ceremonial gesture. Yet the biggest headline for business? A potential rescue line for British exporters haemorrhaging market access and margin to post-Brexit red tape. And nowhere is the reset more urgent — or consequential than in the...
US-UK trade policies won’t be enough to avert EU’s tariff countermeasures! China is not glad about it either...
The freshly inked US-UK trade pact may have triggered diplomatic handshakes, but European Union trade ministers aren’t impressed. In Brussels on Thursday, they made it clear: the limited nature of the agreement, particularly its retention of US tariffs on British exports, won’t be sufficient to prevent looming EU countermeasures. Announced last week by US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the bilateral trade deal trims tariffs on aluminium, steel and cars but keeps in place a 10 per cent levy on most UK exports. While it’s being touted as a step forward, European Union (EU) views it as a half-measure at best. Polish Deputy Economy Minister Michal Baronowski, representing the EU’s rotating presidency, acknowledged the truce with China and the UK deal as signs of a...
With US tariffs and China’s cap curbing aluminium production and demand drives down LME prices, will buying interest return?
US tariffs are making their presence felt across the world, dampening aluminium demand as many producers are scaling back shipments in response to increased export duties imposed on them by the United States government. As a consequence, productions are becoming limited, notably reflected in the decline of primary aluminium output in North America, attributing to narrow profit margins as well. Tariffs, often a double-edged sword, are also pushing up end-user prices burdening consumers, weakening demand further. This is an AI-generated image, only for representational purpose In addition, aluminium production is constrained in China as it has already neared 45 million tonnes of cap, a limit imposed in 2017 to curb overcapacity. China is the world’s largest aluminium producer, including...
Aluminium exporters to the US fear losing business by dint of the ’25 tariff. What’s the reality after 3 months of tariff imposition?
The United States’ aluminium supply chain, a backbone for its automotive, construction, and packaging sectors, has been jolted once again by Washington’s swing back to protectionist trade policy. On March 12, 2025, the Trump administration reinstated a 25 per cent blanket tariff on all aluminium imports. Gone are the country-specific exemptions that had cushioned critical trading relationships. The move, though positioned as a nationalist push to strengthen domestic production and protect strategic industries (in the name of national security), is already sending ripple effects across global suppliers and US aluminium traders. For many of the top US importers who have built long-term supply relationships and optimised costs around global sourcing, this isn’t just a policy hiccup, but a...
Why is Guinea revoking bauxite mining licence or withdrawing concession? Is this course correction or disruption ahead?
Guinea’s bauxite sector has drawn significant attention in recent years, with production nearing 130-137 million tonnes annually and multiple mining and infrastructure projects underway. Key developments include initiatives by Kebo Energy SA, GAC, and Arrow Minerals, along with the Trans-Guinean railway to streamline ore transport. But the Guinean government has recently moved to withdraw Kebo Energy SA’s mining concession, following EGA’s mining licence cancellation last week . Image source: EGA According to a recent report, Kebo has failed to meet its investment commitments, prompting the Guinean government to revoke the long-standing mining concession. Some sources close to Kebo also confirmed the news, citing shortfall to inadequate funding, including for a planned alumina refinery....
Rusal issues exchange-traded bonds, making a strategic move to raise capital
United Company (UC) Rusal, the world's second-largest aluminium company by primary production output, has announced the issuance of non-documentary interest-bearing non-convertible exchange-traded bonds under the BO-001P-14 series. With over 11 million bond pieces, each has a nominal value of RMB 1,000. The firm has set a maturity date of 728 days, which will begin from the start of the bond placements. Is this a strategic financial decision? Image source: wikipedia.com The firm has issued nearly 11 million bonds, a strategic financial move for raising capital via an open subscription made under the Moscow Exchange. These bonds of the firm have been included under the "Second level" section of Moscow's Exchange list of securities, which is also subject to trading. By listing on the Moscow...
Asia’s EV market 2020-2025: China leads the growing production trend, as India follows suit
The numbers are staggering. In 2024, a whopping 17 million electric cars found new homes worldwide — a 25 per cent surge that speaks volumes about our shifting automotive landscape. To put this in perspective: 2024’s additional EV sales alone (3.5 million vehicles) surpassed the total electric car sales of 2020. At the heart of this electric revolution stands China, commanding the global stage with over 11 million sales. It’s a figure that would have seemed impossible just two years ago when it represented the entire world’s electric car sales. While Europe grappled with subsidy reductions and unchanged EU CO2 targets, causing market stagnation, the United States showed modest growth, albeit at a quarter of the previous year’s pace. The impact of this five-year surge has been...
Japan’s aluminium inventories rise 3.4% M-o-M, as international trade juggles between boon and bane
As of the end of April 2025, aluminium inventories at Japan’s three major ports — Yokohama, Nagoya and Osaka — have reached 320,300 tonnes, up 3.4 per cent from March’s 309,700 tonnes, according to Marubeni Corp data. In parallel, as disclosed previously, the import premium for primary aluminium shipments into Japan plunged 20 per cent quarter-on-quarter to USD 182 per tonne in Q2 2025, the first quarterly decline in five quarters, based on nine trades concluded between March 24-27, as reported by S&P Global Platts and Reuters sources. Meanwhile, domestic consumption fell 3.3 per cent to 3.35 million tonnes in the January-November 2024 period. Building sector demand slid 7.7 per cent to under 350,000 tonnes, and automotive usage dropped 4.1 per cent to 1.45 million tonnes, per Japan...
"Our platform now helps businesses digitise their supply chains, streamline procurement, and access finance more easily. In FY24, Bizongo saw..," Prahlad Krishnamurthi, CEO of Bizongo
In a conversation with Prahlad Krishnamurthi, a dynamic business leader with over 19 years of hands-on experience in corporate transformation and high-impact coaching. Currently, as the CEO of Bizongo, Prahlad is at the forefront of reinventing B2B commerce, leveraging digital platforms and data-driven raw-material sourcing to streamline supply chains and empower industrial buyers and suppliers alike. Here is an excerpt of his interview with us. AL Circle: Can you walk us through Bizongo’s journey from its inception in 2014 to its expansion into the B2B vendor digitisation space? What challenges has the company faced along the way, and how have those experiences shaped its evolution? How has Bizongo’s vision transformed as it continues to revolutionise vendor digitisation? Prahlad...
