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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India: Imported aluminium scrap prices decline w-o-w amid weaker LME and subdued buying
India's imported aluminium scrap prices fell sharply w-o-w, pressured by weaker LME aluminium prices and sluggish demand from domestic buyers. According to BigMint's latest assessment for CFR Nhava Sheva deliveries, UK-origin zorba 95-5 scrap prices declined by USD 135 per tonne W-o-W to USD 2,750 per tonne, while US-origin tense 6-7 per cent scrap prices dropped by USD 140 per tonne W-o-W to USD 2,525 per tonne, as subdued buying interest and bearish global market sentiment continued to weigh on import prices. LME aluminium tumbles W-o-W Three-month aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) traded lower w-o-w, closing at USD 3,091 per tonne on 30 June against USD 3,271 per tonne on 23 June, down by USD 180 per tonne or 5.5 per cent W-o-W. Meanwhile, LME aluminium inventories...
How nearly 6Mt of aluminium dross is driving the next wave of recovery technologies and building circular value chains
Every tonne of aluminium produced creates more than just the finished metal. Across primary production and recycling, the processes generate aluminium dross-an oxide-rich material that is increasingly attracting attention across the industry. Global aluminium dross generation is projected to rise from 5.86 million tonnes in 2025 to 6.04 million tonnes in 2026, marking a 3.1 per cent increase, with volumes expected to grow by a further 13.4 per cent by 2030 and 5.7 per cent by 2032. The rise is being driven by expanding aluminium production and, increasingly, the rapid growth of secondary aluminium recycling. This growing waste stream includes white dross, mainly generated during primary aluminium production and clean metal melting, and black dross, which typically arises from secondary...
Americas' alumina production H1’26: Can Brazil’s 10Mt offset North America's 8.35% slump?
Has the alumina output of the Americas reflected a cooling effect across the global platform in the first half (H1) of 2026? According to industry data, cumulative alumina production in North America and South America from January to May totals 5.81 million tonnes. While the joint output registers a minor year-on-year dip of 0.38 per cent from 5.83 million tonnes in the same period of 2025, has the case been the same for the Americas on a singular basis? As of January-May, alumina produced in North America amounted to 790,000 tonnes, of which chemical-grade accounted for 169,000 tonnes and metallurgical grade for 621,000 tonnes. In the same period, South America produced 5.02 million tonnes, of which chemical grade totalled 389,000 tonnes and metallurgical grade contributed 4,629,000...
UK’s aluminium scrap exports grow 9% during Jan-Apr 2026, despite declines to India, Hong Kong, Germany & China
The UK is one of the largest consumer hubs in the European continent, collecting several thousand tonnes of aluminium scrap each month. In 2025, the United Kingdom’s total aluminium scrap exports reached 623,584 tonnes, according to Customs data. These volumes have been on the rise since the start of this decade as collection grows and the domestic recycling capacity remains largely stagnant. Domestic manufacturing trade agency Make UK has advocated the country needs a 25 per cent annual growth rate in recycling capacity to meet its Modern Industrial Strategy demands. It acknowledges that around 84 per cent of the UK’s aluminium scrap is still being exported today. In January-April 2026, the UK’s aluminium scrap exports climbed 9 per cent to 217,611 tonnes from 200,374 tonnes in the year...
Giga-Casting: The aluminium shot - Escaping cost trap via Rheocasting, RidgeAlloy, and Tier 1 consolidation
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The margin collapse: European foundries face critical insolvencies as surging capital expenditure for massive giga-presses compresses profit margins down to 5 per cent, forcing aggressive Tier 1 corporate consolidation. The primary smelter threat: Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s new "RidgeAlloy" allows structural automotive castings to absorb massive iron levels from post-consumer scrap, actively severing the electric vehicle industry's reliance on primary aluminium dilution. The end of turbulence: To solve the catastrophic defect rates of standard High-Pressure Die Casting (HPDC), the industry is pivoting rapidly to Semi-Solid Metal (SSM) rheocasting to deliver the near-zero porosity required for modern drivetrains. In the first instalment of this AL Circle exclusive...
Did US tariffs cut America's reliance on Canadian aluminium? The numbers tell a different story
Washington's tariff strategy aimed to revive domestic aluminium production and reduce reliance on Canadian imports. A year later, the numbers tell a more nuanced story — one where prices moved faster than production, diversification outpaced displacement, and one of the world's most integrated aluminium supply chains proved far more resilient than expected. More than 2.9 million tonnes of aluminium left Canadian ports for global markets in 2025. Of that, roughly 2.3 million tonnes were shipped to the United States, more than the combined exports of the next nine supplying countries. That is the relationship Washington set out to change. When the US raised Section 232 tariffs on aluminium imports from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the objective was to make imported aluminium less...
Bauxite grades decoded: How Guinea, Australia, Brazil, China, India & Indonesia measure up against global refinery standards
The world's largest bauxite producers are not always the ones supplying the highest-quality ore. While countries such as Guinea, Australia, China, Brazil, India and Indonesia dominate global bauxite mining, the quality of the ore they produce varies significantly, making production volume only part of the story. During the first quarter of 2026, Guinea remained the world's largest bauxite producer with 34.342 million tonnes, followed by Australia at 23.117 million tonnes and China at 18.806 million tonnes. Brazil produced 7.920 million tonnes, India 7.398 million tonnes and Indonesia 5.449 million tonnes. However, for alumina refiners, the more critical factor is not how much bauxite is mined, but how much recoverable alumina the ore contains and how efficiently it can be processed. The...
Primary vs. Secondary Aluminium: Your scrap is worth more than your smelter
How scrap leakage, CBAM tariffs, and impurity science are redrawing the economics of aluminium EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The margin threat: Aluminium scrap prices have surged to over 90 per cent of the LME primary ingot price, wiping out traditional arbitrage and forcing a total procurement reset. The CBAM reality: Secondary post-consumer scrap carries a zero upstream carbon burden, bypassing the incoming €75.36 per tonne European border taxes that will cripple high-carbon primary imports. The technology fix: Advanced photonics and "Design for Recycling" (DfR) architectures are finally untangling the dirty alloy problem, allowing secondary metal to bypass primary dilution entirely and capture 100 per cent of future margin growth. European remelters are watching their margins evaporate. According...
Strait of Hormuz: Open waterway or controlled passage? Oil and aluminium markets await clarity
Has the Strait of Hormuz really reopened? The answer depends on whom you ask. Following the preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran on June 17, markets initially welcomed the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz returning to normal operations and global energy supplies flowing without disruption. The easing of immediate geopolitical tensions prompted traders to unwind much of the risk premium that had accumulated during the conflict, triggering a sharp correction across oil and aluminium markets. Global benchmark Brent crude fell to around USD 77.76 per barrel on June 17, 2026, its lowest level in more than three-and-a-half months. Aluminium markets followed a similar trajectory, with prices retreating by approximately 10-12 per cent from the four-year highs above USD 3,850 per...
Can Europe secure 1Mt+ aluminium scrap for circularity goals while maintaining global competitiveness?
Europe’s aluminium recycling industry is entering a defining phase. Demand for low-carbon aluminium is climbing rapidly across automotive, packaging, construction and clean energy sectors, while policymakers continue to champion circularity as a key pillar of climate action. Yet, despite recycling rates above 80 per cent in several segments and continued investment in recycling infrastructure, a rising share of valuable aluminium scrap is still leaving the continent. That paradox is becoming one of the industry’s biggest focal points. Across the value chain, we notice a growing regard for Europe’s recycling success, which will be measured not only by how much scrap it collects, but by how much of that material it can keep, process and turn back into aluminium products at home. As...
China’s rare earth export control exposes global supply-chain vulnerability, pushes G7 to confront single-source dependence
Rare earth elements were formed billions of years ago through cosmic processes, but their importance has never been more immediate. Once treated as a niche mineral group, rare earths now sit at the centre of the global contest for its strategic value in developing technology, clean energy, defence capability, and industrial security. And in this contest, the winner is not who owns the maximum reserves, but who is efficient in processing, refining, and turning into usable industrial inputs. And this is where China holds its strongest advantage China has the world’s highest identified rare earth reserves, estimated at around 44 million tonnes. But there are also the countries like Vietnam, Brazil, Canada, Russia, India, Australia, and the United States who have notable reserves of 22...
Who led the aluminium FRP industry in 2025? A look at the top global players
The 2025 calendar maps the aluminium flat-rolled products (FRP) industry at the intersection of two major trends, i.e., the accelerating transition toward circular manufacturing and the rapid growth of sectors requiring advanced aluminium FRP solutions. Leading this transformation are a select group of companies that combine large-scale rolling and foil production capabilities with strong sustainability credentials, advanced recycling infrastructure and extensive global customer networks. These companies continue to shape the competitive landscape while strengthening the industry's focus on innovation, circularity and low-carbon solutions. Explore the accurate insights and forecasts for the aluminium flat rolled products (FRP) market in Aluminium Flat Rolled Products: Insights & Forecast...
With Hormuz reopening and possibility of 700,000t of aluminium flowing into the market, here's the price outlook for H2 2026
Primary aluminium prices climbed to four-year highs in H1 2026 as the market grappled with tightening inventories and mounting concerns over supply disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. The year began with the LME Aluminium Cash Price below USD 3000 per tonne and, over the next five months, rose by approximately 29.1 per cent to reach USD 3,855 per tonne on June 2. As tensions escalated, the Strait of Hormuz-one of the world's most important shipping routes faced significant restrictions, slowing the movement of cargoes across global supply chains. Delays in shipments and uncertainty over future deliveries heightened concerns among consumers and traders, who increasingly turned their attention to available inventories. This was reflected in inventory levels. LME Aluminium...
India: Imported aluminium scrap prices soften w-o-w tracking LME aluminium decline
India's imported aluminium scrap prices declined sharply w-o-w, tracking continued weakness in LME aluminium prices and subdued buying activity. According to BigMint's latest assessment for CFR Nhava Sheva deliveries, UK-origin zorba 95-5 scrap prices declined by USD 60 per tonne w-o-w to USD 2,965 per tonne from USD 3,025 per tonne previously. Meanwhile, US-origin tense 6-7 per cent scrap prices decreased by USD 55 per tonne w-o-w to USD 2,730 per tonne from USD 2,785 per tonne last week. LME aluminium retreats w-o-w below USD 3,500 per tonne Three-month aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) traded lower w-o-w, closing at USD 3,380 per tonne on 16 June against USD 3,586 per tonne on 9 June, down by USD 206 per tonne or 5.7 per cent w-o-w. LME aluminium prices declined over...
Solar may be growing, but hydropower remains the backbone of “Green ALuminium” – here’s to it!
“Green Aluminium” is relatively a modern term referred to the metal produced with significantly lower carbon footprint. This is mainly achieved through recycling or using recycled metal as input, deploying breakthrough technologies such as inert anodes and carbon capture and storage, or through the use of renewable energy sources like hydropower, solar, wind or geothermal electricity. While there is no particular global standard, but usually, aluminium with up to 4 tonnes of CO2e per tonne of metal is commonly used across the industry as a low-carbon reference. This is a cradle-to-gate measurement equivalent to GHG Protocol of Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant upstream Scope 3 emissions from bauxite mining, alumina refining, and high energy-intensive smelting process. Recycled and Renewable –...
Secondary aluminium in Italy, France and Belgium: 65 Kt recycled, 490 Kt produced & over 1 Mt processed annually
Europe's aluminium industry is undergoing a structural transformation as manufacturers increasingly turn towards secondary aluminium to address rising energy costs, decarbonisation requirements and supply-chain challenges. While the European aluminium market is projected to grow from USD 30.84 billion in 2025 to USD 57 billion by 2035, the region’s primary aluminium production base has continued to shrink, creating a stronger reliance on recycled metal and circular material flows. The number of active primary smelters in the European Union declined from 23 in 2002 to 11 in 2022, resulting in primary aluminium output falling from 2.7 million tonnes to 1.2 million tonnes. At the same time, secondary aluminium has become increasingly important, accounting for more than 60 per cent of...
Aluminium Extrusions: A sustainable growth story or a margin trap in the present scenario?
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 The global aluminium extrusion industry is currently navigating a severe structural dichotomy. If you look purely at the macroeconomic surface, the sector is riding an aggressive demand supercycle. The global push for electric vehicles, the rollout of green infrastructure, and strict regulatory mandates for lightweighting make the volume growth narrative look virtually unassailable. However, dig a little deeper into the factory floor and a much darker picture emerges. Operating just beneath this surface-level optimism is a brutal margin compression dynamic. Escalating energy costs, aggressive international trade tariffs, war, rigid limits on primary raw material supplies, and the new reality of carbon pricing are threatening to trap traditional extruders in a...
Destinations for the EU’s aluminium scrap exports in Q1 2026 – India and Thailand top the list despite annual declines
The European Union is one of the largest generators and collectors of aluminium scrap in the world, with over 80 per cent recycling rate. The demand is also robust, with an average annual volume of 8 million tonnes. Yet, the European Union exports 1.2 to 1.3 million tonnes of scrap during a year, which reflects 15 per cent of the volume collected domestically. In Q1 2026, the European Union exported 328,134 tonnes of aluminium scrap, - 69 per cent of which were destined to the Asian countries, according to Eurostat data. India tops the list with reduced import volume India remained the largest importer of aluminium scrap from the European Union during the first quarter of 2026, even though their imports declined sequentially. From January to March 2026, India imported 88,205 tonnes of...
