AL Circle analysis: Germany’s aluminium trade surplus, Novelis’ US expansion, Asia’s EV demand & India’s underutilised downstream capacity
Aluminium’s next growth phase is increasingly being shaped by downstream processing, supply-chain resilience and demand from specialised applications. Germany continues to generate a substantial trade surplus in flat-rolled products despite a shrinking primary aluminium base, while North America is investing in recycling and rolling. Across Asia, new manufacturing capabilities and growing demand from electric vehicles, railways and batteries are creating further opportunities. However, declining exports, underutilised capacity and uneven profitability show that investment alone does not guarantee success. For industry leaders, the challenge is to identify where demand is shifting, develop products that meet customer requirements and ensure that new investments translate into sustainable...
AL Circle Analysis: From Guinea to Gulf, how bauxite, tariffs and logistics redraw aluminium map
Aluminium markets in late 2026 are being shaped by more than the headline LME aluminium price. Bauxite security, alumina availability, geopolitical disruptions, tariff negotiations, logistics diversification and regional premiums are increasingly determining where metal moves and what buyers pay. From RUSAL reassessing Caribbean assets and Vedanta securing Odisha bauxite to Brazil extending mine life and EGA rebuilding its Guinea supply chain, producers are strengthening control over critical raw materials. At the same time, the US remains heavily dependent on imported bauxite and alumina, while Europe and Asia are experiencing sharply different premium dynamics. These developments point to a market where physical availability is becoming a regional factor even as aluminium itself remains...
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United States’ focus shift to secondary aluminium leads to a 12.3% Y-o-Y decline in primary metal production for May
According to the US Census Bureau survey, the United States' primary aluminium production demonstrated a slight change in monthly trend during May 2024, reflecting an increase of 2,000 tonnes or 3.64 per cent. However, on an annual basis, the output in May extended its declining movement by 8,000 tonnes or 12.31 per cent. As per the recently revealed data, the United States' primary aluminium output during May 2024 stood at 57,000 tonnes versus 55,000 tonnes a month ago and 65,000 tonnes a year earlier. The monthly increase of 2,000 tonnes in May led the output to rebound to the production level seen in March 2024. The average daily production in May was 1,840 tonnes, which was essentially unchanged from 1,850 tonnes in April 2024 but edged a decline of 11.96 per cent year-on-year from...
H1 2024: Africa’s primary aluminium production contracts by 2.8% Y-o-Y due to reduced output at Mozal Aluminium
According to the International Aluminium Institute, primary aluminium production in Africa during the first half of 2024 demonstrated a year-on-year downswing, mostly due to the bearish Q1. As per IAI data, Africa's total primary aluminium output in H1 2024 edged a fall of 2.8 per cent Y-o-Y from 788,000 tonnes to 766,000 tonnes. In the June quarter (Q2), the output amounted to 388,000 tonnes, which was 2 per cent lower than 396,000 tonnes in Q1 2023 but 2.65 per cent higher Q-o-Q compared to 378,000 tonnes. Analysis of the production downfall The above data demonstrates a quarterly rise in Africa's primary aluminium output, but it has been enough to offset the annual downtrend. The decline in Africa's primary aluminium production could be primarily attributed to Mozal Aluminium, which...
World's primary aluminium production exceeds 35 million tonnes in H1, on track to AL Circle's 2024 projection
According to the latest data revealed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), global primary aluminium production saw a year-on-year bullish trend through the first half of 2024 despite occasional slowdowns in certain months. In three of the first six months of 2024, world primary aluminium production witnessed a boost, exceeding 6 million tonnes each month, which drove the growth of the total H1 output, offsetting the impact of intermittent declines. According to IAI, world primary aluminium production in H1 amounted to 35.838 million tonnes, 3.89 per cent ahead of the previous year’s output of 34.495 million tonnes. In June 2024, the world’s production stood at 5.94 million tonnes, down M-o-M by 3.19 per cent from 6.136 million tonnes but up Y-o-Y by 3.18 per cent from 5.757...
Key takeaways from the Sustainability in Packaging MENA summit
The inaugural Sustainability in Packaging MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) summit, gathering packaging industry leaders from across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region in Dubai, was held in late May. Crown Holdings, whose Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, director of sustainability & external affairs at Crown Bevcan EMEA, took part in one of the panels, provides an overview of sustainable packaging in MENA, with key takeaways from the event. Discussions centred on advancements in the region and the importance of aligning sustainability goals with growth opportunities. Duquerroy-Delesalle participated in a panel titled “Circular Economy – Global Players’ View of Consumer Shifts Towards Sustainable Consumption”. This panel focused on the circular economy, igniting...
US aluminium scrap exports in April maintain an annual growth trend amid a slight drop M-o-M
The United States aluminium scrap exports slightly dipped month-on-month but increased year-over-year, according to the US Census Bureau data. However, the monthly fall was not significant enough to disturb the annual growth trend of the United States aluminium scrap imports in the first four months of 2024. The United States aluminium scrap exports in April 2024 totalled 180,000 tonnes, down by 2,000 tonnes or 1.10 per cent from 182,000 tonnes in March and up by 13,000 tonnes or 7.22 per cent from 167,000 tonnes in April 2023. During January-April, the United States aluminium scrap exports amounted to 675,000 tonnes versus 662,000 tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year, reflecting an increase of 1.96 per cent. The annual growth in the United States’ total aluminium...
Japanese aluminium buyers recently agreed to pay premium above $170/t for Q3 shipments
According to a Reuters update, some Japanese aluminium buyers have agreed to pay a 45 per cent higher shipment premium than previously agreed for the July-September quarter. In early July, some Japanese aluminium buyers agreed to pay only $118-119 per tonne of premium for the third quarter’s shipments . That was 36 to 37 per cent less than the premium of $185 to $190 per tonne offered by some global producers for Q3. However, in recent negotiations, Japanese buyers have raised their premium offers to $172 per tonne for the September quarter’s shipments, up 16 to 19 per cent from $145-148 per tonne paid in the April-June quarter but down from the initial offers of $175-190 per tonne made by global producers. The increase in Q3 shipment premiums could be attributed to tight supplies in Asia...
Brazilian primary aluminium industry climbs from 12th to 8th rank, regaining production and investment capacity
Brazil has reclaimed its position as a top ten player in the global aluminium industry, ramping up the production of primary aluminium and raw materials. Once, the country, which used to be the world's sixth largest aluminium producer, lost its momentum for an interim period and ranked 12th in 2022. However, in the subsequent year, Brazil's aluminium industry showed resurgence through advanced strategies and transformative initiatives in operations. Overview and analysis of primary aluminium production From the start of 2023, the Brazilian aluminium industry has been steadfast in raising domestic production with a strong focus on reducing reliance on imported products. The country successfully increased its primary aluminium production by 26 per cent to 1,021.7 thousand tonnes versus...
May 2024: Higher profitability due to price surge strengthens primary aluminium production in Europe
In May 2024, upstream aluminium production (primary metal and alumina) scaled up across Europe, driven by higher profitability for producers due to increased aluminium prices. Throughout May, the aluminium benchmark price on the London Metal Exchange rallied by 5.19 per cent, reaching US$2,677 per tonne from US$2,545 per tonne on April 30. Overview of primary aluminium production According to the International Aluminium Institute, primary aluminium production in both Western & Central Europe and Russia & Eastern Europe saw a significant month-on-month increase. While the production in Western & Central Europe saw a hike of 4.42 per cent to 236,000 tonnes, the output in Russia & Central Europe experienced an increase of 3.88 per cent to 348,000 tonnes. On an annual basis, Western & Central...
US primary aluminium production trends down 11% through April 2024, opening doors for increased overseas imports
According to the US Geological Survey, domestic primary aluminium production in the United States trended down in April 2024, recording a month-on-month drop of 3.51 per cent and a year-on-year decline of 12.7 per cent. Source: USGS The data from USGS indicates that the Y-o-Y drop in full-month output resulted from a dip in daily average production during April 2024, reaching 1,850 tonnes versus 2,100 tonnes in April 2023. However, on a month-on-month basis, the daily output in April mainly remained unchanged compared to 1,840 tonnes. The United States’ full-month primary aluminium production in April stood at 55,000 tonnes, compared to 57,000 tonnes in March 2024 and 63,000 tonnes in April 2023, reinforcing growing reliance on secondary aluminium sourced from scrap for producing end-user...
LME aluminium price plunges for the sixth day in a row, losing $71.5/t W-o-W; SHFE price declines by $21/t
On Monday, July 15, LME aluminum opened at US$2,479.50 per tonne, hit a high of US$2,489.50 per tonne, a low of US$2,458 per tonne, and closed at US$2,460 per tonne, down by 1.18 per cent. LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price further decreased, marking the sixth consecutive day of fall. While the former descended by US$17.50 per tonne to settle at US$2,403.50 per tonne, the latter shrank by US$18 per tonne to US$2,404 per tonne. On a week-on-week calculation, the LME aluminium benchmark price shed off a substantial amount of US$71.50 per tonne, and on a month-on-month basis, the price suffered a loss of about US$61.50 per tonne, according to the LME graph. The continuous loss in LME aluminium benchmark price is attributed to the growing rise of...
“GO2 provides solutions that can be used on high-temp metal with existing thermal transfer print technology”, Dan Schroer, Chief Operating Officer at GO2 Partners
Dan Schroer has worked in manufacturing, metals, and adjacent industries for over 30 years. His expertise ranges across the manufacturing value stream, from supply chain optimisation to packaging solutions to material identification innovations, using the latest technology to increase safety, eliminate mixed metal, and maximise efficiency from receiving materials to shipping final products. Today, Dan is the Chief Operating Officer at GO2 Partners, where he leads and supports special projects and delivers results for customers, including some of the world's largest companies. AL Circle: Can you briefly overview GO2 Partners and its core mission? Dan Schroer: GO2 Partners provides industrial solutions that focus on solving clients' pain points through better label, tag, and material ID...
Federation of Austrian Industries pushes for major reforms as Austria falls in global rankings
Austria continues to face significant challenges in maintaining its competitive edge on the global stage. In the latest IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, the country has fallen again and is now in 26th place. This decline is attributed to several factors, including high energy prices, escalating labour costs, a shortage of skilled workers, and excessive bureaucracy. The future government must address these issues with determination and strategic vision as the National Council elections for the XXVIII legislative period approach. The Federation of Austrian Industries has outlined eight key measures that are vital for restoring Austria's status and elevating it to one of the world's leading and most competitive industrial locations: Calls for tax reduction It is recommended that the...
“Inductotherm hopes to play a pivotal role in advancing aluminium casting technology in the coming years through continued investment in technology, product, and process improvements,” Ed Chmielecki, Sales Manager Light Metal Applications – Inductotherm Corp.
Ed has 21 years in the metal casting industry, primarily in non-ferrous metal. He has been with Inductotherm Corp. since September 2019 as Sales Manager for Light Metal Applications and District Manager covering the South-Central US. Before joining Inductotherm, Ed was a Regional Sales Manager for a Crucible Company, and prior to that was a Furnace Services Engineer covering North America, installing, and servicing Electric Resistance and Gas Fired Crucible furnaces. At Inductotherm, he now uses his years of experience to show customers the benefits of using induction melting to reduce their carbon footprint while producing cleaner molten aluminium more efficiently. AL Circle: Please briefly overview your foundry equipment and machinery, highlighting their key features. Ed Chmielecki:...
Aluminium is far easier to recycle than plastic, so it was a no-brainer that we should use it instead of bottles: Josh White, Co-founder and CEO of Cano Water
Josh White is the Co-Founder and CEO of Cano Water, the world's first canned water brand, founded in 2015. Josh has spoken extensively about his battles with ADHD and feeling different while growing up - and prides himself on embodying the brand's "Don't Bottle It" attitude. He is passionate about helping other entrepreneurs who want to do good but might be facing similar struggles. He has extensive experience in building, launching, and managing a successful beverage brand, growing Cano Water from a startup to a household name stocked in over 10,000 retail points across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. Josh White's commitment to creating impactful social and environmental change has not gone unnoticed. As a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, he has been recognised for his passion and...
“Covacsis covers the entire aluminium value stream, from bauxite to alumina to downstream aluminium products,” Tarun Mishra, Founder, Covacsis
Tarun is the founder of Covacsis Technologies and was among the first few in the world to envisage the transformation of the current manufacturing system into algorithmic manufacturing as a next-generation manufacturing reality. Today, Covacsis is a leader in industry-based digital transformational solutions in India. Covacsis' IPF is helping the process industry increase productivity and reduce costs by using data and algorithms specifically developed for the process industry. As an alumnus of IIT Bombay, Tarun's love for writing and his musical talent on the drum set are just a few facets of his multifaceted personality. More importantly, he is deeply committed to creating employment opportunities for the weaker strata of society, a testament to his social engagement and compassion. AL...
“Hencon's vehicles are all built to ensure the highest safety and efficiency standards,” Peter Vanvuchelen, Director Sales & Business Development, Hencon
Peter Vanvuchelen is an accomplished professional with over eight years of experience in Business Development at Hencon. His career includes pivotal roles such as General Manager at Deutz Engines Benelux from 2014 to 2016, Director of Sales and Marketing at Linde Forklifts Benelux, and sales responsibilities for Caterpillar and Mitsubishi Forklifts across EMEA. Peter's expertise spans strategic business growth, sales management, and leadership in the industrial and automotive sectors. AL Circe: Can you provide an overview of Hencon's history and key milestones in the aluminium industry? How does Hencon stay ahead of technological advancements in the aluminium industry? Peter Vanvuchelen: Hencon was founded in the Netherlands in 1956. At the time, we mainly manufactured side loaders and...
Unveiling the benefits: 8011 aluminium foil for sustainable packaging excellence
The usage of aluminium foil has evolved significantly with time, transitioning from a simple household product wrapper to a vital material in the packaging industry. Among the materials available, 8011 aluminium foil emerges as a standout option. Known for its exceptional properties, 8011 aluminium foil provides numerous advantages that render it highly favoured for sustainable packaging applications. According to AL Circle’s published report , global aluminium foil usage increased from 5.3 million tonnes in 2018 to an estimated 6.1 million tonnes in 2023. The usage is further forecast to reach 7.2 million tonnes by 2028. Its versatile properties—including recyclability, flexibility, resistance to temperature and bacteria, and effective barriers against oxygen, light, and odours—have...
“At a high level, making aluminium and CO2 accessible as energy storage materials is a major contribution to the greater sustainability of our energy system,” Thomas Chepucavage, CEO & Dr Olaf Conrad, CTO, Flow Aluminum
Thomas Chepucavage is the CEO and a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience building companies and leading teams across various industries. Thomas began his career with Accenture, advancing to VIP-level roles in high-growth ventures and gaining exposure to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at PNM. He co-founded Flow Aluminum in 2023, producing recyclable, rare-earth-free Aluminum-CO2 batteries with industry-leading energy density for applications from drones to grid storage. Over the past 20 years, Dr Olaf Conrad has created energy technology teams and organisations, from early concepts to full-fledged powerhouses in their respective markets. Stations of his career include Director of the Centre of Competence in Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Cape Town, South Africa,...
