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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36Mt of global alumina capacity remains unutilised, with China and Asian region showing the widest gap
Global metallurgical alumina production has been expanding in a measured and consistent manner. Output rose from 130.4 million tonnes in 2021 to 133.1 million tonnes in 2022, followed by gradual increases to 134.8 million tonnes in 2023 and 137.8 million tonnes in 2024. The trajectory strengthened in 2025, with production reaching 144.9 million tonnes, reflecting a sharper 5.2 per cent rise. However, the underlying dynamics point to a market that is not constrained by supply capacity. With global installed refining capacity at around 181 million tonnes in 2025 and utilisation levels between 85 per cent and 87 per cent, nearly 36 million tonnes of capacity remains unutilised. This indicates that output is being actively managed rather than maximised, with producers responding to demand...
Solar subsidies, aluminium shocks, and the 2026 market redone by geopolitical distress
The global energy transition has reached a point where renewable policy and industrial metals are structurally interlocked. With one month into Q2 2026, solar installation subsidies and aluminium supply chains have formed a feedback loop that is actively redoing both markets. Aluminium, long described as ‘congealed electricity,’ sits at the centre of this convergence, with the solar PV sector accounting for around 87 per cent of incremental aluminium demand within renewables. What distinguishes the 2025-2026 phase is not growth, but correction. China’s solar PV subsidy withdrawal, the European Union’s conditional incentives, the US’ tightening domestic rules, and a sudden geopolitical-induced trade disruption in the Middle East have collectively dismantled the assumptions of the previous...
India’s anti-subsidy probe on Malaysia’s aluminium wire rod imports for domestic boost
The Government of India, through its Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) under the Ministry of Commerce, has launched an anti-subsidy investigation on aluminium wire products from Malaysia. The concern for a probe was raised by the leading Indian aluminium manufacturers, such as Vedanta Limited, Hindalco Industries Limited, and Bharat Aluminium Company Limited, urging for a review to finalise an extension to the duties for trade protections. On Monday, the government announced that the probe has been made in light of the existing countervailing duties (CVDs) on Malaysia’s exports of “Aluminium Wire/Wire Rods above 7 mm diameter” (HSN code: 760511) that are scheduled to lapse in September. Under World Trade Organisation rules, countries can levy such duties to protect domestic...
India: Imported aluminium scrap prices show mixed trends despite LME strength, supply tightness
India's imported aluminium scrap prices exhibited mixed movements w-o-w as of 28 April 2026, despite an uptrend on the London Metal Exchange (LME), ongoing geopolitical tensions, and constrained global supply. According to BigMint's latest assessment for CFR Nhava Sheva deliveries, UK-origin zorba 95-5 scrap eased by USD 45 per tonne W-o-W to around USD 2,875 per tonne, reflecting a correction after the recent rally. In contrast, US-origin tense 6-7 per cent scrap gained USD 10 per tonne W-o-W to USD 2,740 per tonne. LME aluminium strengthens w-o-w Three-month aluminium prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) increased by USD 35.5 per tonne to USD 3,588 per tonne on 27 April 2026 from USD 3,552.5 per tonne on 20 April 2026, indicating continued strength in market sentiment. Meanwhile,...
Can India sustain 8.25% aluminium duties when 55% of demand is imported?
India’s aluminium tariff regime, especially now in 2026, has become a regulatory fault line between upstream smelters chasing security, downstream processors absorbing cost pressure, recyclers fighting for cheaper feedstock and the country is trying to balance it all to keep a lid on inflation while building a strategic industrial base. A tariff to protect, but not to simplify At the centre of the debate is India’s differentiated duty structure. Primary aluminium under HS 7601 is charged at 8.25 per cent, scrap under HS 7602 at 2.5 per cent, bars, rods, profiles, plates, sheets and strips at 7.5 per cent, foil at 7.5 per cent-10 per cent, and finished structures and articles at 10 per cent. That means that the duty structure has created a constant friction point, because preferential...
Global aluminium production drops 1.6% Q-o-Q in Q1 2026, led by declines across Africa, GCC, South America, and Oceania
The opening quarter of 2026 presents a curious contradiction. On the surface, global aluminium production slipped-from 18.6 million tonnes in Q4 2025 to 18.3 million tonnes in Q1 2026, a 1.6 per cent decline. But step back, and the bigger picture tells a different story: output remains 1.1 per cent higher than Q1 2025 levels. So what changed so quickly-and why did almost every region move in the same direction? A cooling cycle, starting with China in Q1 2026 The slowdown did not come from one place. It showed up everywhere, almost at once. China, which still dominates global supply, nudged lower from 11.1 million tonnes in Q4 2025 to 11.0 million tonnes in Q1 2026 - a 0.9 per cent dip. On paper, that looks minor. In reality, it says a lot about where the system stands today. With a de...
With renewable energy set to power 45% of global electricity, led by China, Europe, US, India, where do aluminium industries stand?
Renewable energy is moving from supportive to strategic role as it is set to account for 45 per cent of the global electricity generation. This marks a structural shift in how industries will be powered. China, Europe, the United States, and India are at the centre of this transformation, driven by rapid additions in solar, wind, and hydropower capacity. While these regions lead the clean energy buildout, they also represent some of the world’s most significant aluminium production hubs, where electricity remains the single most critical input cost. So, this calls for an evaluation that how far the clean power surge in these regions is translating into lower-carbon aluminium production across these major regions. Before that assessment, the scale of the renewable buildout itself deserves...
Global bauxite production Q1’26: How the trend fared amid geopolitics and market shifts
As the primary raw material for aluminium, global bauxite mining and production continues to reinforce the aluminium value chain, with supply patterns increasingly shaped by shifting trade flows, policy interventions and evolving demand from downstream sectors. In 2026, global bauxite production is expected to reach around 475 million tonnes, which is a 0.63 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase from 2025. This expansion is driven primarily by rising demand for aluminium products. Recent developments across major producing regions point to a changing production landscape, influenced by geopolitical dynamics, environmental considerations and rising demand from energy transition sectors. As key producing regions adjust output strategies, the market is entering a phase of recalibration...
Top 10 aluminium can recycling countries leading the global circularity race
The aluminium can story today is no longer just about growth-it is about what happens after consumption. The market, valued at USD 55.5 billion in 2023, moved up to USD 58.2 billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach USD 61.5 billion in 2025, with projections pointing to USD 85.6 billion by 2032. At the same time, usage keeps climbing. From about 470 billion aluminium cans in 2024, global consumption is set to touch 510 billion in 2025 and could reach 627 billion by 2030. That steady rise is putting pressure on systems worldwide-not just to produce more, but to recover more. And that is already happening. A group of countries has pushed aluminium can recycling rates beyond 90 per cent, spread across Asia, North America, and South America. Each operates differently, yet the outcome is...
Why the price volatility in the global aluminium UBC scrap market: LME benchmarks and the underlying economic drivers
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 The global aluminium market is currently transitioning from a century-long reliance on primary smelting to a circular economy model centred on Used Beverage Can (UBC) scrap. This shift is not merely environmental—it is fundamentally economic, driven by the extreme energy intensity of primary production, tightening carbon-linked trade policies, and the financialisation of scrap through the London Metal Exchange (LME). The movement of aluminium UBC scrap prices, once a localised phenomenon, has now evolved into a globally transparent metric shaped by LME benchmarks, regional energy shocks, and the strategic accumulation of low-carbon feedstock by multinational corporations. For the updated global aluminium value-chain 2026 outlook, book our exclusive report “ Global...
Aluminium production hit by the Middle East conflict: Nearly 4% in Q1 and 32% in Q2
Global aluminium production and supply is considerably driven by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which contributes around 9 per cent of aluminium to the supply chain. Every year, the GCC produces and supplies approximately 6 to 6.5 million tonnes and 5 to 5.5 million tonnes of aluminium, respectively. However, 2026 is proving to be an exception owing to the ongoing Middle East conflict, as the impact of the geopolitical tensions clearly reflect on the aluminium production of the region in the January-March quarter (Q1) of 2026. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 across the value chain Aluminium production and supply have been strained for nearly two months since the end of February and the beginning of the Middle East...
China hits 201Mt bauxite imports in 2025 as major shifts seen in African regions like Guyana and Sierra Leone
Is China’s aluminium industry gradually finding itself more dependent on overseas suppliers for a critical raw material? That question becomes difficult to ignore when the 2025 numbers come into focus. During the year, China’s bauxite imports climbed to 201 million tonnes, rising from 159 million tonnes in 2024-an increase of about 26.5 per cent-clearly pointing to stronger reliance on external supply chains. China produced around 87 million tonnes of bauxite in 2025, while demand stood in the range of 232.4–278.8 million tonnes. That created a structural gap of around 191 million tonnes, which imports increasingly had to bridge, a trend closely analysed in AL Circle’s Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook report. Who really controls...
Double blow from the Middle East – aluminium supply disruptions and export challenges for the automobile industry
The ongoing geo-political conflict in West Asia has put many end-user sectors under strain in several parts of the world. From packaging to building and construction, all have been whining over raw material crisis, especially aluminium, since Gulf countries contribute a substantial portion of the metal used in these manufacturing sectors. Not only large economies like Europe, the United States, or India are grappling with crisis, but also countries like Sri Lanka, which consumes only 28,000 tonnes of aluminium in the construction sector , yet under pressure. That’s because out of 14,941 tonnes of unwrought aluminium sourced in the country, 5,235.73 tonnes come from Bahrain. Now, coming to the automobile industry, for which the problem is more nuanced because the industry is largely...
The geography of ‘green’ aluminium: Why location trumps technology
Primary aluminium remains one of the most energy-intensive industrial commodities, consuming 13-15 MWh per tonne and accounting for over 900 TWh of electricity demand globally. When powered by coal, production emits 12–14 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of aluminium, making electricity sourcing (not smelting technology) the decisive factor in determining carbon intensity. On the production front, geography seems to be dictating emissions far more than incremental efficiency gains in cell design. Smelters powered by hydro or nuclear energy, like those in Norway, Quebec, and Iceland, emit as little as 1-2 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of aluminium produced. Au contraire, coal-dependent operations across China, India, and Australia routinely exceed 12–16 tonnes. As carbon pricing mechanisms, trade...
NBS: China's power output rises 1.4% YoY in March, with hydropower leading growth
The total amount of electricity generated in China in March rose by 1.4 per cent on year to 802.48 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on April 16, with hydropower emerging as the primary growth driver. Hydropower output surged 10.8 per cent on year to 86.21 billion kWh, supported by significantly higher precipitation in many areas raising water levels in major hydro dams. Data from the China Meteorological Administration showed that average rainfall nationwide in March reached 33 mm, up 18.7 per cent compared with historical norms. This translated into stronger water inflows, with the average discharge at the Three Gorges Dam - the country's largest hydropower facility rising by 23 per cent on year to 7,896 cubic meters/s,...
If Vietnam holds the highest bauxite reserves, China leads the output - where is Asia’s supply chain anchored?
Asia sits on vast bauxite wealth, yet much of its story remains beneath the surface. Global reserves are estimated at 29-30 billion tonnes, while annual production stands at just about 480 million tonnes, only 1.6-1.7 per cent of the total. Of this reserve base, Asia accounts for roughly 18 per cent. This contrast sets up a key question: if resources are sufficient, what is shaping supply? The imbalance becomes visible the moment reserves are mapped out. Vietnam leads with 3.1 billion tonnes, contributing about 10.7 per cent of global reserves. Indonesia follows closely with 3.0 billion tonnes. India holds 0.65 billion tonnes, largely concentrated in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, while China-despite its dominance in aluminium industry has just 0.71 billion tonnes. At first glance, the...
US alumina imports jump 32% in 2025 as Jamaica’s exports double
In 2025, the US alumina story begins with rising imports-but it quickly reveals a system under strain. US alumina imports surged to 1.77 million tonnes in 2025, up 32 per cent from 1.34 million tonnes in 2024, reversing a marginal 1 per cent dip from 1.36 million tonnes in 2023. It reads like a rebound-but is it really a recovery story, or does it signal a deeper structural shift? The movement through the year adds intrigue. Alumina imports rose consistently through the first three quarters of 2025 before reversing sharply in the final quarter. Volumes reached 439,000 tonnes in Q1, increasing to 466,000 tonnes in Q2, up 6 per cent quarter on quarter, and climbed further to 506,000 tonnes in Q3, marking an 8 per cent rise. However, this upward trajectory broke in Q4, with imports falling...
China to see a LNG import gap of 2.696 million tonnes in Q2
Given geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, China's LNG imports are expected to decline year-on-year in Q2 2026. However, as Golden Pass LNG capacities come online ahead of schedule, the global tight balance is expected to ease around September. For the global aluminium value-chain 2026 outlook, book our exclusive report “ Global ALuminium Industry Outlook 2026 " China's LNG imports in April are estimated at 3.27 million tonnes, down 18.3 per cent month-on-month and 29.5 per cent year-on-year, the steepest monthly decline since early 2024. Attacks on two main LNG trains at Qatar's Ras Laffan in March and two-week shutdowns at Australia's North West Shelf LNG terminal led to a single-month supply gap of about 1.367 million tonnes. LNG imports are projected to pick up in May and June,...
