India’s trade deficit with China crossed USD 100 billion in the first nine months of 2026 as imports continued to outpace exports, with aluminium trade data showing a widening imbalance in the latest available period. While India’s overall exports to China recorded strong growth between January and September, the value of its aluminium exports to the neighbouring country declined year on year through July, even as aluminium imports from China increased. Data released by China’s General Administration of Customs showed that bilateral trade rose 25.4 per cent to USD 144.45 billion between January and September 2026. India’s imports from China increased 23.3 per cent to USD 125.19 billion, while exports to China grew 40.7 per cent to USD 19.26 billion. Despite the rise in exports, the trade...
Guinea’s ambition to move beyond bauxite exports into alumina refining and aluminium smelting is running into a major electricity constraint. Producing about 1,000 MW of power at present, it needs another estimated 5,000–10,000 MW for industrialisation. While new alumina refineries could expand intermediate supply, the shortage of reliable electricity is likely to delay additional aluminium production capacity beyond 2030. The challenge emerges as aluminium traded at USD 3,008.5 per tonne, down 8.77 per cent over the month but up 8.43 per cent year on year. Guinea mined an estimated 150 million tonnes of bauxite in 2025, accounting for 34 per cent of global output of 440 million tonnes. Yet it produced only 360,000 tonnes of alumina, or 0.24 per cent of worldwide production of 150 million...
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India's aluminium sector is poised for major expansion, as the Adani Group and Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop an integrated aluminium complex in Odisha with an estimated investment of USD 11.5 billion. Both partners will hold equal 50 per cent stakes in the project, which is expected to become the largest foreign investment in India's metals sector. It will include an alumina refinery, aluminium smelter, captive power plant and a downstream aluminium manufacturing park. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations The investment comes at the prime time when...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has confirmed it is running ahead of its internal timeline in restoring production at the Al Taweelah aluminium complex, with 89 of the site’s 1,262 reduction cells already restarted following the March 28 attack that forced an emergency shutdown of the facility. The UAE-based aluminium major, one of the world's largest ‘premium aluminium’ producers, said on July 2, 2026, that repairs to critical infrastructure at Al Taweelah, located in Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), have progressed rapidly since the incident, with basic utilities restored across the site and natural gas and electricity supply set to scale up in line with the restart programme. Reduction cell restart ahead of the curve Al Taweelah smelter’s return to hot metal production hinges...
LME aluminium prices weakened on July 1 compared with June 30, with cash, three-month and long-dated contracts all posting losses. Exchange inventories also continued to decline, while the alumina Platts price moved higher. The LME cash bid price fell to USD 3,073 per tonne on July 1 from USD 3,105 per tonne on June 30 , a decline of 1.03 per cent. The cash offer price also dropped by 0.98 per cent to USD 3,075 per tonne from USD 3,105.50 per tonne. Three-month aluminium prices followed the downward trend. The three-month bid eased from USD 3,110 per tonne to USD 3,072 per tonne, down 1.22 per cent, while the offer price declined from USD 3,112 per tonne to USD 3,073 per tonne, representing a 1.25 per cent decrease. Longer-dated contracts also recorded losses. The December 2027 bid...
The American Primary Aluminium Association (APAA) has welcomed the decision by Magnitude 7 Metals to reopen its primary aluminium smelter in Marston, Missouri, calling the move a significant positive development for domestic aluminium production and US manufacturing. The company is targeting to bring an extra 75,000 tonnes of annual primary aluminium production onstream by the end of 2026, reactivating potline one at the plant. The restart is anticipated to bring back some of the US primary aluminium capacity that has been lost in recent years. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report – Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook Responding to the announcement, David Kaplan of Otto von Blue, owner of...
Aluminium is on course for its steepest monthly decline since October 2008 as improving expectations for Middle Eastern supply rapidly unwound the rally triggered by the Iran conflict.The metal has dropped more than 15 per cent so far in June after an interim US-Iran peace deal boosted optimism that shipments from the Middle East would resume with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The development erased gains accumulated over the previous three months, which had been driven by concerns over disruptions from a region that accounts for nearly one-tenth of global aluminium output. The market's reversal has also been supported by record aluminium exports from China and continued voyages through the Strait of Hormuz to replenish alumina reserves. Over the past few weeks, the London Metal...
Oklahoma’s Inola City Council has approved a 60-day moratorium on the construction of the proposed aluminium smelter in Oklahoma, the US. Although strongly backed by US President Donald J. Trump, the verdict has temporarily put the high-profile project on hold as authorities assess concerns over its environmental impact and ownership structure. The development marks the latest setback for the project, which has attracted national attention after receiving strong backing from former US President Donald Trump, who has described it as critical to America's manufacturing strength and national security. Unlock in-depth insights into the extrusion segment of global aluminium industry with The World of Aluminium Extrusions – Industry Forecast to 2032 Council halts construction pending further...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price graph reflected a sharp drop in figures on the final trading session for June. Barring the stable alumina price, a downward trend was noted across all the pricing segments at the close of June 30. The LME aluminium cash bid, as well as the offer price, reported a fall of 1.74 per cent day-on-day on June 30. While the bid dropped from USD 3,160 per tonne to USD 3,105 per tonne, the offer shifted from USD 3,160.5 per tonne to USD 3,105.5 per tonne . Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Report In the near-term contracts, both the LME aluminium three-month bid and offer prices reported a drop of 1.71 per cent. While the...
A proposed aluminium smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, continues to divide residents, with the debate drawing comments from US President Donald Trump and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. Many residents are calling for a moratorium on the project, while supporters want the development to move forward. The issue has also become part of a political dispute after Oklahoma Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Gentner Drummond opposed the project and sought to block it through a lawsuit. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump criticised Drummond’s position, saying he wanted to stop what he described as a major job-creating aluminium project. Trump wrote that Drummond wanted to "dethrone a magnificent, job-producing, desperately needed aluminium plant that will be one of the best projects...
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...
Analysts expect Hindalco Industries and Vedanta Aluminium to outperform over the next 9-12 months, supported by a combination of favourable market conditions, operational improvements and expansion plans, even as aluminium prices have corrected from recent highs. According to analyst estimates, shares of India's two largest aluminium producers could gain around 20 per cent from current levels, with brokerages recommending investors use the ongoing correction as an opportunity to accumulate the stocks. Vedanta Aluminium is expected to benefit from continued cost improvements, volume growth and stronger cash flows, which are likely to help reduce its debt burden. Hindalco, meanwhile, is projected to gain from stabilising earnings at its US subsidiary, Novelis, following recent volatility...
National Aluminium Company (NALCO) expects its revenue from operations to increase to around INR 190 billion (USD 2.22 billion) in FY 2027, supported by stable aluminium prices, higher production from its new alumina refinery and easing input costs. Chairman-cum-Managing Director Brijendra Pratap Singh said the company expects aluminium prices to stabilise at around USD 2,900-3,000 per tonne, supported by healthy demand and tight market fundamentals despite concerns over additional global supply. Singh said, “The LME inventories are low, the demands are there, and the disruptions in the alumina smelters in refineries, which has happened, that is going to come in next maybe six months, seven months. So demand supply gap is there. Our expectation is that the prices will stabilise somewhere...
LME aluminium prices showed limited movement on June 29 compared with June 26, with cash and three-month contracts recording marginal declines. Meanwhile, exchange inventories and cancelled warrants continued to trend lower. The LME cash bid price eased to USD 3,160 per tonne on June 29 from USD 3,162 per tonne on June 26, marking a slight decline of 0.06 per cent. The cash offer price also edged down by 0.11 per cent to USD 3,160.50 per tonne from USD 3,164 per tonne. Three-month aluminium prices followed a similar pattern. The three-month bid slipped from USD 3,174 per tonne to USD 3,164 per tonne, a decrease of 0.32 per cent, while the offer price declined from USD 3,176 per tonne to USD 3,166 per tonne , also down 0.31 per cent. Longer-dated contracts also moved slightly lower. The...
The LME aluminium price graph of June 26 reported gains after remaining on a declining graph in the previous three sessions. As cash, contracts and three-month Asian benchmark prices improved, warehouse stocks continued to decline. The LME aluminium cash bid and offer prices gained 1.02 per cent day-on-day. The bid rose to USD 3,162 per tonne from USD 3,130 per tonne. The offer improved to USD 3,164 per tonne from USD 3,132 per tonne. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource Recovery and Strategic Recommendations LME aluminium three-month bid and offer prices gained 0.95 per cent. The bid climbed from USD 3,144 per tonne to USD 3,174 per tonne. Similarly, the offer price moved...
LME aluminium prices edged lower on June 25 compared with June 24, with both cash and three-month contracts recording modest declines. Meanwhile, LME warehouse stocks continued to fall, while live warrants remained unchanged. The LME cash bid price slipped to USD 3,130 per tonne on June 25 from USD 3,148 per tonne on June 24, marking a decline of 0.57 per cent. The cash offer price also eased by 0.57 per cent to USD 3,132 per tonne from USD 3,150 per tonne. Three-month aluminium prices followed a similar trend. The three-month bid fell from USD 3,160 per tonne to USD 3,144 per tonne, representing a decrease of 0.51 per cent, while the offer price declined from USD 3,160.50 per tonne to USD 3,146 per tonne, down 0.46 per cent. Longer-dated contracts moved slightly higher. The December 2027...
The UK government has announced a GBP 50 million (USD 66 million) investment to strengthen domestic production of critical minerals, as it seeks to reduce reliance on concentrated global supply chains and improve economic resilience. The funding is also expected to support sectors such as aluminium, which was added to the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy in 2024. The funding will support projects covering mineral extraction, processing and recycling to secure supplies of materials used in products ranging from smartphones and household appliances to electric vehicle batteries. The latest allocation builds on more than GBP 200 million already committed to the sector. Industry Minister Chris McDonald is expected to launch the programme during a visit to an industrial research hub in...
RUSAL’s Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter (IrkAZ) has become the first aluminium plant in the industry to fully transition to modern Russian gas cleaning systems. Investments in the project amounted to approximately USD 40 million. RUSAL developed the gas cleaning units. The company's proprietary solution not only outperforms foreign counterparts but also delivers efficiency over ten times higher than previous-generation gas cleaning systems. The Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter has commissioned its sixth RUSAL Dry Gas Treatment Unit (DGTU), making it the first in the industry to fully adopt modern Russian gas cleaning technology. RUSAL’s Engineering Department developed the technology and equipment for these units in-house. RUSAL considers the modernisation of dry gas treatment systems at its aluminium...
Aluminium, the silvery metal powering homes, industries and enabling humans to fly and sail, has a gripping tale of its mine to market journey. It is extracted after multiple refining processes from the reddish-brown ore. The ore is refined to the powdery white substance Aluminium oxide, commonly known as alumina, to the silvery slabs, billets and ingots, etc., which are then broken into various shapes and sizes for specific consumer markets. The global aluminium industry employs approximately 7.5 million people directly and indirectly. Apart from the modern world’s mobility, defence, infrastructures and sustainable packaging depending upon aluminium, these people’s livelihoods depend on the metal’s journey from mine to market, too. It is important to mention here that aluminium plays a...
US-based primary aluminium producer Century Aluminum and American innovator in alumina and other industrial materials, Brimstone, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at creating what could become the first fully domestic US "mine-to-metal" aluminium supply chain, strengthening the country's access to critical raw materials while reducing dependence on imports. Under the proposed agreement, Brimstone will supply alumina to Century Aluminum from its planned production facility. This would enable the establishment of a US-based aluminium value chain replenished by domestic feedstock. The US remains heavily dependent on imported alumina, the main raw material for aluminium smelting. As bauxite remains contained in subtropical regions, with countries such as China dominating...
