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 producers are building smelters, expanding refineries, opening mines and writing investment cheques worth more than INR 640 billion. Yet despite all that activity, the industry faces a rather uncomfortable question: what happens when demand grows faster than capacity can be built? The timing of that question is hard to ignore as domestic aluminium demand is projected to climb from 4.5 million tonnes to 8.3 million tonnes by 2030, while the country is already importing close to 3 million tonnes of aluminium products every year to bridge supply gaps. Industry projections suggest imports could account for nearly 55 per cent of India's requirements in FY2025-26, contributing to a metals trade deficit of roughly USD 3.4 billion, or about INR 300 billion. At first glance, the...
As part of the series, “ The Rise of Global Aluminium Hubs Outside China ”, the first chapter explores India’s emergence as a key player in the global aluminium landscape. Co-authored by two industry experts, Dr. Subodh Das and Mr. Abhijit Pati, the article provides an in-depth assessment of the country’s current status, pressing challenges, and future growth prospects. India stands as the world’s second-largest producer of primary aluminium, contributing roughly 5.5% to 8% of global output, backed by an industrial framework of fully integrated domestic producers and specialised downstream manufacturers. The primary aluminium ecosystem is anchored by national champions NALCO, Hindalco, Vedanta, and BALCO, which command a combined primary smelting capacity of approximately 4.3 million...
The LME aluminium price graph showed a broadly weaker trend on June 10, with cash, three-month and December 2027 contracts all recording declines compared to the last date. The LME aluminium cash bid price fell to USD 3,488 per tonne on June 10 from USD 3,607 per tonne on June 9, marking a decline of around 3.30 per cent. The LME aluminium cash offer price also decreased by 3.30 per cent to USD 3,489 per tonne on June 10 from USD 3,608 per tonne in the previous session. In the three-month contract, the LME aluminium 3-month bid price stood at USD 3,480.5 per tonne on June 10, down 2.92 per cent from USD 3,585 per tonne recorded on June 9. The 3-month offer price slipped 2.93 per cent to USD 3,481 per tonne from USD 3,586 per tonne. Meanwhile, the December 2027 aluminium contract also...
Europe's aluminium market is facing fresh pressure as higher energy costs and tightening global supply combine to create a more challenging environment for producers and consumers alike. The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has raised concerns over energy security, while reduced aluminium availability outside China has kept physical markets tight and premiums elevated. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important trade routes for oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Any disruption to traffic through the waterway quickly feeds into global energy markets, and Europe is already feeling the effects through higher gas and electricity prices. For aluminium smelters, where power is one of the largest operating costs, that creates an additional burden at a time...
Alcoa has come into focus after UBS highlighted the potential impact of supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict and growing global demand for aluminium, prompting investors to take a fresh look at the company's valuation. The renewed attention comes as aluminium prices remain supported by supply concerns and increasing demand from electrification and industrial sectors. Alcoa's shares have seen some recent volatility, falling 1.40 per cent over the past day and 13.58 per cent during the last week. Despite the pullback, the stock remains up 14.61 per cent over the past 30 days and 28.07 per cent since the start of the year, while its one-year total shareholder return stands at 154.14 per cent. One widely followed valuation model estimates Alcoa's fair value at USD 73.87 per...
Aluminium prices may have eased from their recent peak, but they are unlikely to return to the lower levels seen in earlier years, according to Axis Securities, which expects the market to remain supported by tight supply, rising production costs and steady demand growth. The metal had climbed to nearly USD 3,800 per tonne before retreating to around USD 3,500 per tonne. Aditya Welekar, Senior Research Analyst for Metals at Axis Securities, said the correction followed stronger-than-expected economic data from the United States, which strengthened expectations that the US Federal Reserve could maintain a tighter monetary stance. Higher interest rates typically weigh on commodity prices by supporting the US dollar. Even after the recent decline, Welekar believes the underlying fundamentals...
Have the speculations of India’s staggering loss worth USD 4.56 billion from metal exports to the US post-tariffs come true? Statistics strongly disagree. In the January-March quarter (Q1) of 2026, India’s export value of primary aluminium to the United States surged by 43.64 per cent year-on-year to USD 154.66 million from USD 107.67 million. Is this upward streak likely to continue? Outlook strongly agrees. A striking improvement can be noticed in the cumulative export value of India’s primary aluminium shipments to the US, which climbed to USD 387 million in 2025 from USD 173.22 million recorded in 2024, marking a 123.6 per cent hike. Explore the relevance of red mud in the sustainable aluminium industry in A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud): Sustainability, Resource...
Trade flows across China’s major industrial commodities presented a mixed picture in May, with aluminium standing out as the strongest performer. Exports of aluminium and related products climbed to 632,000 tonnes, marking a 16 per cent increase compared with the same month last year and reaching their highest level since November 2024, according to data published by Morgan Stanley on Tuesday. The strength in aluminium exports appears to have been supported by disruptions to supply chains in the Middle East, which tightened availability in markets outside China. This helped push up prices on the London Metal Exchange, creating more attractive export opportunities for Chinese aluminium producers. At the same time, China domestic aluminium stocks have begun to ease, a trend that has been in...
Xi’an-based Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) has announced that its Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) additive manufacturing technology has supported the development and validation of a new family of high-strength aluminium alloys. The materials were developed by Chinese materials company AccMaterial in collaboration with researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Nature Communications published a paper addressing the challenge of developing aluminium alloys for additive manufacturing. To date, manufacturers have struggled to create a single material system that provides both high processability and both strength and ductility while achieving optimal performance across multiple factors, including manufacturing cost or efficiency and product performance. Using a design strategy...
The close of June 9 witnessed the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price graph continuing to slip across all categories in aluminium prices, contracts, as well as stocks. Stability was noted only in live warrants and the alumina platts price. To know the long-term upstream market forecast, book our comprehensive report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” The LME aluminium cash bid price dropped by 1.69 per cent, down from USD 3,669 per tonne on June 8 to USD 3,607 per tonne on June 9. The offer price shifted from USD 3,669.5 per tonne to USD 3,608 per tonne , declining 1.68 per cent day-on-day. On June 9, the LME aluminium three-month bid price shifted from USD 3,600 per tonne on June 8 to USD 3,585 per tonne, marking a...
Aluminium producer China Hongqiao Group Ltd. said on Monday, June 8, 2026, that its parent company, China Hongqiao Holdings, purchased 21 million shares in the company at an average price of HKD 26.464 per share. The transaction amounted to a total consideration of HKD 556 million (USD 71.28 million). The acquisition represents approximately 0.21 per cent of China Hongqiao's total issued share capital and increases China Hongqiao Holdings' stake in the company to 62.31 per cent. China Hongqiao Holdings is principally owned by Chairman Zhang Bo. The parent company said it believes China Hongqiao's current share price does not fully reflect the company's intrinsic value and added that it does not rule out further increases in its shareholding in the future. China Hongqiao shares opened flat...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices, as witnessed in the previous three sessions, have persisted on the declining graph at the close of the June 8 session. The LME aluminium cash bid price declined to USD 3,669 per tonne on June 8 from USD 3,735 per tonne on June 5 , marking a decrease of around 1.77 per cent. The LME aluminium cash offer price also eased 1.78 per cent to USD 3,669.5 per tonne on June 8 from USD 3,736 per tonne in the previous session. In the three-month contract segment, the LME aluminium 3-month bid price stood at USD 3,600 per tonne on June 8, down 1.88 per cent from USD 3,669 per tonne recorded on June 5. The three-month offer price fell 1.88 per cent to USD 3,600.5 per tonne from USD 3,669.5 per tonne. Meanwhile, the December 27 bid price declined 1.44...
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has expressed his support for the proposed aluminium production facility in Inola amidst increasing local opposition and state officials. Stitt, in a video posted on social media, said the project is important for U.S. manufacturing and aluminium production, linking it to efforts to increase domestic output of materials used across a range of industries. The Governor said the facility would be the first aluminium production plant of its kind to be built in the United States in over 45 years. It would be the biggest aluminium producing plant ever built in the country, he said. Stitt said boosting domestic aluminium production is important as the US continues to reduce its reliance on overseas supplies. Aluminium is used extensively in aerospace, defence and...
A global aluminium producer has offered Japanese buyers a USD 480 per tonne premium on primary aluminium shipments for the July-September quarter. The proposed premium is around 36-37 per cent higher than the USD 350- USD 353 per tonne agreed for the April-June quarter. Japan is Asia’s largest importer of aluminium, and the quarterly premium paid by Japanese buyers over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price serves as a benchmark for aluminium pricing across the region. For the April-June quarter, Japanese buyers agreed to pay premiums of USD 350-353 per tonne, up 79-81 per cent from the previous quarter and the highest level in 11 years amid tightening supply conditions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Recent negotiations indicate that premiums could rise further in the...
Ashish Khilnani has been promoted to Vice President at Vedanta Aluminium. Before the promotion, Khilnani served as COO – Logistics at Vedanta Limited's Aluminium Business, where he was responsible for logistics operations at the company's aluminium facilities in Jharsuguda, Odisha. He has more than 20 years of experience in logistics, plant operations, procurement, inventory management, industrial purchasing and supply chain management across the cement, aluminium and manufacturing sectors. Prior to joining Vedanta Aluminium, Khilnani worked at Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd., where he held positions including Logistics Cluster Head – Odisha and General Manager. During his time with the company, he was involved in logistics management, plant operations and supply chain activities across...
London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices witnessed a decline in the cash price on the June 5 session. Contracts, however, improved from the closing figures of June 4 , while stocks returned to the declining graph. The LME aluminium cash bid as well as offer prices eased 0.08 per cent day-on-day. The bid slumped from USD 3,738 per tonne on June 4 to USD 3,735 per tonne on June 5. Similarly, the offer shifted from USD 3,739 per tonne to USD 3,736 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 Contrary to the cash trend, LME aluminium three-month bid price shifted from USD 3,662 per tonne on June 4 to USD 3,669 per tonne on June 5,...
Haley Stevens, Congresswoman of Michigan, introduced the Secure Aluminium Supply Chains Act, a bill that is going to require a review of US aluminium scrap exports and their impact on the manufacturing sector of the country. This bill requires the US International Trade Commission (USITC) to conduct an investigation into aluminium scrap shipments to countries considered strategic competitors by the United States. Stevens said that aluminium is widely used across automotive, aerospace and defence industries, which makes it an important material for US manufacturers. The bill would require the USITC to examine where aluminium scrap exports are going and assess any economic or national security concerns linked to those exports. "Michigan workers know that strong supply chains are the...
A supply shock in West Asia is reshaping the global aluminium market. Disruptions to smelters, shipping routes and regional energy supplies have tightened aluminium availability and pushed London Metal Exchange prices to a four-year high, bringing the market closer to the USD 4,000-per-tonne threshold. The disruption comes at a time when the global aluminium market has averaged a supply deficit of less than 0.5 million tonnes over the past five years. Also, the 45 million tonne cap on China's primary aluminium output leaves limited room for the country to increase production and offset any shortfall from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. While consumers grapple with higher costs and supply uncertainty, aluminium producers are benefiting from higher prices. Improved realised...
