Press Metal Aluminium Holdings Bhd is expected to face weaker smelting margins in the second half of 2026 as aluminium supply constraints ease, input costs rise and market sentiment shifts towards a potential surplus in 2027, according to Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research. “The narrative now is increasingly shifting to a potential surplus in 2027. Coupled with falling Japan-Port (MJP) premium and rising alumina as well as carbon anode costs, we foresee sequentially weaker smelting margins in 2H2026,” the research house said in a note on Monday. HLIB Research estimates that Press Metal’s core earnings for the third quarter of 2026 will range between MYR 600 million (USD 146.85 million) and MYR 650 million (USD 159.09 million), representing a decline of 10 per cent to 17 per cent...
Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing Company (QAMCO), which holds 50 per cent of the Qatalum joint venture, reported a net profit of QAR 276 million (USD 75.88 million) for the nine months ended 30 September 2026. This marked a drastic 48 per cent year-on-year dip, despite a rise aluminium selling prices. Shipping constraints and reduced operational activity at its joint venture, Qatar Aluminium Company (Qatalum), weighed on production, sales and financial performance. The decline comes from tonnes, not price. The joint venture produced and sold far less metal because shipping constraints tied to the regional conflict reduced operational activity. Higher realised selling prices and lower operating costs partly offset the pressure on earnings, while its closing cash and bank balance, including...
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Aluminium production outside the Gulf region could also be affected if petroleum coke shortages worsen because the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. A report by JPMorgan Chase & Co. said petroleum coke, a key raw material used in aluminium production, may become a major problem for aluminium producers globally as tensions continue in the Persian Gulf region. To know the long-term bauxite market forecast, book our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” According to the report, around 20 per cent of global petroleum coke supply is affected by the Strait of Hormuz disruption because petroleum coke is produced during oil refining. It warned that if shortages become severe, aluminium producers outside the Gulf could face...
The US Commerce Department has introduced a new process that would allow steel and aluminium producers from Canada and Mexico to apply for reduced Section 232 tariffs if they commit to investing in manufacturing operations in the United States. Under the proposal, eligible companies could see tariffs lowered from the current 50 per cent rate to 25 per cent, according to a notice filed in the Federal Register. The initiative aims to encourage foreign metal producers to expand industrial capacity in the US while supporting North American automotive supply chains. To qualify, companies must already supply steel or aluminium, directly or indirectly, to US manufacturers of automobiles or medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Their exports must also meet the preferential trade requirements under the...
On May 11, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price continued to rise significantly from the previous close, again racing towards a four-year high. Along with the price, the LME inventory also rose compared to the previous day’s close. On the other hand, the LME alumina platts price on May 11 showed no change. The LME cash bid rose by USD 94 per tonne from USD 3,560 per tonne to USD 3,654 per tonne and the cash offer settled at USD 3,655 per tonne, from USD 3,560.5 per tonne, reflecting a change of USD 94.5 per tonne and both showed a 3 per cent change in total. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform A similar impact is seen on the LME 3-month bid and offer, where the former changed from USD 3,511 per tonne to USD 3,570 per tonne, owing to a change...
As tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt one of the world’s most critical trade corridors, global aluminium buyers are turning towards China in search of supply stability. But while China’s exports are accelerating rapidly, the bigger question remains - can the country truly offset the growing supply risks emerging from the Gulf region? The changing trade pattern is becoming increasingly evident across major markets including India, Mexico, United States, Vietnam and South Korea, where importers are ramping up purchases from China amid concerns over freight uncertainty, tighter supply availability and potential disruptions to Gulf-linked shipments. China shipments jump amid Gulf uncertainty China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products climbed sharply in April...
The May 8 session on the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices witnessed a modest recovery from the declining trend experienced in the previous two sessions. The cash price and near-term contracts recorded improved figures, while the bearish momentum of the longer-dated contracts and the declining stocks indicated a worldwide supply crisis. Explore- Most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The LME aluminium cash bid as well as offer prices recorded a slight improvement by 0.04 per cent from the closing figures on the May 7 session . The bid inched up from USD 3,558.5 per tonne to USD 3,560 per tonne, while the offer price climbed from USD 3,559 per tonne to USD...
Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited has received a domestic order worth INR 571.5 million (USD 6 million), including taxes, from Vedanta Aluminium for the supply and commissioning of two BTAP rakes and two BVCM units. The company disclosed the order under SEBI’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations. The contract became effective on May 8, 2026. To know the long-term bauxite market forecast, book our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” Under the order, Texmaco Rail will supply two sets of BTAP rakes. Each rake will include 53 wagons and one BVCM unit. The first rake is expected to be delivered and commissioned within six months from the effective date, while the second rake is expected within eight...
中文翻译附于新闻末尾，敬请继续阅读。 The global bauxite market began 2026 with an unusual divergence. While the United States continued moving away from primary aluminium inputs, Guinea strengthened its grip on the global bauxite trade through surging exports to China, reshaping the balance of raw material flows across the aluminium supply chain. For the United States, the decline in bauxite imports reflects a much deeper structural shift that has been unfolding for years. The country has historically depended on imported bauxite because domestic reserves in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia remain limited. But the larger issue now is the collapse of domestic alumina refining capacity, which has fallen from nearly 5 million tonnes in 2000 to around 600,000 tonnes today. Only one refinery - Atlantic Alumina’s...
Azerbaijan is the new route for aluminium shipment from Russia to Armenia, symbolising close ties between the countries. Azerbaijan Railways confirmed two railcars carrying aluminium departed on May 7, forming part of a new transit route linking Russia to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory. The shipment adds aluminium as the fourth category of goods transported along this corridor, following earlier consignments of grain products, fertilisers and buckwheat. This development holds much importance for Armenia since it is a landlocked country and depends extensively on foreign transport routes for importing necessary goods. Transportation of freight from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijan resumed in autumn 2025, after many years following the end of the war fought in 2020 in...
For more than a decade, the phrase “industrial overcapacity” has been shorthand for possible inefficiency in China’s heavy industries — too many smelters, too much idle infrastructure, too much capital trapped in sectors that Beijing has repeatedly tried to rationalise. Aluminium has often sat at the centre of that debate because of its enormous electricity appetite and its strategic importance to manufacturing, transport, defence and energy transition technologies. But a new research is challenging that entire narrative. Instead of treating overcapacity as a burden, the study argues that China’s surplus aluminium-smelting capacity could become a critical flexibility tool for a renewable-heavy electricity system. Excess smelting capacity may function as a seasonal balancing mechanism for...
Century Aluminum entered 2026 with an improved earnings, but beneath the headline numbers, the quarter reflected two contrasting trends - stronger aluminium pricing and asset-sale gains on one side, and operational disruption in Iceland weighing on shipments on the other. The company reported net sales of USD 649.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 2.4 per cent increase from USD 633.7 million in Q4 2025. However, aluminium shipments fell 12.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 122,865 tonnes from 140,257 tonnes, largely reflecting the full-quarter impact of the Grundartangi Line 2 equipment failure in Iceland. Despite the lower shipment volumes, Century’s profitability improved sharply. Net income attributable to the company climbed to USD 337.5 million in Q1 2026 from just USD...
The downward movement in the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price continued on May 7 after the previous day's close. The LME inventory also declined, but only the live warrants showed no change from the previous day. The LME cash bid inched down further from USD 3,596 per tonne on May 6 to USD 3,558.5 per tonne on May 7, owing to a difference of USD 37.5 per tonne or 1 per cent. Concurrently, the LME cash offer on May 6 settled at USD 3,597 per tonne, but on May 7, it was at USD 3,559 per tonne, reflecting a shift of USD 38 per tonne or 1.1 per cent. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform The declining trend continued in the LME 3-month bid and offer, where both showed a difference of USD 35.5 per tonne or 1 per cent from the previous close. To...
Tsingshan Holding Group has applied to make aluminium produced by its Hua Chin smelting joint venture in Indonesia deliverable on the London Metal Exchange, according to a notice issued by the London Metal Exchange. If approved, Hua Chin would become only the second Indonesian high-grade primary aluminium brand accepted by the LME after state-owned Inalum. To know the long-term bauxite market forecast, book our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” Hua Chin is a joint venture between Tsingshan and the Chinese company Huafon Group. The smelting facility is located on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Also read: ASA strengthens Syracuse, New York, operations with a new 50,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility According to the...
American Steel and Aluminum (ASA) has opened a new 50,000 square-foot integrated contract manufacturing facility in Syracuse, New York. The new site is the company’s second facility in the city and is aimed at increasing production and processing capacity. The expansion comes as demand rises from sectors such as data centre infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, and industrial manufacturing. ASA said the additional facility will help increase output, reduce delivery times, and add more processing capabilities closer to customers. To know the long-term bauxite market forecast, book our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” Sam Blatchford, President of ASA, said, "This expansion is a direct response to what we're hearing...
With comparison to the previous day's close, on May 6, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price dropped. The drop has been seen in the longer-dated contracts as well as at the inventory level. On May 6, both the LME cash bid and cash offer dropped by USD 35.5 per tonne or 1 per cent, where the bid shifted from USD 3,631.5 per tonne to USD 3,596 per tonne and the offer from USD 3,632.5 per tonne to USD 3,597 per tonne. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform Similarly, the LME 3-month bid and offer inched down by USD 17.5 per tonne or 0.5 per cent, where the bid moved to USD 3,544.5 per tonne from USD 3,562 per tonne and the offer to USD 3,545.5 per tonne from USD 3,563 per tonne. The downward price movement continued in the LME December 27 bid and...
EFG Hermes has been appointed as the sole financial advisor to Metallurgical Industries Holding Company (MIH) and Egyptalum on a new partnership with Trafigura to build a primary aluminium smelter in Egypt. The project will be developed through a newly created company, NewCo, which will be majority-owned by MIH and Egyptalum. Trafigura will take a minority stake and also act as a debt provider, as well as a long-term partner for supplying raw materials and purchasing output. To know the long-term bauxite market forecast, book our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” EFG Hermes will advise on both equity and debt financing for the project. The signing of the term sheet marks an important step forward for the partnership....
National Aluminium Company (NALCO) has received a ‘Buy’ rating by the brokerage Axis Securities, estimating a projection of 10 per cent upside from current standard market levels, while cautioning that rich valuations could limit additional gains. Axis has elevated NALCO’s target price from the previous INR 390 (USD 4.12) per share to INR 440 (USD 4.65) per share, provided there is improved earnings visibility along with favourable pricing dynamics. Explore: The most comprehensive and forward-looking industry-focused report — Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook The development in NALCO’s rating came after the company reported a robust financial performance for its fourth quarter (Q4) of FY 2025-26 . While earnings were hit by lower...
Following the Vedanta Limited demerger on May 1, 2026 , the company has drawn up expansion plans across its major business segments, such as aluminium, energy, oil and gas. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, in a letter to shareholders, stated that Vedanta’s business verticals are being developed to achieve individual growth. for global competitiveness, equipped with scale, a strong cost advantage and well-defined avenues for growth. He stated, “Through this transformation, each of our businesses is emerging as a ‘Vedanta’ in its own right.” The demerger aims to restructure each business segment into a standalone enterprise to optimise its value and positioning as a competitor on the global platform. Each part would be provided with the scope for focused, sector-specific development with streamlined...
Indonesia’s unwrought aluminium exports rose to their highest level in 28 months in March 2026, rising by over 100 per cent month-on-month, amounting to 88,554 tons against February’s 33,490 tons, based on data by Statistics Indonesia and Trade Data Monitor. This surge is attributed to the availability of new supplies from the expanded smelting facilities and a change in shipping flows, which include an unusual shipment to the United States. Analysts attribute the rise to the constrained global supply situation amid persistent geopolitical instability in the Middle East that has affected aluminium logistics. A key contributor to the March export spike was the first dispatches from the Weda Bay industrial complex on Halmahera Island. The smelter, backed by China’s Tsingshan Holding Group...
