Europe's aluminium industry is facing mounting pressure from rising carbon costs, shifting trade policies and limited willingness among buyers to pay premiums for low-carbon metal. Yet, despite a series of crises since the Covid pandemic, producers remain committed to maintaining their presence in Europe and investing in decarbonisation, said Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. In an exclusive interview with Fastmarkets at Aluminium Düsseldorf, Voss described the European aluminium industry's condition as bruised but resilient. He highlighted concerns over the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the potential inclusion of indirect (Scope 2) emissions under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the treatment of aluminium scrap in carbon accounting. Reflecting on...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price graph depicted a faltering market picture. Declines over the November 2 close were reported across the pricing, contract, and inventory segments. The LME alumina Platts price remained stable at the session close. The LME aluminium cash bid as well as offer prices dipped by 0.42 per cent. The bid slipped to USD 3,081 per tonne from USD 3,094 per tonne, while the offer eased to USD 3,082 per tonne from USD 3,095 per tonne , down 0.61 per cent day-on-day. 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 three-month bid contracted by 0.64 per cent to USD 3,040 per tonne from USD 3,059.5 per tonne. The offer...
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Vedanta hiked its aluminium products price on Wednesday, July 1, marking the second consecutive rise in price. With effect from Wednesday 1 July 2020, the prices of some aluminium ingots are in the range of INR 138,500-151,500 per tonne, a rise of INR 1,750 per tonne or 1.28% from INR 136,750-149,750 per tonne on June 27. With the latest hike, Vedanta’ billet now stands at INR 146,500 per tonne on July 1, an increase of INR 1,750 per tonne or 1.21% from INR 144,750 per tonne on June 27. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The three-month futures of aluminium have been declining due to slower global demand following the coronavirus outbreak. Vedanta Limited cuts its aluminium Cost of...
The US dollar slipped on Wednesday, July 1, in choppy trading, with the market having a modest appetite for risk-taking amid generally upbeat US data and improving European economic numbers. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against basket of its peers, touched a one-week low of 97.025 before closing at 97.153. Three-month LME aluminium hovered in a broad range between US$ 1,615-1,626 per tonne before closing the day higher at US$1,618 per tonne, continuing the price rally. As of Wednesday, July 1, LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price, however, decreased from US$ 1602 per tonne to US$ 1593.50 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price stood at US$ 1614 per tonne after declining by US$ 7.5 per tonne from the previous day. Dec 21 bid price...
En+ has called on the EU to eradicate tariffs on low-carbon imports of aluminium, the lightweight metal used in everything from cars to wind turbines. EU needs to invest almost €500bn a year to meet its climate goals, Greg Barker, the group’s executive chairman, said: “There was a huge opportunity to speed up the energy transition by embracing green aluminium”. “Why to turn off Europe’s coal-fired power plants if the finished goods we buy or manufacture are sucking in high-carbon, coal-produced aluminium from the other side of the world?” said Lord Barker, a former UK energy and climate change minister En+ controls Rusal, the largest aluminium producer outside China, and its push for a separate customs code for low-carbon aluminium comes as Germany, which has unveiled sweeping measures to...
Hydro won the Aluminium Industry Leadership Award, the Breakthrough Solution of the Year (Hydro CIRCAL) and the Metals Company of the Year in the S&P Global Platts Award 2020, the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. “I am very proud that we managed to win these awards, especially the recognition for Hydro CIRCAL which is something that we have work so hard on for this last year. This is a true testament to the Hydro organization and the work that is being done across the company,” said Hilde Merete Aasheim, President & CEO of Hydro. The program's independent panel of judges gave the follow rational for the awards in the respective categories: Aluminium Industry Leadership Award (Hydro) “Our panel of judges was impressed...
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau stated that it will hurt US and Canadian economies if the Trump administration imposes new tariffs on Canadian aluminium. On 29 th June’20, Trudeau said: “We have heard, obviously, the musings and proposals from the US that perhaps there need to be more tariffs on aluminium.” Trudeau pointed out that “what we simply highlight is: the S needs Canadian aluminium”. The Prime Minister said: “If they put tariffs on Canadian aluminium, they’re simply increasing the costs of inputs, necessary inputs, to their manufacturing base which will hurt the American economy. Again, we see that our economies are so interlinked that punitive actions by the US administration end up hurting Americans the same way they end up hurting Canadians.” He added: “We will...
The US dollar edged lower after rose on Tuesday. LME and SHFE base metals ended mixed overnight. LME aluminium grew 0.31% and aluminium gained 0.72%. Three-month LME aluminium hovered in a broad range between US$1,615-1,626 per tonne. It ended higher on the day at US$1,618 per tonne. As of Tuesday June 30, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1602 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1602 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1621.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1621.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1722 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1722 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1642600 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1472775 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 169825 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-months Asian...
ALRO S.A., one of the largest vertically integrated aluminium producers in Europe, is reportedly celebrating its 55th anniversary by being committed to the employees, partners, and clients for over the last five decades and standing as one of the strong pillars for the Romanian economy all through the years. ALRO started operating in 1965 and now has two divisions – primary and processed aluminium. After constantly advancing its technologies, ALRO has reached a production capacity of 265,000 tonnes of electrolytic aluminium per annum, while its cast-house capacity has reached 325,000 tonnes per annum. In a year, the company produces 100,000 tonnes of flat-rolled aluminium. ALRO has invested more than US$ 7000 million since privatization in technology and environmental protection. 'The...
The non-alloyed aluminium ingot export of Azerbaijan has been reflecting with a very strong rise during 2017-19, as the total export volume stands at 68,848 tonnes and revenue earning posted was $135.30 million. The estimated export volume for 2020 has been analysed at 20,876 tonnes and the revenue earning to remain at $32.50 million. When the analysed export volume and earning gets summed up with the previous three years it displays 98,248 tonnes and $167.80 million. Azerbaijan’s export of non-alloyed aluminium ingot in 2017 remained at 16,179 tonnes and expenditure stood at $33.55 million, whereas in 2018 the country’s non-alloyed aluminium saw growth by 29.03%, as the export jumped to 20,876 tonnes and the foreign revenue earnings also rose to $47.30 million. In 2019 the export of the...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, announced a historical milestone as its smelter achieved 23 million working-hours without any Lost Time Injury (LTI) on Monday 29 June 2020. Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali said: “A strong Safety culture is built over time; it is never given. Our pro-active commitment and uncompromising approach toward Safety has helped us achieve 23 million working-hours without any Lost Time Injury (LTI) for the first time in our soon-to-be Golden Jubilee of operations. I thank our employees and our contractors for making this achievement possible. As we approach the hot summer months, we must be more Safety-Conscious to ensure the Safety and well-being of all our people.” The company received in 2020...
According to a recent report, India has started contemplating various measures to minimise the aluminium imports as metal shipments from China have marked a sharp hike. Ministry of Mines has formed an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to examine ways to trim aluminium imports and prop up domestic smelters to substitute overseas supply. As per the report, the government departments in New Delhi are discussing possible measures to restrict cheap and low-quality Chinese products, in line with the rising border tensions between India and China. China accounts for 16 per cent of the metal imports to India. Other countries that supply the metal to India are the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. According to a survey, more than 60 per cent of India’s...
The US dollar started the week on a negative footing and edged lower on Monday. Market sentiment was lifted as the European Union is preparing to open its borders to travellers from 14 countries after months of lockdown. Three-month LME aluminium closed higher for the second consecutive session, ending at US$ 1,613 per tonne, up 0.97 per cent on the day. As of Monday, June 29, LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price increased from US$ 1582 per tonne to US$ 1589 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price stood up by US$ 9.5 per tonne to US$ 1607 per tonne. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer price came in at US$ 1706.50 per tonne compared to US$ 1699 per tonne on Friday, June 26. The LME aluminium opening stock totalled 1648000 tonnes. Live Warrants stood...
Dutch aluminium producer Damco Aluminium Delfzijl Coöperatie U.A., Delfzijl, Aldel, has set foot in an agreement with the operator of a local solar farm which will intensify its capability to source energy completely from renewable sources. Ecorus developed its solar farm on an industrial site in Farmsum owned by local construction firm Gebroeders Borg. The agreement with Aldel will make the company taking the entire 4.5 MW peak output from the solar farm to execute its ten-year plan to shift entirely too renewable energy. Aldel, a major electricity consumer in its own right has a considerable role to play in supporting efforts by the Netherlands electricity grid to create a more dynamic, flexible and adaptable grid that can accommodate a more distributed model of energy supply. This is...
More than 15 CEOs and other senior executives representing the entire aluminium industry value chain in the United States sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on 25 th June’20, calling for continued quota-free Section 232 tariff exemptions for aluminium in North America. Last year, the Donald Trump administration wisely removed these tariffs amid U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations. The USMCA is slated to enter into force next week on 1 st July. The letter, whose signatories represent companies from the Aluminium Association's Board of Directors, comes after recent claims of a “surge” of primary aluminium imports from Canada into the U.S. The Aluminum Association previously released U.S. government data demonstrating that current import levels are...
Hindalco Industries Ltd has raised its aluminium products price after cutting it by more than 1% on June 26. With effect from Saturday June 27, Hindalco aluminium ingots price now stands at INR 138,000 per tonne, an increase of 2.03% or INR 2,750 per tonne from INR 135,250 per tonne on June 26. The company is now selling its wire rods and billets at INR 149,100 per tonne and INR 145,100 per tonne with effect from Saturday, 27 June 2020, marking a growth of 1.88% and 1.93% from June 26. The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month futures of aluminium on London Metal Exchange. The three-month futures of aluminium declined by more than 14% so far in 2020 due to slower global demand following the coronavirus outbreak. Aluminium prices are expected...
Shanghai Metals Market found further downfall, although slower, in Chinese primary aluminium ingots inventories over the past three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday. According to the data, the inventories across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, decreased 4,000 tonnes from last Wednesday, June 24, to stand at 718,000 tonnes, as of Monday, June 29. Last week, on June 24, the primary aluminium stocks had shrunk 32,000 tonnes week-on-week to come in at 722,000 tonnes. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Since the decline in primary aluminium ingots inventories has not touched upon all the major Chinese markets today, the stocks in Gongyi and Hangzhou have increased by 4,000 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes,...
The US dollar strengthened last Friday and once rose to the highest in almost four days. LME aluminium climbed 1.69%. Three-month LME aluminium ended Friday at US$1,597.5 per tonne, up 1.69% on the day. Investor reaction to the ongoing coronavirus situation in the US will continue to be watched. As of Friday June 26, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1582 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1582 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1597.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1597.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1699 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1699 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1652025 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1474350 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 177675 tonnes. LME aluminium...
Aluminium is forecasted to become the most liquid commodity in the third quarter of 2020 along with the increase that developed in the majority of other commodities. Ibrahim Suabi, Director, TRFX Garuda Futures stated that among other metal commodities, aluminium has a consistent strengthening opportunity in the second half of this year. Suabi said: “A number of positive sentiments were expected to support the strengthening of commodity prices. One of the main drivers is the demand for the development of the electric car industry in the world.” "Among iron ore, copper, and others, aluminium is now the best, because along with the development of the electric car industry, despite Covid-19, demand will remain high.” Furthermore, according to him the steps of the United States (US) which...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a hike over the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival Holiday by RMB 80 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,090 per tonne on Monday, June 29. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 14,070 per tonne and RMB 14,110 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 190-230 per tonne. Tianjin has seen the highest growth in A00 aluminium ingot price of RMB 110 per tonne among all the major Chinese cities to hover at RMB 14,110 per tonne, followed by Linyi, where the price has increased by RMB 100 per tonne to RMB 14,130 per tonne. In Hangzhou, the A00 aluminium ingot price has grown by RMB 85 per tonne to RMB 14,125 per tonne, while that in Foshan and Wuxi has edged higher by RMB 70 per tonne to...
