Global primary aluminium production experienced a sequential recovery in the third quarter of 2026, supported by the gradual restoration of disrupted smelting capacity in the GCC countries, stronger operational performance in Europe and Oceania, and incremental production gains across Asia and China. But beneath this quarterly improvement lies a contrasting reality - global output remained below the corresponding levels of both 2025 and 2024. According to data from the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), global primary aluminium production reached 18.377 million tonnes in Q3 2026, an increase of 2.1 per cent from 18.003 million tonnes in the preceding quarter. However, compared with Q3 2025, when production totalled 18.683 million tonnes, output declined by 1.64 per cent. Production...
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...
Grow with
AL Circle
The US dollar continued to move higher on Wednesday, June 17, as investors safe haven demand increased amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic with a surge in cases in some US states. Three-month LME aluminium ended higher for the third consecutive day, as it bounced back after dipping to a session low of US$ 1,591 per tonne, finishing the day 0.22 per cent higher at US$ 1,607.5 per tonne. Open interest shrank 15,022 lots to 838,000 lots as shorts covered their positions. On Wednesday, June 17, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price stood at US$ 1577.50 per tonne after growing by US$ 4 per tonne. 3-months bid price and 3-months offer price also rose but marginally by US$ 0.5 per tonne to come in at US$ 1600 per tonne. Dec 21 bid price and Dec 21 offer...
In early June 2020, Alba’s executives, along with the Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali, visited the company’s Spent Pot Lining (SPL) Treatment Plant construction site. Upon the visit, the CEO reported that the construction is progressing as per schedule. In line with Bahrain’s National Waste Management Strategy, this project will provide a value-creating and sustainable solution to treat SPL, ensuring zero-waste. Bahrain’s National Waste Management Strategy is led by His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Personal Representative of His Majesty King of Bahrain, and President of the Supreme Council for Environment. Ali Al Baqali, said: “Being one of the blue-chip assets of the Kingdom of Bahrain, our aim is to lead the fields in sustainability – in line with the Kingdom of...
On 17 th June’20, Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in bauxite, alumina and Aluminum made public that from 25 th June’20, it plans to begin the formal process for the collective dismissal of employees at its San Ciprián aluminium facility in Spain. On 28 th May ’20, Alcoa set forth an informal process with the workers’ representatives to discuss significant and unsustainable circumstances at the aluminium plant. The Company now intends to begin the formal 30-day consultation period with the Works Council to achieve the best possible outcome for the Company and its workforce. The Company envisions a restructuring for the aluminium plant that retains a portion of the cast-house in operation. A collective dismissal could potentially affect up to 534 employees of the aluminium plant. No...
“The scaling tensions with China create an accelerated expectation of India’s attempt slow down its import dependency from its neighbour of North and shift the required demand to the local manufacturing” – as per industry experts. Even though China has cropped up to be India’s biggest trading partner with imports accounting for close to 16% of the total. As per experts opinion, any obstruction will have a comparatively brief impact on the domestic industry. The disarray engendered to raw material supplies from China due to COVID-19 has prepared local companies to deal with such events. Vinnie Mehta, Director General of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), which represents auto parts companies said: “The COVID-19 situation has underlined the need to enhance deep...
Belgium-based startup ValCun is reportedly creating a technology to make metal 3D printing more affordable and convenient than before. The company reports that it is using fresh and recycled aluminium, even cans, as input for its products. As mentioned in the available reports, ValCun refers to the technology as “molten metal deposition.” The technology uses aluminium wire feedstock, which looks like a spooled metal wire that is melted. The process of the technology is described to be as follows: the metal is first melted, then the workpiece is heated using plasma, and then finally, the material is deposited. This procedure leads to less heat and energy expended compared to heating an entire chamber. Jonas Galle, the inventor of the technology and founder of ValCun, said this process of...
According to the latest report from the US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production was 95,000 tonnes in March 2020. The average daily production stood at 3,050 tonnes, essentially unchanged from that in February, slightly more than that in March 2019, and 34% more than that in March 2018. Total aluminium recovered from scrap was 278,000 tonnes in March, unchanged from the amount in February, 4% less than the amount in March 2019, and 10% less than that in March 2018. Of this, 154,000 tonnes of aluminium was recovered from new scrap and 124,000 t was recovered from old scrap. In March, the average U.S. spot market price of primary aluminium ingot was $0.866 per pound, 4% less than that in February. Inventories of primary aluminium in LME-approved warehouses in the...
The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter with 800 employees near Bluff in New Zealand might have to hold up for a year to find out whether their jobs are safeguarded as the combat over its power bill continues. The Electricity Authority of New Zealand last week covered the way for the smelter to apply for a discount potentially worth $10 million a year on the transmission charges it pays Transpower to connect to the national grid. However, Transpower declared on 17 th June’20 that it might be at least a year before it is ready to consider any application. Transpower said: “Any discounts on transmission charges would need to wait on other decisions Transpower needs to make about how to implement a broader instruction issued by the authority for it to adopt more of a user-pays model for...
The US dollar rose on Tuesday on the back of a record rise in US retail sales. LME and SHFE base metals mostly closed higher on the day. Three-month LME aluminium gained for the second straight session. It ended up 1.04% on the day at US$1,604 per tonne. As of Tuesday June 16, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1573.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1573.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1595.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1595.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1703 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1703 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1616550 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 1408325 tonnes, and Cancelled Warrants were 208225 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-months Asian Reference Price is hovering...
The A00 aluminium ingot price in China has recorded a hike for the third straight day on Wednesday, June 17, found Shanghai Metals Market. Following the growth of RMB 150 per tonne on June 16, the A00 aluminium ingot price today has climbed by RMB 110 per tonne to stand at RMB 14,080 per tonne. With this, the price of aluminium ingot has crossed the 14K level since early February of this year. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 14,060 per tonne and RMB 14,100 per tonne, with spot contract to be traded at a premium price of RMB 180-220 per tonne. Foshan, among all the major Chinese markets, has seen the highest growth today in A00 aluminium ingot price by RMB 140 per tonne to peg at RMB 14,160 per tonne. Wuxi and Chongqing have witnessed an increase of RMB 120 per...
The economy of Argentina is an upper-middle-income economy for the fiscal year 2019 according to the World Bank. It is the second-largest in South America behind Brazil. Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Early in the twentieth century Argentina had one of the ten highest per capita GDP levels in the world, on par with Canada and Australia and surpassing both France and Italy. The major industries of the driving the economy of the Latin American nation are food processing, beverages, motor vehicles and auto parts appliances, electronics, machinery and equipment; chemicals, pharmaceuticals, glass steel, aluminium, cement, textiles, tobacco products, publishing, furniture...
The United States removing Canada’s exclusion from aluminium tariffs with quotas, focusing to encourage the survival chances of the local producers. The aluminium market has exhibited its price rising in the prospect. However, some US aluminium industry references are expecting the exemption to be lifted completely. This would slow down Canadian imports and stimulate a huge price rise, securing the possibility of high-priced US smelters i.e. Magnitude 7 Metals and Century Aluminium. The USA aluminium pricing is positioned on the physical market premium AUPc1 plus the standard price CMCU3 on the LME, presently around $1,570 per tonne. An outpouring of aluminium from Canada and the drop in demand in present due to COVID-19 lockdowns has forced the US premium below $180 per tonne from $400...
The US dollar declined on Monday amid mounting fears of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The Federal Reserve announced it would buy individual corporate bonds in the secondary market, and this sparked a risk-on move, sending US stocks higher and safe-haven assets like the US dollar lower. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar eased but still held close to a more than one-week high hit in the previous session. Three-month LME aluminium regained losses from early session last night, as it rallied from a session low of US$ 1,564.5 per tonne and closed 0.73% higher on the day at US$ 1,587.5 per tonne. Open interest added 1,243 lots to 869,000 lots as longs loaded up their positions. On Monday, June 15, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price...
Vedanta has cut its aluminium products price for the second time in a row. With effect from Saturday 13 June 2020, the prices of some aluminium ingots are in the range of INR 135,750-148,750 per tonne, registering a decline of INR 1500 per tonne or 1.09% from INR 137,250-150,250 per tonne on June 12. With the latest decline, Vedanta’ billet now stands at INR 143,750 per tonne, a decrease of INR 1500 per tonne or 1.06% from INR 145,250 per tonne on June 12. 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 are down more than 10% so far in 2020 due to slower global demand following the coronavirus outbreak. Vedanta Limited cuts its aluminium Cost of Production (CoP) in...
Shanghai Metals Market chief aluminium analyst Frank Liu estimates strong domestic demand for aluminium to likely sustain till mid-June in China. Speaking at the China International Aluminium Processing Industry Summit in Yantai on June 11, Liu pointed out that although the global demand for aluminium has weakened as expected amid the Coronavirus crisis, there has been no significant impact on the domestic consumption. In China, demand from the construction industry rose since mid-March and demand from the pharmaceutical sector increased after the Chinese New Year holiday, resulting in the ramp-up in aluminium consumption. Demand from the home appliance sector, on the other hand, surged after the Labour Day holiday, becoming a key driving force for the Chinese aluminium market, said Liu....
The Federal Financial Police of Bosnia-Herzegovina submitted a report on the operations of the former Mostar giant and aluminium smelter “Aluminij” to the Government, which refers to the period from 1 st January’14 to 10 th July’19. The Federation’s Financial Police tracked down all cash flows, and now it is expected that the report will be submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office, on the existence of grounds for suspicion of committed crimes and perpetrators. The report that was submitted to the Federal Government, states exclusively that the total value of the share capital of “Aluminij” Mostar is 190,110,000 BAM, however, the loss above the amount of capital is as much as 273,638,742 BAM. To make things worse, the complete assets of “Aluminij” for 408,208,254 BAM are financed from other...
Hindalco Industries Ltd has cut its aluminium products price, marking the second consecutive fall. With effect from June 13, Hindalco aluminium ingots price now stands at INR 137,250 per tonne, a drop of 1.08% or INR 1,500 per tonne from INR 138,750 per tonne on June 12. The company is now selling its wire rods and billets at INR 148,350 per tonne and INR 144,350 per tonne with effect from Saturday, 13 June 2020. This registered a decline of INR 1,500 per tonne each from June 12. 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 10% so far in 2020 due to slower global demand following the coronavirus outbreak. Aluminium prices are expected to...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, continued to decline over the weekend. The drop in stocks was due to robust demand and higher arrivals. Inventories stood at 767,000 tonnes as of Monday June 15, down 20,000 tonnes from Thursday June 11. The chart below shows the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi and Shanghai decreased by 12,000 tonnes and 5,000 tonnes from June 11 to stand at 273,000 tonnes and 112,000 tonnes. But inventories in Nanhai and Chongqing rose by 3,000 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes to stand at 164,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes. In Tianjin and Linyi, inventories of aluminium remained unchanged at...
The US dollar increased on Friday. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, gained 0.15% on the week after hitting its highest level since June 4 at 97.45. LME aluminium shed 1.13% and SHFE aluminium went up 0.41%. Three-month LME aluminium fell for the second straight day as loaded-up shorts prevented it from exceeding US$1,598 per tonne. It ended the day at US$1,576 per tonne, down 1.13% on the day. As of Friday June 12, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1560 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1560 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1586.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1586.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1696 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1696 per tonne. The LME aluminium...
