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...
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On 16 th May’20, Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India announced major reforms in the mining of minerals through a seamless composite exploration-cum-production regime. Mrs Sitharaman announced that 500 blocks of minerals will be auctioned through an open and transparent process. She further said: “A joint auction of bauxite and coal blocks would also be done to enhance the aluminium industry's competitiveness. This will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs.” The Minister added: “The distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency and production.” The Finance Minister of India also stated that the Ministry of Mines is in the process to...
Iran's production of aluminium stood at 30,030 tonnes during the first month of the current Iranian year (March 20-April 19).That was up 46% compared with the same period last year, according to the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO). Iran’s flagship aluminium producer Iran Aluminum Company (IRALCO) contributed 16,148 tonnes of the total output. The output records a 6% growth year-on-year. Hormozal Aluminum Company produced 6,809 tonnes, which was a 159% rise on the year. Almahdi Aluminum Company’s production came in at 5,440 tonnes, up 118% year-on-year. Iran Alumina Company produced 1,633 tonnes. Iran has an estimated aluminium nameplate capacity of 457,000 tonnes per year. The country now aims at increasing its annual aluminium output...
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) said: “The Electricity Authority’s proposal to reform its transmission pricing methodology might be too little and coming too late.” Stew Hamilton, General Manager, said: “The NZAS executive team had argued for years the firm was paying too much for improvements to the electrical grid.” The cost was affecting the capability of Tiwai Point smelter to make money. In 2019 the company already posted a $46 million loss. In February’19, the Electricity Authority announced a proposed change that might open the way for Tiwai Point to apply to pay less to Transpower in transmission charges that might cost it between $60 million and $70 million a year. Mr Hamilton stated that the company was engaged in the consultation process. However, a result could come too...
The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, returned above the 100-mark on Monday, May 11. On Tuesday, the dollar fell but managed to erase earlier losses on Wednesday to trade largely flat against a basket of currencies. On Thursday, May 14, the US-dollar hit a three-week high. Three-month LME aluminium closed 0.3 per cent higher on Monday, May 11, at US$1,496.5 per tonne, but slipped on Tuesday by 1.14 per cent to US$ 1,479.5 per tonne. Extending the decline further, it closed down 0.24% at US$1,476 per tonne on May 14. On Friday, May 15, it remained flat after slipping from an intraday high of US$1,482 per tonne to a new five-week low of US$ 1,467.5 per tonne. LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price showed a downtrend this...
According to a recent report, Alcoa Corporation has appointed Ms. Nicole Coutu as President of Alcoa Canada. The key job role of Ms. Coutu in Alcoa Canada will be the principal liaison for government and institutional relations for the company, on behalf of the Deschambault, Bécancour and Baie-Comeau smelters, as well as the Canadian head office in Montreal. Alongside her new job role, Ms. Coutu will continue in her current role as Director of Operations at the Aluminerie de Bécancour (ABI) and will also act as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Aluminum Association of Canada. Ms. Coutu said, "I am honoured to be offered this additional responsibility and it is with great enthusiasm that I will work with our stakeholders, government representatives and various associations, to discuss...
The Indian state-owned coal mining company “Coal India Ltd” has been mandated by the Government of India to replace at least 100 million tonnes of imports with domestically-produced coal in the ongoing fiscal. An official spoke-person of CIL said: “Coal India has a mandate of replacing at least 100 million tonnes of imported coal with domestic non-coking coal in the financial year 2020-21. In its bid to substitute imports with domestic coal, CIL is connecting with non-regulated sectors like aluminium and few others for domestic coal. It has also removed many extra costs and reduced the reserve price to zero.” The development comes at a time when the country, on the one hand, has an abundance of domestic coal, while on the other hand there is a sink in demand for the dry fuel. India has...
On 15 th May’20, the European Commission is introducing a new system to monitor the imports into the EU of certain aluminium products. The objective is to permit rapid analysis of import trends, ahead of official Eurostat statistics. The new monitoring system that has been commencing from 15 th May’20, replaces the previous surveillance system introduced for steel in 2016 in the context of the crisis in the EU steel sector and for aluminium in April 2018, when the US introduced import restrictions on steel and aluminium. It will respond better to the needs of the industrial sectors concerned and is completely transparent. The new system is based on import statistics available two weeks after the actual imports, thus considerably earlier than the official Eurostat data. It offers a better...
All India Manufacturers Organisation, ( AIMO ), India’s Apex Trade body focused on the MSME sector on 14th May’20 applauded the announcements made by the Finance Minister of India and welcomed the new packages that were offered to the MSME sector. AIMO also emphasized that apart from Money, MSME’s also need Men and Material to re-open, to survive and to grow. According to Mr.K.E.Raghunathan, Former-President of AIMO: “This Government has proven that they are a Government that listens to the needs of the MSMEs. We have been at the heart of understanding and representing the requirements of the MSME’s in the lockdown period. We at AIMO agree and support with the Honourable PM’s vision of a Self-Reliant Domestic Indian Economy. For the first time in Indian History, the Government has pushed...
According to the data shown by the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s aluminium production increased in April by 1.5 per cent over the year to stand at 2.97 million tonnes. The daily basis output in the said month hit a 10-month high as a rapid increase in primary aluminium prices after a coronavirus-driven collapse kept smelters’ operating rates high. As per Reuters’ calculations, China’s daily basis aluminium output in April came in at 99,000 tonnes per day, highest since June 2019 and up from around 95,800 tonnes in the previous month. Aluminium prices in China, which collapsed in February and March in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, rebounded strong in April, gaining 9 per cent since August 2017, after smelters cut supply and consumption at processing plants recovered. This...
A00 aluminium ingot price registered an increase of RMB 230 per tonne or 1.80 per cent from Thursday’s price of RMB 12790 per tonne. The price now stood at RMB 13020 per tonne on Friday, 15 May 2020 and is expected to move within a range of RMB 13000-13040 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at a discount of RMB 30 to a premium of 10 per tonne. In Foshan and Wuxi, the price rose by RMB 240 per tonne and RMB 220 per tonne to stand at RMB 13030 per tonne and 13020 per tonne. Their average prices are expected to range within RMB 13010-13050 per tonne and RMB 13000-13040 per tonne. Aluminium prices in Hangzhou and Chongqing came in at RMB 13060 per tonne and 13040 per tonne, up RMB 240 per tonne and RMB 230 per tonne. Aluminium ingot prices in Shenyang, Tianjin, Linyi,...
Trimet Aluminium SE’s aluminium smelter in Hamburg settles a new baking furnace for the production of carbon anodes, aiming to ensure greater energy efficiency. The new brick-lined ring chamber furnace with 48 chambers superseded an eight-year-old furnace, ensuring greater energy efficiency. An ultra-modern firing system also contributes to this, with a gas burner that makes more efficient use of energy while concurrently producing less emission. Furthermore, the furnace integrates optimized materials: the bricks used for the furnace walls are easier to heat so that considerably less energy is required. Trimet has invested around twelve million euros in the new system. Dr Andreas Lützerath, member of the Executive Board of Trimet Aluminium SE said: “With the new baking furnace, we will...
The US dollar hit a three-week high on Thursday before giving back much of those gains, as investors continued to digest Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s dismissal of speculation over US interest rates entering negative territory and his glum forecast for the economy. Three-month LME aluminium remained range-bound on Thursday, slipping from an intraday high of US$1,482 per tonne to a new five-week low of US$ 1,467.5 per tonne before rebounding to close flat at US$ 1,476 per tonne. Lingering concerns over the economic fallout from the COVID-19 and fears of a re-ignition of the US-China trade conflicts hamper upside potential in LME aluminium, which is expected to move to US$ 1,460-1,500 per tonne today. As of Thursday, May 14, LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official...
Aluminum Corp of China Ltd, Chalco, declared on 14th May’20 that its Chairman Lu Dongliang had resigned from his position. The previous President of the company Ao Hong has been put in temporary charge. Lu Dongliang has informed the board of Chalco, the listed arm of state-owned aluminium firm Chinalco that he was stepping down as Chairman and Director due to a work re-allocation, according to company filings to the Hong Kong stock exchange, which said the resignation was effective immediately. A spokesperson of the group said: “Lu, 46, has also left his position as vice president of Chinalco.” Though it was not immediately clear what would be Lu’s next career move. He has been the explorer of Chalco’s Boffa bauxite project in Guinea. His rise was rapid through the ranks at the company,...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, continued to trend lower this week. Inventories stood at 1.058 million tonnes as of Thursday, 14 May 2020, down 114,000 tonnes from Wednesday May 6. The chart below shows the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi, Shanghai, and Nanhai decreased by 56,000 tonnes, 16,000 tonnes and 24,000 tonnes from May 6 to stand at 442,000 tonnes, 139,000 tonnes and 224,000 tonnes on Monday, 14 May 2020. But the stocks in Tianjin increased by 1,000 tonnes to 57,000 tonnes. In Gongyi and Hangzhou, the primary aluminium stocks stood at 64,000 tonnes and 111,000 tonnes, a decrease of 11,000...
According to World Bank: “Climate-smart principles must steer the global search for the minerals and metals required by the green energy boom to make sure the process remains sustainable.” As per the new study, the global monetary body concluded that sourcing of non-metals, metals, and others for renewables in enough volumes – 3 billion tonnes – to keep global heating within 2°C by 2050 would carry emissions equal to only 6% of the footprint of fossil fuels. The World Bank has advised climate activists, green energy developers, and miners to work together to embed sustainability into the entire mineral supply chain, ensuring shortages do not prevent green energy from being deployed at the speed the Paris Agreement requires. The World Bank has spent years ransacking into the influence of...
The US dollar erased earlier losses to trade largely flat against a basket of currencies on Wednesday. LME aluminium sank 0.2% and SHFE aluminium firmed 0.3%. Three-month LME aluminium hit an intraday high of US$1,486 per tonne before easing to close down 0.24% at US$1,476 per tonne. LME aluminium is expected to move at US$1,460-1,500 per tonne today. As of Wednesday May 13, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1439 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1439 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1476.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1476.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1604.50 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1604.50 per tonne. LME aluminium 3-months Asian Reference Price is hovering at US$ 1478.84 per tonne. SHFE...
Satendra Singh, Joint Secretary, Govt. of India-Ministry of Mines on 12 th May’20 chaired a review meeting through Video Conferencing with officials of Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) and National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) to discuss the ongoing research and development projects. Mr Singh directed both the institutions to co-operate each other to serve the demand of aluminium industry with the support of research and development. NALCO is the largest aluminium producer of the country and JNARDDC is the institute that provides state-of-the-art technology with their research to NALCO. A discussion was held on different ongoing and other project ideas in the pipeline with NALCO. Singh also reviewed the pilot projects which can be...
Rio Tinto is keeping a close watch on merger and acquisition (M&A) opportunities to diversify its portfolio in a bid to overcome market uncertainties caused by the COVID-19. The news came after Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sébastien Jacques said in a statement at a virtual presentation at Bank of America that expanding portfolio is now Rio's strategy to adapt to the post COVID-19 business environment. “We are keeping a watching brief on M&A. Right now, the market is finding it difficult to value companies and the Covid-19 recovery pathway is not clear. Rio Tinto will only transact if an opportunity creates value,” said Jean-Sébastien. According to him, the market recovery pattern from COVID-19 impact appears uncertain, while the market volatilities seem to continue for the next decade....
