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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According to the latest report from the US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production came in at 91,000 tonnes in December 2019. The average daily production was 2,950 tonnes, essentially unchanged from that in November 2019, 3% less than that in December 2018, but 43% more than that in December 2017. For the full year 2019, total primary aluminium production was 1.09 million tonnes, 23% more than that in 2018. Total aluminium recovered from scrap was 262,000 tonnes in December 2019, down 3% month-on-month. That was down 10% from December 2018 and 7% from December 2017. <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ib9ec4m_Dyk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Of...
The Alvance British Aluminium stated that it has designed a plan to keep it staffs safe while continuing to operate at a reduced level of output at its Lochaber smelter and hydropower station. The production activities of the smelter at Fort William have been reduced to 25% and it is operating at 75% capacity. This will allow a limited level of staffs to join the work and the most essentials. At the plant site, additional required hygiene measures have been introduced, shift patterns have been adjusted and guidelines have been put in place to maximise social distancing. The higher management of the Lochaber plant, Britain’s only aluminium smelter, considers that maintaining a minimal level of operation is essential. The Lochaber produced aluminium is delivered to the food packaging...
The US dollar extended its decline to the weakest against a basket of currencies in more than a week on Thursday. LME aluminium shed 0.5% overnight. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium slipped to its lowest since April 2016 at US$1,528 per tonne in early European trading hours. It ended the day lower at US$1,540 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market expects the contract to trade at US$1,530-1,600 per tonne today. As on Thursday March 26, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1507.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1507.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1539.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1539.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1656 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1656 per...
Australia's loss-making aluminium smelters have warned their possibility of returning might get reduced post joining the society for COVID-19 lockdowns and appealed government to exempt them. A scruple of industries, including police, resources and healthcare workers have been told to keep working through the epidemic because they are deemed "essential" to the community or the economy. Rio Tinto, Alcoa, Rusal and Alumina Ltd., the constituents of the Aluminium council has asked to join the ranks of "essential" industries and argued for their entire supply chain to also win an exemption The council in a joint statement with the Australian Workers Union said:'' Our sites rely on these small to medium-sized businesses, who supply specialist skills, products and services for the continued...
Emirates Global Aluminium, the world’s largest premium aluminium producer, has revealed its financial and operational reports of 2019, where it has mentioned that its revenue totalled at AED 20.5 billion ($5.6 billion) during the year. In 2018, EGA’s revenue was AED 23.5 billion ($6.4 billion), which means 2019 saw a drop in revenue of about 12 per cent. The primary reason for the revenue downfall could be attributed to the lower world prices of aluminium, although partially offset by a higher sales volume of value-added products. As per the report, EGA’s adjusted EBITDA came in at 2.5 billion ($693 million) in 2019, compared to AED 4.4 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2018. Lower prices for finished metals were one of the reasons for this fall, besides proportionately higher prices for raw...
North America’s primary aluminium production increased by 6.08 per cent year-on-year to 314,000 tonnes in February 2020. The output fell by 4.85 per cent from January’s production of 330,000 tonnes. The output in the first two months of 2020 stood 3.54 per cent higher than the same period last year. The production totalled 644,000 tonnes, from 622,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2019, according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). In 2019, the output stood at 3.809 million tonnes, an increase of 0.93 per cent from 3.774 million tonnes in 2018. South America’s primary aluminium production increased by 9.76 per cent year-on-year to 90,000 tonnes in February. On a month-on-month comparison, the output dropped by 8.16 per cent from 98,000 tonnes in...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.667 million tonnes in the week ended March 26. That was up 20,000 tonnes compared to a build of 54,000 tonnes in the previous week. The chart below shows the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China in more details: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi and Shanghai increased by 3,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes from March 19 to stand at 652,000 tonnes and 158,000 tonnes on Thursday, 26 March 2020. Stocks in Nanhai and Hangzhou stood at 441,000 tonnes, and 132,000 tonnes, up 14,000 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes. But the inventories in Gongyi dropped by 7,000 tonnes to 197,000 tonnes. Inventories of primary aluminium in Tianjin...
The world's largest aluminium rolling company and one of biggest producers of primary aluminium in Asia, Hindalco, has temporarily closed down or curtailed operations of some of the Aluminium production facilities, following the directives of the state governments due to COVID-19. The minimized operations are being administered by a lesser number of staffs as a part of the ongoing effort to practice social distancing. The company has adopted several measures to safeguard the health and safety of the workforce. Hindalco’s subsidiary Novelis in the US has also partially closed down some of its plants as the outcome of temporary shutdown measures of US automakers in response to the “Corona” crisis. Hindalco said: “Novelis has temporarily ramped down aluminium supply for the automotive market...
The US dollar extended its decline on Wednesday as a US$ 2 trillion US stimulus bill helped boost risk appetite and reduced demand for the safe haven currency. The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, hits its lowest in a week. Three-month LME aluminium pulled back after the European trading session began. It touched its lowest since May 2016 at US$ 1,535 per tonne before recovering some ground to end at US$ 1,548 per tonne. LME aluminium bucked the uptrend across nonferrous metals on Wednesday. It is expected to continue to hover between US$1,540-1,600 per tonne today. As of Wednesday, March 25, both LME aluminium cash (bid) price and LME official settlement price recorded a sharp decline from US$ 1532.50 per tonne to US$ 1507.50 per tonne. 3-months...
Since last few weeks, something is bothering each one of us. Something is not letting us be in peace. Something is causing unwarranted disruptions in our life’s. While on one hand few of us are fighting our personal battles, on the other hand our businesses are witnessing great uncertainties. Amidst this pandemic of Covid-19 we all need to come together and fight this battle. We need to overcome these disruptions & enable the businesses to run as usual. We at AlCircle pledge to support your business to the best of our ability. We may not have solutions to all your problems, but we can assure you of sincerely attempting at finding a collective solution. To begin with, we would wish to offer two of our services on complimentary basis. Keeping in mind that most individuals are working from...
The Dubal Holding Company has been in concern for setting up multiple projects in the UAE; a low carbon aluminium plant is at high priority as communicated by the CEO of Dubal Holding today. The Dubai government’s investment arm for power and energy, commodities, mining and industrial projects is under the consideration of Dubal Holdings During the AGM press statement, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said: “the investment firm is actively pursuing the development of an integrated aluminium rolling facility that will produce aluminium with low CO2 footprint. He said the projects "will support infrastructure and investment strategy for a potential future assembly line for an electrical vehicle facility to support the UAE Green Economy." He added, “Additional projects under study include an...
Vedanta has cut the prices of its aluminium ingots and billets for the fourth time in a row. With effect from March 24, the prices of some ingots are in the range of INR 131,750-144,750 per tonne, down from INR 134,250-147,250 per tonne on March 19. The company is now selling its billet at INR 139,750 per tonne. That was down from INR 142,250 per tonne. 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 nearly 15% in the current quarter due to slower demand in China following the coronavirus outbreak. Vedanta is present in the aluminium segment through its 51 per cent stake in Bharat Aluminium Company Limited and its smelters at Jharsugda in Odisha. With this,...
Hindalco Industries Limited has dropped the prices of its aluminium ingots by 1.65%, the fourth consecutive cut in price. With effect from March 24, the price for Hindalco aluminium ingots now stands at INR 134,500 per tonne, from INR 136,750 per tonne, on March 19. The prices of wire rods and billets have reduced by 1.53% and 1.57% to stand at INR 145,100 per tonne and INR 141,100 per tonne. The prices of these products were 147,350 per tonne and INR 143,350 per tonne on Thursday, 19 March 2020. <iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g3rQComBDMU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> The Indian aluminium producers generally link prices of its products to the three-month...
Century Aluminium Company announced on Tuesday, March 24, that together with the United Steel Workers Local 9423, it has agreed to extend the labour contract for one year. The contract was set to expire on April 1, 2020. Michael Bless, President and Chief Executive Officer of Century Aluminium, said: “We want to thank the representatives of the local and international unions for the partnership evident in this development. We all share the clear focus on the health and welfare of our employees, their families and our communities, as well as on the importance of sustaining the operations of the plant; this dedication is consistent with the approach at all of our facilities.” Commenting on the measures taken by Century Aluminium to contain the spread of COVID-19, Mr Bless said they already...
The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, employing about 1000 Southlanders, has been exempted from the countrywide four-week lockdown in New Zealand. The aluminium smelter was launched in 1971 and has been running continuously. As decided the smelter has been kept out of the lockdown process, as it will keep its production persistent. Confusion over what services would be considered essential and permitted to remain open during the lockdown period led to a clarifying press release from the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) on 24 th March night. The NCMC guidelines indicated that dairies would remain open, most liquor stores would close and the Warehouse would not receive the exemption it had claimed to have earlier in the day on 24 th March. Industrial businesses received special focus:...
Global primary aluminium production stood at 5.112 million tonnes in February, with a year-on-year increase of 3.75% according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) on Friday, 20 March 2020. On a month-on-month comparison, aluminium production declined by 6.15% from 5.447 million tonnes. Aluminium production totalled 10.559 million tonnes in the first two months of 2020, up by 2.05% from 10.347million tonnes in the first two months of 2019. In Asia ex-China, aluminium production declined by 3.77% year-on-year and 5.14% month-on-month to 332,000 tonnes in February. Output in January-February amounted to 682,000 tonnes, from 718,000 tonnes in January-February 2019. In the Middle East, primary aluminium production stood at 475,000 tonnes and 982,00 tonnes...
Nordex, the European company that designs, sells and manufactures wind turbines has secured an order for the 400 MW Øyfjellet wind farm in northern Norway from a un-famed German investment house linked to a corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with metals group Alcoa. Electricity generation from the mammoth wind farm will deliver energy for the aluminium giant's smelter plant in the nearby industrial town of Mosjøen, as well for the local community. The Øyfjellet project was developed by Eolus Vind, one of the largest developers in the Nordics, and will feature 72 of the OEM’s N149/5.X turbines in the 5MW class on 105-metre steel towers. Nordex Chief Sales Officer Patxi Landa said: “With Øyfjellet being such a large and prestigious project, we are delighted that our new customer,...
The US dollar fell against a basket of currencies on Tuesday. LME aluminium and lead, closed lower overnight. The SHFE kept its night trading session suspended. Three-month LME aluminium weakened in a volatile trading session and ended at US$1,554.5 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market expects the contract to trade at US$1,540-1,600 per tonne today. As on Tuesday March 24, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stands at US$ 1532.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1532.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1567.50 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1567.50 per tonne; Dec 21 bid price stands at US$ 1685.50 per tonne, and Dec 21 offer price stands at US$ 1685.50 per tonne. The LME aluminium opening stock stood at 1100675 tonnes. Live Warrants totalled 929675 tonnes,...
