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
Prebaked anode price in Southwest China market has edged lower by RMB 35 per tonne. As on Tuesday, 03 September 2019, prebaked anode price ranged at RMB 3380-3650 per tonne; the average price stood at RMB 3515 per tonne, down from its previous price of RMB 3550 per tonne. The average prices of prebaked anode in East, Central, and Northwest China markets remain unchanged at RMB 3112.50 per tonne, RMB 3172.50 per tonne, and RMB 3600 per tonne respectively. The average prices for A00 Aluminium Ingot for all major Chinese markets have registered an increase on September 3. A00 aluminium ingot price is up by RMB 80 per tonne from its earlier price to RMB14390 per tonne today. The average price is expected to move within a range of RMB14370-14410 per tonne. Spot aluminium price is likely to be...
According to the Reuters report, Rio Tinto Plc has started an arbitration process with Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance as the latter has not made final payments for the purchase of the Dunkerque aluminium smelter in France. The news came after Rio Tinto confirmed this on Monday, September 2. In a statement it said, “Rio Tinto confirms it has triggered an arbitration process in relation to the sale of the Dunkerque aluminium smelter, France, to Liberty House.” In December 2018, Rio Tinto completed the sale of its Dunkerque aluminium smelter in northern France to Liberty House, the part of the GFG Alliance, at $500 million. Rio Tinto also said, “The arbitration relates to non-payment of customary post-closure adjustments, including working capital, which was agreed by both parties in the sale...
Shanghai Metals Market data showed that social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.016 million tonnes as of Monday September 2, down by 17,000 tonnes from Thursday August 29. Primary aluminium inventories continued to decline over the weekend, with all major warehouses, except for that in Gongyi of Henan, saw losses. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across all major China markets: Primary aluminium stocks in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Shanghai dropped 5,000 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes from Thursday August 29 to 304,000 tonnes and 193,000 tonnes as of Monday, September 2. Inventories in Nanhai, Guangdong stood at 282,000 tonnes, down 5,000 tonnes from Thursday. Inventories in Gongyi,...
The US dollar index rose last Friday to the highest since May 2017. The offshore Chinese yuan headed toward its biggest monthly decline in 25 years as the two countries prepared for the implementation of new tariffs on Sunday. LME base metals closed mixed while SHFE metals ended mostly lower. LME aluminium gained 0.17% and SHFE aluminium slipped 0.11%. Three-month LME aluminium regained losses after a higher US dollar drove it below all moving averages to a low of US$1,736.5 per tonne during Friday night. It closed higher for the second consecutive trading day, at US$1,757 per tonne, up 0.17% on the day. LME aluminium is likely to trade between US$1,740-1,780 per tonne today. As on August 30, Friday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1712 per tonne, LME official settlement price...
Shanghai Metals Market reveals that Shandong Weiqiao Group, one of the top aluminium producers in China, has reduced the benchmark purchasing price of prebaked anode for the third month in a row. For September 2019, the company has lowered the benchmark purchasing price by RMB 70 per tonne to RMB 2,925 per tonne in cash. For August, Shandong Weiqiao had reduced the prebaked anode price by RMB 50 per tonne from July and that had brought the price to RMB 2,995 per tonne in cash. But despite the cut in Weiqiao’s prebaked anode benchmark purchasing price, the average buying price in China has not registered any change. It is still continuing to remain restraint at RMB 3,112.50 per tonne, as of September 2, since the drop on August 1, from RMB 3,137.50 per tonne to RMB 3,112.50 per tonne. The...
A00 aluminium ingot price in China fluctuated throughout the week. Ingot price started the week with a decline of RMB 60 per tonne to RMB 14250 per tonne on Monday.A00 aluminium ingot price continued higher in the next two days at RMB 14270 per tonne and RMB 14340 per tonne. Shanghai Metals Market reported spot aluminium traded briskly across east and south China in the morning of Thursday August 29, as downstream consumers stepped up purchases after prices fell. Aluminium price stood at RMB 14260 per tonne, down RMB 80 per tonne from Wednesday. The price ended the week higher at RMB 14290 per tonne. Social inventories of primary aluminium in China dropped this week, as stocks in most areas declined. Primary aluminium inventories decreased 20,000 tonnes from Thursday August 22 to stand at...
Alcoa Corporation and the United Steelworkers are at the final stage of agreement on a new 4-year labour agreement for approximately 1,700 active employees at five U.S. Alcoa locations. A long running negotiation process between the Company and the United Steelworkers is finally coming to a solution as the union members are going to schedule a vote on the proposed contract. On May 15, Alcoa updated that both the parties agreed to honour the existing contract, which was set to expire at midnight on that day itself. The decision was taken in order to continue further negotiations for a new contract without stopping the work. The agreement will cover employees represented by the union at Warrick Operations in Indiana, Massena Operations in New York, Gum Springs in Arkansas, Wenatchee Works...
According to the Reuters report, a global aluminium producer has offered Japanese buyers a premium of $110 per tonne for primary metal shipments during October-December quarter. This premium is higher by 2 per cent than that in the current quarter. The news came after five sources directly involved in quarterly pricing said on Friday, August 30. Japan imports a considerable amount of primary aluminium from Asia and the premiums it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region. For July-September quarter, Japanese buyers had agreed to pay a premium of $108 per tonne, up 3 per cent from the previous quarter. Negotiations on the latest quarterly pricing between Japanese buyers and global producers, including Rio Tinto and South32...
The US dollar index edged up in the beginning of the week after the US and China sought to ease trade war tensions and started with at 98.38. The dollar remained strong over the week. LME base metals traded mostly weaker during the week. SHFE aluminium traded strong due to positive fundamentals. London Metal Exchange remained closed on August 26, Monday for Summer Bank Holiday. LME aluminium started the week with US$ 1744 per tonne and continued trading downward to reach US$1712.5 per tonne. After the bank holiday on Monday at LME, the three-month LME aluminium gave up all the gains accumulated overnight on Friday and slid to a low of US$1,758.5 per tonne on Tuesday. The contract ended the week at US$1741.50 per tonne after Friday’s closing. As on August 30, Friday, LME aluminium cash...
According to a recent report, the United States Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public opinion on the clean-up of an old aluminium smelting site in Benton Harbor. “Benton Harbor is becoming a boom town again and the more contributing parties we can get together to clean up toxic land they can make available to the community it’s incredible,” said Benton Harbor resident Mr. Michael Hoyh. As per the report, the EPA proposed settlement of more than half a million dollar for cleanup of the aluminium smelting site., The settlement requires settling parties Louis Padnos Iron & Metal Company, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., and Service Aluminium Corporation to pay $585,570.40 to the Hazardous Substance Superfund for the recovery of the EPA’s past response...
The US dollar was modestly higher as news that Washington and Beijing were discussing negotiations in September eased anxieties about the ongoing trade war. LME base metals closed mixed while SHFE metals ended mostly lower. LME aluminium gained 0.29% and aluminium fell 0.25%. LME continued its downward trend during Thursday’s trading. Three-month LME aluminium rebounded at night after it slumped to a fresh low of US$1,734 per tonne as the prospect of recovery at some aluminium smelters in China in mid-September dragged on the most-liquid SHFE October contract. LME aluminium finished at US$1,754 per tonne, gaining 0.29% after seven consecutive trading days of declines. The contract is likely to trade within US$1,740-1,760 per tonne today. As on August 29, Thursday, LME aluminium cash (bid)...
Chalco, formally known as Aluminium Corporation of China Limited, said its primary aluminium production in the first half of 2019 came in at 1.89 million tonnes, down 8 per cent from 2.06 million tonnes in the same period last year, according to Reuters report. Decline in aluminium prices and rise in operating costs had hit the Chinese smelters and thus their production, as per the report. As Chalco said, lower aluminium prices and higher operating costs also weighed on its net profit, which fell 14 per cent year-on-year to RMB 705.8 million during January-June. Chalco’s aluminium output level stood just ahead of Russian rival Rusal which produced 1.87 million tonnes during January-June 2019, but below China Hongqiao Group whose production clocked at 2.86 million tonnes during the said...
The US dollar was modestly higher against the yen on Wednesday. The dollar index rose 0.21% to 98.21. LME base metals closed mixed and SHFE metals ended mostly higher. LME aluminium fell 0.62% and SHFE aluminium increased 0.24%. LME aluminium plunged during yesterday’s trading. Three-month LME aluminium fell for the seventh straight session as shorts added their positions and the US dollar gained. It finished the trading day 0.62% lower at US$1,749 per tonne last night, with open interest up 5,204 lots to 756,000 lots. It is likely to be trading around US$1,745 per tonne today. As on August 28, Wednesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1723.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1724 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1758 per tonne, 3-months offer...
Social inventories of primary aluminium in China have recorded a week-on-week decline today, August 29, after rising for four consecutive weeks. According to Shanghai Metals Market, the inventories across the eight major Chinese consumption areas, including SHFE warrants, have fallen by 30,000 tonnes from a week ago to stand at 1.033 million tonnes. On last Thursday, August 22, the inventories were at 1.063 million tonnes, marking a rise for the fourth straight week. The major reason for the decline in inventories today is the lowered arrivals of stocks in most regions. Since, the primary aluminium stocks arrivals have lowered in most of the regions, the inventories have registered a drop in almost all the major markets. For instance, the inventories in Wuxi, Jiangsu; Shanghai; Nanhai,...
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), on course to become the world’s largest aluminium smelter with Line 6, announced a historic milestone as its smelter completed 10 million working-hours without any Lost Time Injury (LTI) on 27 August 2019 for the first time in the history of its operations since 1971. A ceremony was held on 28 August 2019 to mark the occasion. It was attended by the Acting Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali, Alba Executive Management team, employees and contractors across the plant. Alba’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa stated: “Achieving 10 million working-hours without any Lost Time Injury (LTI) in the smelting industry is a rare feat, especially as we progress with the full ramp-up of Potline 6. Alba could not have achieved...
According to Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie (GDA), the federation of German aluminium industry, the first half of 2019 saw a mixed bag of business activity development. While primary aluminium producers and processors had to reduce production by 5.6 and 5.4 per cent respectively, aluminium semi-finished products manufacturers increased output by 1.9 per cent year over year. Around 629,200 tonnes of raw aluminium were produced in Germany during January-June 2019, out of which 251,400 tonnes were of primary aluminium and 377,800 tonnes recycled aluminium. Also, producers of aluminium extrusions reported a decline in production in H1 2019 to 282,400 tonnes. The production of metal powder, foil, and thin strip fell as well by 3.7 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively. Production of...
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court revived aluminium lawsuits by aluminium buyers such as Novelis, Eastman Kodak, Fujifilm and Reynolds Consumer Products, which accused Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Glencore and other companies of conspiring to drive up aluminium prices by controlling supply. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said the case was dismissed erroneously. The aluminium buyers accused banks and commodity trading, mining and metals warehousing companies of conspiring to hoard aluminium inventory earlier this decade, after prices had declined because industrial activity fell during the global financial crisis. The banks and commodity trading, mining and metals warehousing companies were accused of hoarding aluminium inventory earlier this decade when aluminium...
ALUMINUM USA announced on August 27 that it is joining hands with Future Aluminium Forum, an international technology conference covering all topics related to aluminium and the significance of industry 4.0 in the industry. The Future Aluminium Forum will host a discussion session titled “Path to Industry 4.0” in the sideline of the exhibition on September 12, focussing on how the industry is developing smarter technologies across the value chain to accommodate the industry 4.0 framework. ALUMINUM USA is the leading exhibition and conference to highlight aluminium products, technologies and investments in the United States and serves as a platform to bring the aluminium industry together every two years. Panelists will highlight how different sectors are developing digital processes and...
