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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The Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong province announced on its website on June 14 that Shandong Weiqiao Group, one of the top aluminium producers in China, would replace its obsolete capacity by the end of the year. As per the report, Weiqiao Group would disassemble 543,000 tonnes of primary aluminium capacity and replace with new capacity of 542,000 tonnes. New capacity for replacement has finished construction and will expectedly come online once the obsolete capacity is removed in December. The disassembling work started in June. Weiqiao will also install new equipment in place of its ageing production lines. It will install 190 sets of high-performing 600 KA electrolytic tanks, while maintaining current capacity.
RUSAL has announced that three of its major production sites, including a mine, alumina refinery and aluminium smelter, have received Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification. The company’s headquarters and three production sites – JSC «Boksit Timana» (bauxite mining), RUSAL Kamensk-Uralskiy (alumina refining) and a branch of PJSC RUSAL Bratsk in Shelekhov (aluminium smelting, casthouse and alloys production) – have been certified against the ASI Performance Standard and ASI Chain of Custody Standard. Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI said: “ASI congratulates RUSAL on its dual Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard certification. Given the challenging environment in which the Company has been operating until recently, its certification to both ASI...
The US dollar continued to decline against a basket of major currencies as investors remained cautious about the greenback in face of potential interest rate cuts. The dollar index dipped to the lowest since March 21 and closed at 95.985. LME base metals increased across the board. LME aluminium rose 1.8% and SHFE aluminium expanded 0.7%. Three-month LME aluminium shrugged off pressure from the US$1,800 per tonne level as most base metals rose on a lower US dollar overnight. LME aluminium expanded 1.81% to finish at US$1,800 per tonne overnight. The contract is likely to trade at US$1,780-1,830 per tonne today. As on June 24, Monday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1746.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1747.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at...
After two consecutive days of decline from RMB 13,920 per tonne to RMB 13,830 per tonne, the A00 aluminium ingot price has recorded a rise today, on June 25, to RMB 13,900 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. This suggests that the price has grown by RMB 70 per tonne today. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,880 per tonne and RMB 13,920 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at a discount of RMB 10 per tonne to a premium of RMB 30 per tonne. As the first half of the year is approaching an end, it can be said that until the middle of the last month the A00 aluminium ingot price has shown an upward trend with some intermittent downfalls. The increase in prices was buoyed by the continued decline in inventories. While the price had started the year...
Alcoa Corporation, the world’s eighth largest aluminium producer, has reportedly launched its 2020 apprenticeship recruitment campaign. Through this campaign, which will run until July 15, Alcoa hopes to recruit more than 20 apprentices. Four-year apprenticeships are on offer in the trade categories – mechanical fitters, fabricators/welders, heavy duty plant mechanics, and industrial electrical instrumentation technicians. Alcoa’s commitment to providing training and various job opportunities during an employee’s career add to the value apprentices place on the programme. For instance, Secret Harbour resident Paige Calvert is a first-year electrical instrumentation apprentice at Alcoa’s Kwinana Alumina Refinery. Human Resources director Kath Soumanis said the company seeks people who are...
The US dollar fell against its major rivals last Friday after the US decision to cut interest rates to support flagging economic growth. Base metals ended mostly lower. LME aluminium dropped 0.8% and SHFE aluminium fell 0.5%. Three-month LME aluminium failed to hold firm at a high of US$1,780 per tonne as it fell below all moving averages to end at US$1,768 per tonne, down 0.79% on the day. The LME aluminium is likely to trade at US$1,760-1,800 per tonne today. As on June 21, Friday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1742.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1743.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1767 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1767.50 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 1882 per tonne, and Dec 20 offer price stands at US$ 1887...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, primary aluminium inventories have further extended their downfall over the weekend ended on June 24 by 20,000 tonnes across eight major consumption areas, including SHFE warrants. The inventories are thus, now hovering at 1.061 million tonnes as of Monday, showed SMM data. Last week on June 20, the inventories of primary aluminium had declined by 37,000 tonnes to 1.081 million tonnes. This indicates that the inventories declined slower this week compared to the previous. In Wuxi, Jiangsu, the primary aluminium inventories today are standing at 366,000 tonnes after declining by 8,000 tonnes over the weekend, while that in Shanghai inched down by 2,000 tonnes to 209,000 tonnes. In Nanhai, Guangdong; and in Gongyi, Henan, the inventories have dropped by...
A00 aluminium ingot price dropped from RMB 13890 per tonne to RMB 13830 per tonne on Monday, 24 June 2019. This indicates a drop of RMB 60 per tonne or 0.43 per cent. The average price is expected to range between RMB 13810 per tonne and RMB 13850 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at a discount of RMB 10 per tonne to a premium of RMB 30 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in Foshan stood at RMB 13880 per tonne, a decrease of RMB 40 per tonne. The average price is expected to hover at RMB 13860- 13900 per tonne today. Ingot price in Wuxi and Hangzhou declined RMB 40 per tonne each to stand at RMB 13840 per tonne and RMB 13870 per tonne respectively. Their average price is expected to hover at RMB 13830- 13850 per tonne and RMB 13860- 13880 per tonne. On Monday,...
World primary aluminium production came in at 5.43 million tonnes in May, unchanged from May 2018 production. Production increased 4.14% from April’s 2019 production of 5.22 million tonnes, according to the latest data showed by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI). Primary aluminium production in the first five months of 2019 totalled 26.4 million tonnes, representing a drop of 0.09 per cent year-on-year. In Asia ex-China, aluminium production stood at 374,000 tonnes, from 372,000 tonnes in May 2018. Production in five months period came in at 1.83 million tonnes. In the Middle East, primary aluminium production increased to stand at 464,000 tonnes in May 2019. Europe primary aluminium production totalled 646,000 tonnes in May, as compared to 660,000 tonnes in the corresponding...
AMETEK Surface Vision will reportedly put its latest innovations on display at Aluminium China trade fair, which is to be held in Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre from July 10 to July 12. At the event, the team of AMETEK will exhibit the latest advancements in surface inspection monitoring and process surveillance in aluminium production. As a leading developer of software-enabled vision systems, AMETEK Surface Vision for over three years has been innovating highly-precise, real-time detection, and classification of metal defects, with its market-leading SmartView® surface inspection solution. AMETEK Surface Vision’s SmartView system examines the surface condition in almost the same way a person would do. The system studies the area and compares it against expectations and past...
The US dollar index extended its sharp decline on Thursday. LME base metals closed higher across the board on Thursday and aluminium gained 0.2%. However, SHFE base metals traded lower and aluminium declined 0.4%. LME aluminium surged higher with the decline of greenback and closed yesterday’s trading at US$1778 per tonne. Three-month LME aluminium pulled back from an earlier high of US$1,807.5 per tonne to finish the trading day 0.17% higher at US$1,782 per tonne on Thursday. This reflected strong resistance from the US$1,800 per tonne level. LME aluminium is expected to trade between US$1,760-1,820 per tonne today. As on June 20, Thursday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1777 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1778 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at...
Government of Canada has always been supportive of the country’s steel and aluminium sectors; they being the key driver of the economy. Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development on behalf of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced a US$10 million investment in an US$85 million project at Alcoa's aluminium smelter in Deschambault-Grondines, Quebec. The project, which is expected to create 520 jobs, will be completed by the end of 2021. Commenting on the investment, Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development said, "We are committed to supporting Canadian aluminum workers and the innovative, world-class products they produce. Our investment in the Alcoa Deschambault Aluminerie will help...
Inventories of primary aluminium continued its downfall by 37,000 tonnes as of Thursday June 20. Social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, stood at 1.081 million tonnes on Thursday June 20, from 1.118 million tonnes on Thursday June 13, Shanghai Metals Market data showed. Inventories dropped 30,000 tonnes in the week ended June 13. The chart below indicates the current status of primary aluminium inventories across all major China markets: Primary aluminium inventories in Wuxi, Jiangsu, and Shanghai dropped from 392,000 tonnes and 217,000 tonnes to 374,000 tonnes and 211,000 tonnes today. That was down 18,000 tonnes and 6,000 tonnes from Thursday June 13. Inventories in Nanhai, Guangdong and Hangzhou, Zhejiang declined 10,000...
The US dollar dropped on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged. LME base metals closed mixed on Wednesday and aluminium inched up close to 0.1%. SHFE base metals performed and aluminium advanced 0.4%. LME aluminium gained yesterday with dollar’s loss and closed the day’s trading at US$ 1746.50 per tonne. Three-month LME aluminium came off from a high of US$1,788 per tonne to close a tad higher at US$1,779 per tonne on Wednesday night. LME aluminium is expected to trade between US$1,750-1,820 per tonne today. As on June 19, Wednesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1746 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1746.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1776 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1776.50 per tonne; Dec 20...
The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) reported that Iran's total production of aluminium declined by 32 per cent in the first two months of the current fiscal (March 21- May 21) compared with last year's corresponding period. Aluminium production came in at 41,367 tonnes. Iran’s flagship aluminium producer Iran Aluminum Company (IRALCO) accounted for 30,625 tonnes of the total figure. That was up 2 per cent in the two-month period. Almahdi Aluminum Company produced 5,221 tonnes, down by 56 per cent. Hormozal Aluminum Company churned out 5,156 tonnes, which was a 73 per cent drop on the year. Iran Alumina Company’s alumina production stood at 38,908 tonnes during the two months, showing a 6 per cent decline. Alumina powder production in...
The US dollar index inched up on Tuesday with the fall of euro. LME and SHFE base metals traded higher across the board after a "very good" telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on Tuesday night. LME aluminium gained 1.1% on Monday and SHFE aluminium advanced 0.6% overnight. LME aluminium closed higher at US$ 1733 per tonne yesterday after two consecutive losses. Three-month LME aluminium advanced 1.11% to end at US$1,778 per tonne on Tuesday, just below the 20-day moving average. It is expected to test resistance at US$1,800 per tonne today, and trade between US$1,770-1,820 per tonne. As on June 18, Tuesday, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1732 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1733 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1761 per...
A00 aluminium ingot price recorded an increase of RMB 50 per tonne, after falling four days in a row. Ingot price stood at RMB13900 per tonne on Wednesday, 19 June 2019. The average prices are expected to range between RMB13880 per tonne and RMB13920 per tonne. Spot aluminium contract is likely to be traded at a discount of RMB10 per tonne to a premium of 30 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in Foshan stood 0.43 per cent higher, standing at RMB13980 per tonne. The average price is expected to hover at RMB13960- 14000 per tonne today. Ingot price in Wuxi and Hangzhou increased by RMB 45 per tonne and RMB 30 per tonne to stand at RMB 13895 per tonne and RMB13905 per tonne respectively. Aluminium ingot price in Chongqing, Shenyang, Tianjin, Linyi, and Gongyi came in at RMB13890 per tonne,...
British–Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company Glencore has reportedly shown interest in acquiring Bosnia’s aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar. The news came after Glencore’s general manager said this on Monday, June 17. Bosnia’s Aluminij has been in trouble for years and therefore, seeking a strategic partner who can protect it from bankruptcy. The company accumulated heavy debt over the years because of high alumina and electricity prices. The situation further worsened when Bosnian power utility Elektroprivreda HZHB prepared to cut electricity supplies to Aluminij on June 16 due to unpaid debts. Aluminij’s total debt is at 377 million Bosnian marka, of which 280 million marka is owed to the state utility Elektroprivreda HZHB. However, news wire Klix.ba reported on...
