In the first half (H1) of 2026, the US imported a total of 1.68 million metric tons of unwrought aluminum (HSN code: 7601), of which 16.96% was sourced from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). How has H1 2026 fared for the momentum of unwrought aluminum exports from the UAE to the US? Year-on-year cooling in trade can be noticed, largely owing to the temporary shutdown of the Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA’s) Al Taweelah smelter for repair and maintenance. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” H1 aluminum trade snapshot: 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024 Comparing the H1 2026 figures of unwrought aluminum exported by the UAE to the US, a mixed result...
Norsk Hydro’s earnings outlook for 2027 is facing mounting pressure from falling aluminium premiums, rising operating costs and easing supply tightness in Europe, prompting Goldman Sachs to downgrade the Norwegian producer from ‘buy’ to ‘neutral’ and reduce its price target from NOK 100 (USD 10.71) to NOK 79 (USD 8.46). Goldman said weaker premiums and higher costs were making further earnings growth harder to achieve in 2027. The bank also lowered its core earnings (EBITDA) forecasts for 2026 and 2027 by 6 per cent each, citing lower aluminium prices and rising costs. The changing market conditions come as additional metal from the Middle East reaches the market and Indonesian aluminium supply expands faster than expected, easing European supply constraints sooner than Goldman had...
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When we look back at 2025, we will remember aluminium as the metal that cracked under policy pressure long before demand fundamentals forced anyone’s hand. On the other hand, if aluminium was the year’s political barometer, copper was its economic score. By late 2025, the LME had become a battlefield where two of the world’s most essential non-ferrous metals, aluminium and copper, told different yet intimately connected stories about supply stress, geopolitical friction, climate transition demand, and human cost. While both aluminium and copper ended the year with double-digit gains, the path they took could not have been more different. Must read: Key industry individuals share their thoughts on the trending topics Aluminium’s arc in 2025 was subtle From the outset, prices were on a...
Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain Starting from January 1, 2026, aluminium and steel exports from India will face carbon-related duties. This is owing to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enforced by the European Union (EU), which comes into effect today. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) observes that while, apparently, the EU importers need to pay the CBAM levy, it is the Indian exporting industry, likely to bear the actual brunt of lowered aluminium and steel prices. The GTRI report states that in order to maintain the competitive edge, several Indian exporters may have to reduce metal (aluminium and steel) prices up to 15-22 per cent . This would let EU buyers absorb the carbon tax in their margins....
Vedanta Limited has recently announced the appointment of Ravi Shahi as Chief Commercial Officer ( CCO) for its Jharsuguda aluminium facility. The facility is one of Vedanta’s key manufacturing locations, and the revision in the leadership team is directed towards business growth in the true sense of the term. In his new role, Shahi will be responsible for strengthening the aluminium value chain and restructuring market-oriented strategies to nurture long-term commercial success. He will be coordinating multiple functions to ensure a smooth integration between upstream and downstream operations. Simultaneously, he will be leading operations for improving commercial rigour, efficiency and overall market responsiveness, as Vedanta looks for a stronger market position in the aluminium...
As the year drew close to the end, the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices inched further up from the previous close. The LME inventory, both opening stock and cancelled warrants, however, decreased from the day before. Both the LME cash bid and offer rose by USD 23 per tonne or 0.8 per cent, where the bid reached USD 2,967.5 per tonne from USD 2,944.5 per tonne and the offer price rose to USD 2,968 per tonne from USD 2,945 per tonne. The upward trend continued for the LME 3-month bid and offer by USD 11 per tonne and USD 12.5 per tonne or 0.64 per cent, moving the bid to USD 2,988 per tonne, up from USD 2,977 per tonne and the offer at USD 2,990 per tonne from USD 2,977.5 per tonne. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform At the forwards...
According to Benzinga Edge’s Stock Rankings, Alcoa’s share price has increased from USD 84.25 to USD 92.28, entering into the top 10th percentile of momentum-ranked stocks this week. The jump of 8.03 points within the share price has increased the confidence of the shareholders and investors, along with the overall growth in the global aluminium market. The effective growth in Alcoa’s share price has been driven by good returns along with comparatively lower volatility among all its competitors operating within the market. This upward trend of Alcoa has strategically aligned with the role of the company for supplying lightweight aluminium alloys to Ford Motor Co. for F-150 truck bodies and for aircraft engine components to RTX Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney division. Also read: Alcoa invests...
Aluminum Corporation of China Limited has provided an update on the formation of its previously announced joint venture with Chinalco, Yunnan Copper, Chihong Zinc & Germanium and Chinalco Capital. The new entity, Chinalco Qianxing (Chengdu) Technology Co., Ltd., has now been formally incorporated in the People’s Republic of China, highlighting a key step forward in the project’s establishment. According to the company, all participating partners other than Aluminum Corporation of China have already fulfilled their respective paid-in capital commitments. The company itself has so far injected RMB 100 million ( USD 14 million) towards its agreed total contribution of RMB 300 million (USD 42 million). In a subsequent development, the joint venture’s shareholders unanimously approved...
At the London Metal Exchange (LME) inventory, the aluminium alloy stocks held steady at 15 hundred tonnes, reflecting no change from previous levels. The stability indicates the inventory conditions to be consistent, as well as the market dynamics for aluminium alloy products to be traded on the global exchange. Current positioning Market equilibrium can be demonstrated via the aluminium alloy stock level, which indicates a stable market, with inventories steady at around 15 hundred tonnes. This directly reflects that the supply and demand for the aluminium alloy are nicely balanced. Also read: LME aluminium price trend: Historical context, 2025 market dynamics & 2026 price outlook Market indication The steadiness of the inventory levels shows that traders are maintaining a consistent...
Century Aluminum Company (CENX) shares hit USD 40.26 and reached a 52-week high. This landmark suggests an upward trajectory for the company since its stock price took off by 120.7 per cent over 2024 values. Considering a USD 3.75 market capitalisation, CENX has been resilient with significant momentum and reported a 20.15 per cent revenue growth. Image for referential purposes only (source: https://www.alcircle.com/) Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain However, although the one-year development reflects strong investor confidence in its aluminium industry prospects, doubts loom large over stock volatility. The data compiled by InvestingPro indicates stock trading at a high price-earnings ratio of 47.61, parallel to a...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price on December 30 saw a significant rise from the previous day’s close. The expanded trend was seen in the LME inventory except for the live warrant, which witnessed a slight dip. Both the LME cash bid and offer rose by USD 31.5 per tonne or 1.1 per cent, where the bid reached USD 2,944.5 per tonne from USD 2,913 per tonne and the offer price rose to USD 2,945 per tonne from USD 2,913.5 per tonne. Don’t miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform The upward trend continued for the LME 3-month bid and offer by USD 19.5 per tonne or 0.66 per cent, moving the bid to USD 2,977 per tonne, up from USD 2,957.5 per tonne and the offer at USD 2,977.5 per tonne from USD 2,958 per tonne. At the forwards contract, the LME December...
Tian Yuan Law Firm has advised on a landmark RMB 63.5 billion (USD 8.75 billion) merger involving two subsidiaries of Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group, setting a new record as the largest merger and acquisition undertaken by a privately owned company in China’s A-share market. The deal marks China Hongqiao Group ’s broader strategy to reposition its aluminium assets within the domestic capital markets. The company is one of the key subsidiaries of Shandong Weiqiao Pioneering Group, a major Chinese conglomerate with extensive interests in textiles and the growing market of aluminium. Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain As part of the transaction, Hontron Aluminium Industry, a Shenzhen-listed unit of China Hongqiao, will acquire...
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has updated the critical minerals list, which now contains 60 distinct materials, representing 80 per cent of the mined items on the periodic table. Some of these include nickel, copper and zinc. Exotic metals like gadolinium, praseodymium, and ytterbium have been added under the rare earth elements. Recognised as “vital for a modern American economy,” the spectrum of metals bears the potential to revolutionise their use. Image for representational purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain The USGS comments that from aluminium to zirconium, these metals are found "essential for national security, economic stability and supply chain resilience." This reflects a subtle shift from the...
Just like the US, Europe appears to be reshaping its aluminium strategy - and scrap is steadily gaining the upper hand. With recycling crossing the 50 per cent mark in 2025, the balance of the industry is shifting away from primary aluminium and moving toward secondary metal. That trend is also visible in the production numbers. Primary aluminium production across Europe, including Russia reached 6.4 million tonnes between January and November 2025. That’s only slightly higher than the 6.38 million tonnes recorded in 2024 and 6.1 million tonnes in 2023, in the same period, working out to growth of about 0.9 per cent in 2025 after a stronger 3.8 per cent growth the year before. During 2025, output moved up in stages - 1.72 million tonnes in the first quarter, 1.74 million tonnes in the...
LME aluminium prices softened between December 24 and December 29, while exchange inventories fell but showed a shift toward more live warrants. On December 29, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 2,913 per tonne, compared with USD 2,931.5 per tonne on December 24 - a decline of about 0.63 per cent. The cash offer slipped to USD 2,913.5 per tonne from USD 2,932 per tonne over the same period, down roughly 0.63 per cent. LME aluminium 3-month prices were largely steady. The 3-month bid remained unchanged at USD 2,957 per tonne on both December 24 and December 29, marking no change. The 3-month offer eased to USD 2,958 per tonne on December 29 from USD 2,959 per tonne on December 24, down around 0.03 per cent. To know more about the global primary aluminium industry 2026 outlook,...
As 2025 is about to wind up, United Company RUSAL secures an extension of the sales agreement with the En+ associate KraMZ Ltd. The global aluminium producer, RUSAL, has achieved milestones, securing several partnerships as well as shareholding throughout the year. These endeavours, despite geopolitical challenges and tariff obstacles, were achieved and have been marked throughout the 2025 calendar. Image for referential purposes only Explore- Most accurate data to drive business decisions with 50+ reports across the value chain En+ associate KraMZ Ltd to continue the RUSAL partnership United Company RUSAL has extended an existing aluminium sales contract with En+ associate KraMZ Ltd in 2026. Under this agreement, RUSAL’s subsidiary JSC UC RUSAL TH is to supply primary aluminium of...
Aluminium prices recorded a historic milestone in the futures market with a consistent upward momentum, reflecting a strengthened buying interest on the back of robust spot demand and tightened supply expectations. On the Multi Commodity Exchange ( MCX), aluminium futures for December surged by INR 8.80 ( USD 0.098), thus making the close at 3.07 per cent high, equalling to INR 294.90 ( USD 3.27) per kilogram. The bullish sentiment was equally evident in the January series, with the aluminium contract price climbing by INR 9.05 ( USD 0.10), reflecting an increase of 3.14 per cent, thus touching a fresh lifetime peak of INR 297.20 ( USD 3.30) per kilogram during the trading session. Must read: Key industry individuals share their thoughts on the trending topics Market participants,...
National Aluminium Company is in the spotlight for its shares climbed to Rs.299.7 (USD 3.61) on December 26. With this peak, NALCO recorded a 52-week high while being the highest price the stock has recorded till date. The move came despite a subdued broader market tone and underlined the company’s sustained outperformance in the non-ferrous metals segment. The wider equity market opened on a cautious note, with the Sensex starting the session at INR 85,225.28 (USD 948.69), down 183.42 points or 0.21 per cent, and later trading near INR 85,255.94 (USD 949.08), a decline of 0.18 per cent. Despite this softness, the benchmark index remains close to its 52-week peak of INR 86,159.02 (USD 959.13), just 1.06 per cent below that level. In fact, its 50 day average is more than its 200 day...
As China edges closer to its self-imposed primary aluminium production cap of 45 million tonnes, a set of billion-dollar questions is reverberating in air. Is the global market counting days for supply deficit? Will anybody step in to bridge the gap? If yes, then who can do so at scale? While these questions seem obvious, answers may appear to be far less aligned with prevailing assumptions. However, before exploring the possibilties, let us check how the market is already reacting to the early signals of supply deficit amidst steady demand growth. How is primary aluminium responding to today’s market condition? Already the rising demand and supply deficit is making its presence felt in prices. Primary aluminium on the London Metal Exchange has climbed to USD 2,932 per tonne (as of...
Snowy Hydro could become the “fairy godmother” in the race for power contracts, investment and credibility as New South Wales prepares to close more coal plants. The pressure point is 2026. By then, NSW needs to find about USD 27 billion to finance several wind projects so coal plants can shut while still meeting decarbonisation goals. Three linked problems now decide whether progress happens: signing enough PPAs (long-term power contracts) getting equity even though the off-balance-sheet model doesn’t really suit electricity dealing with the practical limits of delivering turbines across the state Wind projects in the South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) may be technically stronger than those in Central West Orana, because the land is flatter and the wind is better. But even so, only a...
