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 US Geological Survey, the US primary aluminium production in December 2018 was 95,000 tonnes. The average daily production in December was 3,050 tonnes, 4% more than that in November 2018, 48% more than that in December 2017. The total aluminium production in 2018 stood at 891,000 tonnes, about 20% more from 741,000 tonnes in 2017. The restarting of operations by Alcoa and Century Aluminum contributed to the increase. Recycled aluminium still continued to contribute a major part of total aluminium supply in the US. Total aluminium recovered from scrap in December 2018 was 285,000 tonnes, 4% less than that in November 2018 but slightly more than that in December 2017. The total scrap recovery in 2018 stood at 3.6 million tonnes in 2018, essentially...
Social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, declined over the weekend on improved downstream consumption. Social inventories of primary aluminium stood at 1.69 million tonnes as of Monday March 25. Inventories dropped some 44,000 tonnes from Thursday March 21, Shanghai Metals Market data showed. The chart below indicates the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China. Inventories in major Chinese cities fell over the weekend. Stocks in Wuxi, Jiangsu and Shanghai dropped 14,000 tonnes and 6,000 tonnes from Thursday March 21, to 605,000 tonnes and 305,000 tonnes on Monday March 25. Inventories in Nanhai, Guangdong stood at 394,000 tonnes. This was down 15,000 tonnes from Thursday March 21. Stocks in Gongyi,...
The US dollar climbed in last Friday's trading, as investors grappled with an inverted US Treasury yield curve. Base metals declined across the board and both LME and SHFE aluminium edged down. As the US dollar jumped, LME aluminium dipped to a low of US$1,880 per tonne on Friday night and tested support from the 60-day moving average. It rebounded and settled at US$1,902 per tonne. LME aluminium is expected to trade at US$1,840-1,940 per tonne today. As on March 22, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1866.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1867 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1893 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1893.50 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 2023 per tonne, and Dec 19 offer price stands at US$ 2028 per tonne. The LME...
Shanghai Metals Market found commercial used prebaked anode prices across China to likely extend its decline in April on weaker demand. With sufficient inventories, most aluminium producers had been found purchasing prebaked anode cautiously. Prebaked anode stocks at a large aluminium producer currently stand at over 30 days, SMM learned. Meanwhile, carbon producers struggled to lower their inventories of the prebaked anode and for doing so, some carbon producers even went ahead and lowered offers below market prices so that more and more aluminium producers indulge in buying their cargoes. Moreover, environmental probes remained strict in the two consecutive sessions, resulting in some carbon producers in Shandong and Henan to cut production as they failed to meet emission standards....
Shanxi Chinalco Huarun will begin 125,000 tonnes primary aluminium capacity by the end of this month, a source told Shanghai Metals Market. The plant, which currently operates at an annualised capacity of 125,000 tonnes, will eventually increase its capacity in the phase-one project into 432,000 tonnes. As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, Henan Longsheng New Materials Technology has launched the construction of 80,000 tonnes capacity project on Thursday March 21 in Xuchang of Henan province, reported local media. Products from aluminium strip, sheet processing project are designed to be applied in shipbuilding and aerospace sectors among others, Shanghai Metals Market learned.
Hydro has posted another update on the progress the company made in securing safe operations across its businesses. The company says that with help of external experts and national security authorities, the in-house IT experts are working towards restoring the virus infected systems. “Experts from Microsoft and other IT security partners have flown in to aid Hydro in taking all necessary actions in a systematic way to get business critical systems back in normal operation,” says Jo De Vliegher, Head of Information Systems. “With a systematic approach our experts are step by step restoring business critical IT based functions to ensure stable production, serve our customers and limit financial impact, while always safeguarding our employee’s safety,” says CFO Eivind Kallevik. The press...
The US dollar rebounded and regained most of the ground lost in the previous session, to a nearly three-day high of 96.63, as Brexit concerns weighed on the euro and sterling. Base metals ended mostly lower. LME aluminium fell 1.63% and aluminium went down 0.47%. LME aluminium fell below support from all moving averages, to a low of US$1,896 per tonne, after the US dollar rebounded. It regained part of the losses as it rose above the five-day moving average and closed at $1,903.5/mt. As the K-indicator tested support from the 40-day moving average, and the MACD red line shortened, LME aluminium is expected to trade at US$1,860-1,950 per tonne today. As on March 21, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1890.50 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1891 per tonne;...
The US dollar fell sharply against a basket of major currencies on Wednesday, after the Federal Reserve held US interest rates steady and its policymakers abandoned projections for further rate hikes this year as the central bank flagged an expected slowdown in the economy. LME base metals, except for aluminium, traded higher on Wednesday. SHFE aluminium crept 0.15%. The three-month LME aluminium rose to a new three-month high of RMB 1,951per tonne on Wednesday, bolstered by the report that Rio Tinto suspended operations at its bauxite mine in north Australia due to a cyclone. LME aluminium later pared those gains to close the trading day 0.26% lower at US$1,935 per tonne. Norsk Hydro reported some progress in restoring operations after it was hit by a cyber-attack. Overnight losses in...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, social inventories of primary aluminium across eight consumption areas in China, including SHFE warrants, came in at 1.734 million tonnes as of Thursday March 21. Stocks dropped some 20,000 tonnes from Thursday March 14. The chart below indicates the current status of the primary aluminium inventories across China: Purchasing enthusiasm among downstream consumers improved ahead of the value-added tax cuts and this accounted for the decline in social inventories of primary aluminium. Compared with last Thursday, Inventories in Wuxi, Jiangsu dropped 9,000 tonnes to stand at 619,000 tonnes, while stocks in Nanhai, Guangdong increased 7,000 tonnes to stand at 409,000 tonnes. Stocks in Shanghai dropped 2,000 tonnes to 311,000 tonnes.
A00 aluminium ingot price stood at RMB14010 per tonne on Thursday March 21, up RMB70 per tonne from RMB13940 per tonne yesterday. The average prices today are expected to range between RMB 13990 per tonne and RMB 14030 per tonne, with spot premium to settle at RMB 250-290 per tonne. Aluminium ingot price in the East Wuxi and Hangzhou increased RMB 80 per tonne and RMB 90 per tonne to stand at RMB 14040 per tonne and RMB 14060 per tonne, respectively. In the South and North, the price rose RMB 70 per tonne and RMB 160 per tonne to stand at RMB 14010 per tonne and RMB 14000 per tonne respectively. The average price of Aluminium Alloys (ADC12) increased RMB50 per tonne to RMB 14850 per tonne today on March 21 and expected to move within a range of RMB 14750 per tonne and RMB14950 per tonne....
Hydro has announced through a press release that it has made progress in securing safe and stable operations across the operations after the extensive cyber-attack on Tuesday. The release says that Hydro’s technical team has been able to detect the root cause of the problems with external help and is currently working on to restart the company’s IT systems in a safe and sound manner. The company however has not mentioned exactly how long it would take to restore stable IT operations. After the detection of the problem, Hydro isolated all plants and operations and switched to manual operations and procedures yesterday. Hydro is currently focusing on ensuring safe operations and limiting operational and financial damage. “I’m pleased to see that we are making progress, and I’m impressed to...
As updated by Shanghai Metals Market, aluminium purchasing enthusiasm among traders and downstream consumers across China’s eastern and southern spot markets substantially improved this morning ahead of value-added tax cuts, resulting in brisk trades across the markets. Spot aluminium in Shanghai mostly traded at RMB13,950 per tonne and RMB13,970 per tonne, an increase of some RMB70 per tonne from the previous. On Tuesday, spot aluminium were traded at RMB13,880 per tonne and RMB13,890 per tonne. Premiums over the front-month April contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange stood at RMB240 per tonne and RMB260 per tonne, slightly wider than RMB240 per tonne and RMB250 per tonne on Tuesday, March 19. In Wuxi, spot deals mostly occurred at RMB13,950 per tonne and RMB13,970 per tonne, while...
The US dollar edged lower against a basket of major currencies due to concerns over the strength of the American economy and expectations that the Federal Reserve will prove accommodative at its meeting this week. Base metals closed higher on Tuesday and aluminium grew 0.66%. SHFE aluminium closed 0.81% higher. LME aluminium climbed to US$1,944 per tonne after it was reported that Norsk Hydro’s aluminium smelters were hit by a cyber-attack. This was before it jumped to a three-month high of US$1,946 per tonne, and ended at US$1,940 per tonne. The light metal contract is expected to trade at a broad range of US$1,850-1,950 per tonne. As on March 19, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1907 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1907.50 per tonne; 3-months bid price...
According to Shanghai Metals Market, spot aluminium premiums in Shanghai further widened this morning, on March 19, ahead of a value-added tax cut from next month. Transactions of spot aluminium in Shanghai were mostly heard at RMB 13,880 per tonne to RMB 13,890 per tonne, up by some RMB 90 per tonne from the previous day. Premiums over the front-month April contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange came in at RMB 240 per tonne to RMB 250 per tonne, wider than RMB 220 per tonne to RMB 230 per tonne on Monday, March 18. In Wuxi, spot deals mostly occurred at RMB 13,880 per tonne to RMB 13,890 per tonne while that in Hangzhou at RMB 13,890 per tonne to RMB 13,910 per tonne. Spot aluminium trades across eastern markets were brisk this morning as the imminent tax cuts triggered purchasing...
Norsk Hydro, one of the world’s biggest aluminium producers, announced on Tuesday that the company is “shifting over to manual operations where possible” in the wake of cyber-attack during the night, affecting aluminium operations in a number of business areas. “Hydro is working to contain and neutralize the attack, but does not yet know the full extent of the situation,” it said in a statement. Norsk Hydro’s website was down on Tuesday. The company was not available for further comment. The news sent Hydro’s share price tumbling 2.0 percent in early trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The cyber-attack came a day after Hilde Merete Aasheim was appointed as new CEO and President of Hydro. Aasheim will succeed Svein Richard Brandtzæg, who steps down after 10 years.
All eyes are on the global aluminium industry now after a year of supply uncertainty and price volatility driven by trade wars between the U.S. and its allies, punitive sanctions against Rusal aluminium and 50% production cut at Alunorte alumina refinery. The beginning of 2019 is however, indicating most of these issues surrounding the aluminium industry are expected to be resolved and supply as well as the price would stabilise during the course of the year. AlCircle has launched its report “Preview of Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2019”, which has analysed the way aluminium value chain is poised to grow in 2019 vertical wise. The analysis looks the policy changes and developments of 2018 while projecting a way forward for the aluminium value chain in 2019. The report has already...
The US dollar changed little against a basket of currencies, sticking close to a two-week low. Base metals closed mixed and LME aluminium jumped 1.5%. SHFE aluminium increased 0.51%. A lower US dollar lifted LME aluminium from last Friday’s closing to US$1879 per tonne during the first day of the week. As shorts exited, LME aluminium rebounded from a low of US$1,880.5 per tonne and jumped to the highest since February 18, at US$1,928.5 per tonne during night trading. It may trade at US$1,860-1,940 per tonne today. As on March 18, LME aluminium cash (bid) price stood at US$ 1878 per tonne, LME official settlement price stands at US$ 1879 per tonne; 3-months bid price stands at US$ 1898 per tonne, 3-months offer price is US$ 1899 per tonne; Dec 20 bid price stands at US$ 2025 per tonne, and...
The A00 aluminium ingot price continues to grow today, on March 19, to reach RMB 13,870 per tonne, found Shanghai Metals Market. Yesterday, on March 18, the price was at RMB 13,810 per tonne, which represents that it has grown today by RMB 60 per tonne. The average prices are expected to range between RMB 13,850 per tonne and RMB 13,890 per tonne, with spot premium to settle at RMB 220 per tonne to RMB 260 per tonne. Yesterday the spot premium was expected to settle at RMB 230 per tonne to RMB 270 per tonne, which shows that it has dipped by RMB 10 per tonne today. In the east (Wuxi and Jiangsu), the ingot price has grown by RMB 90 per tonne to stand at RMB 13,885 per tonne and RMB 13,900 per tonne. In the south and north, on the other hand, the ingot prices are up by RMB 70 per tonne and...
