South32 expects the sale of its aluminium value chain assets to Alcoa to be completed in the six months ending June 2027. The proposed transaction covers its aluminium operations and related bauxite and alumina assets in South Africa, Australia and Brazil. The sale follows a binding conditional agreement signed by the two companies, under which Alcoa agreed to acquire the assets for up to USD 5.6 billion . The assets include South32's Hillside Aluminium smelter and the idled Bayside smelter in South Africa, its interests in the Boddington bauxite mine and Worsley alumina refinery in Australia, and the Mineração Rio do Norte bauxite mine and Alumar alumina refinery and aluminium smelter in Brazil. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our...
LME aluminium cash prices recorded an increase on November 5, 2026, with the cash offer price rising by 0.80 per cent day on day to USD 3,160 per tonne from USD 3,135 per tonne on November 4. On November 5, the LME aluminium cash bid price stood at USD 3,158 per tonne, up by 0.75 per cent from USD 3,134.5 per tonne recorded on November 4. The cash offer price increased by USD 25 per tonne. Similarly, LME aluminium 3-month prices moved higher. The 3-month bid price rose by 0.78 per cent to USD 3,097 per tonne on November 5 from USD 3,073 per tonne on November 4. The 3-month offer price increased by 0.76 per cent to USD 3,097.5 per tonne from USD 3,074 per tonne. For December 27 contracts, the bid price advanced by 0.33 per cent to USD 2,997 per tonne on November 5 from USD 2,987 per tonne...
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According to the first-hand production data released by Shanghai Metals Market, April aluminium output (preliminary) rose 21.5 per cent year-on-year to stand at 5695 thousand tonnes, March aluminium output (final data) was estimated at 3112 thousand tonnes, and the first three month cumulative production reached 12 million tonnes, up 22 per cent year-on-year. Henan, one of the five major aluminium producing regions in China, produced 728,7000 tonnes of aluminium during the first three months of 2017. The Q1 production fell 3.34 per cent year-on-year; yet accounted for 8.89 per cent of the country’s total aluminium output for the period. China’s total aluminium output increased 10.9 per cent year-on-year during the period under review. Henan’s alumina production surged to reach 3.27...
The Aluminium Federation (‘ALFED’), the trade body of the UK’s aluminium sector, has announced the appointment of a new President. Giles Ashmead, managing director of Powdertech (Corby) Ltd, was previously Vice-President of the Aluminium Federation, and succeeds Adrian Platt. Powdertech is one of the UK’s leading metal finishing companies, focusing on the construction, automotive and rail sectors. The company has been involved in many headline construction projects such as the Shard, the ‘Cheesegrater’ and St Pancras Station, and coats components for JLR and train projects such as Hitachi IEP and Eurostar. Giles has been a member of the Aluminium Federation’s Board since 2009, and has chaired both the Aluminium Finishing Association and its successor, the ALFED Finishing Cluster. “I am...
The global surplus of aluminium and the recent bottoming out of global crude oil prices have already dragged LME aluminium prices down below the US$1,900 per tonne level. The light metal contract traded globally closed at US$1,874 per tonne on Tuesday, May 9, down 0.26 per cent from its previous close of US$1,879 per tonne on Monday. It is understood from the technical indicator that LME aluminium will fall further to the US$1,860-1,880 per tonne range on Wednesday, May 10. An early next week bounce-back is likely if the commodity manages to draw support from the crude oil prices that edged higher in Asia on expectation of supply cut in Saudi Aramco. As on May 9, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,873.50 per tonne, cash seller & settlement price is US$1,874 per...
Hindalco Industries has entrusted power solutions provider GE with the task of modernising two steam turbines at the company’s Renusagar captive power plant in Uttar Pradesh. GE has made an announcement on Tuesday that it entered into an agreement with Hindalco to upgrade company’s generation equipment. For this modernisation, GE will be using its Powering Efficiency Center of Excellence. Hindalco's Chief Operating Officer SN Jajoo commented: "our collaboration with GE on this project will demonstrate the feasibility of upgrading our existing steam turbines, which will allow us to increase the output, efficiency and performance of our existing fleet of plants." GE targets to increase turbine output of up to 4 MW each. The modernisation by GE would increase the plant’s efficiency by up to...
The Aluminum Association has recently released the 2017 edition of the North America Aluminum Industry Plant Directory and the North America Aluminum Industry Extrusion Press Directory. The Plant Directory covers 485 plants while the Extrusion Press Directory covers 204 plants, operating 538 extrusion presses, in North America as of April 2017. This is an update on the previous directories last published in 2014. The directories provide plant location, types of products produced, contact information and affiliated websites. The Press Directory includes information on extrusion presses by size (tonnage), as well as finishing and fabrication services offered by extruders. “The 2017 plant and extrusion directories are an invaluable resource for any organization that follows domestic aluminum...
LME aluminium prices are on a steady downtrend. The light metal contract traded globally closed at US$1,879 per tonne on Monday, May 8, down 1.46 per cent from its previous close of US$1,907 per tonne on Friday, May 5. After the fourth day consecutive of descent Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) suggests that LME aluminium may face brief technical corrections and move in the range of US$1,860-1,890 per tonne on Tuesday, May 9. As on May 8, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,878.50 per tonne, cash seller & settlement price is US$1,879 per tonne, 3M buyer price is US$1,83 per tonne, 3M seller price is US$1,884 per tonne, Dec1 buyer price is US$1,923 per tonne, and Dec1 seller price is US$1,928 per tonne. The current LME official Opening Stock of aluminium is estimated at...
Aluminium ingot stocks in China major markets will continue to keep rising in the short to medium term, Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) predicted after surveying warehouses in Shanghai, Wuxi, Nanhai, Hangzhou and Gongyi. The rise in aluminium ingot stocks is striking because of the fact that this is the peak-demand season in aluminium cycle when the consumption is supposed to be high. However, destocking in the domestic market is lower than expected. As on Friday last week, May 5, total aluminium ingot stock in the aforesaid markets stood at 1.23 million tonnes, up 20,000 tonnes from the previous week, SMM data showed. The trend is unlikely to reverse in the coming weeks as downstream industry players are either all stocked up or going slow with their operations. At the export front too,...
The descent in LME aluminium prices seems to be continuing this week. The light metal traded globally plummeted during Friday’s night trading to end the week-long journey at US$1,907 per tonne, down 0.36 per cent from its previous close at US$1,916 per tonne on Thursday, May 4. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) predicts that LME aluminium will consolidate between US$1,900-1,950 per tonne and trail behind SHFE aluminium (aluminium contract traded at Shanghai Futures Exchange) this week. As per Reuters’ analysis, LME aluminium which is already moving below all moving averages may test support at US$1,889 per tonne on Monday, May 8. A break below this support may lead the base metal contract to the next support at US$1,876 per tonne. As on May 5, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands...
According to a Vietnamese media report (VN Express International) a massive aluminium stockpile, believed to have arrived in Vietnam as a way of evading trade restrictions by a Chinese billionaire, would be inspected by ministry officials. The government official says that giant aluminium stockpile is found at a foreign company's factory in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The officials are investigating based on a report by Wall Street Journal and U.S. industry officials last year which stated about the arrival of a giant aluminium stockpile in the coastal city of Vung Tau. They will inspect the stockpile to find out if it has been shipped to Vietnam as part of a tariff evasion scheme. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has instructed the officials from the trade, finance and...
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the Bahrain-based aluminium smelter, is participating in the Commodity Research Unit (CRU)’s 22nd World Aluminium Conference in London. "CRU’s World Aluminium Conference is a well-known event that brings key decision makers from around the world on a single platform," Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Murray said. "This event allows aluminium producers in the Middle East to highlight the potential for their growth all the while presenting opportunities to learn of the latest technologies and innovations. Every year, Alba looks forward to partner with CRU and boost its relations with key members of the aluminium industry as well as interact with potential trade partners." This year, the conference covers the outlook for aluminium markets, prices and...
Global market analysis and investment banking firms seem to be somewhat divided over aluminium price outlook for 2017. While Goldman Sachs in its recent study put average aluminium price at US$2,000 per tonne (for coming six months) and US$2,100 per tonne (for twelve months), CRU stated that it expected the lightmetal to trade lower over the medium term. Goldman Sachs based his price forecast on China’s current aluminium industry scenario, where the regional governments have become proactive in cracking down illegal smelting capacities. Already 2 million tonnes of aluminium capacity have been ordered to close. More such orders are awaited by the aluminium smelters operating in Shandong and other regions in China. The global investment banking firm believes these smelter closures are going...
The downtrend in LME aluminium prices seem to be continuing in the foreseeable future. The light metal traded globally retraced US$1,909 per tonne on Thursday, May 4, down 0.3 per cent from the previous day’s close of US$1,916 per tonne. Reuters’ analysis suggests LME aluminium may retest a support at US$1,900 per tonne, a break below which could cause a loss to the next support at US$1,889. According to Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) forecast, LME aluminium should test support at the 60-day moving average and move at US$1,900-1,925 per tonne on Friday, May 5, weighed upon by the weakness in other base metal markets. As on May 4, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,909 per tonne, cash seller & settlement price is US$1,909.50 per tonne, 3M buyer price is US$1,916 per...
Demolition of the aluminium smelter infrastructure at Hydro's Kurri Kurri site is expected to begin in May. The Norway based aluminium producer announced that they have got on board CMA Contracting to demolish the smelter that will initiate the two-to-three-year project of redevelopment of the site. Hydro's Kurri Kurri aluminium smelter started production in 1969 and went offline in September 2012. The smelter now remains formally closed. Since the closure, Hydro has been planning to demolish, remediate and redevelop the site – a project which is now finally underway. The first stage of the aluminium smelter demolition will include most of the buildings on site except the tall chimney stacks and water towers, Hydro Aluminium shared in an official statement. The company is also currently...
According to a report by Reuters, the representatives of the U.S. aluminium industry are urging their EU counterparts to take action against “massive illegal subsidies" in China. The industry also wrote to British Prime Minister Theresa May regarding this matter. During a news conference in London, Michael Bless, CEO of Century Aluminium Company said, "The WTO and U.S. and European leaders must act quickly to ensure a fair playing field." China has been accused by Trade lawyers and some governments for violating the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Recently, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order for investigating the impact of aluminium imports on U.S. national security. The aluminium industry, represented by the China Trade Taskforce wrote to May asking "to...
LME aluminium prices have finally gained some strength after falling for four days at a stretch. The light metal traded globally closed at US$1,916 per tonne on Wednesday, May 3, up 0.36 per cent from its previous close of US$1,909 per tonne on Tuesday, May 2. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) analysis suggests LME aluminium should challenge the 20-day moving average and escalate to the US$1,915-1,940 per tonne range on Thursday, May 4, fuelled by rumour that environmental protection authority will crackdown on illegal aluminium capacity in Shandong, China. Coming to a longer-term forecast, Macquarie has raised its 2017 average aluminium price forecast by eight per cent from US$1,769 per tonne to US$1,913 per tonne. As on May 3, LME official cash buyer price of aluminium stands at US$1,915 per...
The Chelan County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners is negotiating with Alcoa Corporation in anticipation of reviving a smelter and hundreds of well –paid manufacturing jobs. Commissioners voted in favour of postponing a charge against Alcoa for idling the Colombia River smelter near Wenatchee at the beginning of 2016. Alcoa has many years left on a long-term contract to buy electricity from the Chelan County utility and the power contract contains both benefits and disadvantages for Alcoa to keep its energy-intensive aluminium smelter and its jobs running. ? PUD Board President Randy Smith said the utility board agreed to defer almost all of a $67 million charge Alcoa faced next for the smelter closure. "My desire is not to put any impediments in the way of a potential...
The recent slump in alumina prices in China has seen aluminium producers from the country making reasonably high profits. Of late, the profit margins have been improving steadily, Shanghai Metals Market found in a survey. The average profit registered by the Chinese aluminium smelters stands at around 1,400 yuan per tonne. This reflects a healthy market scenario given the fact that the aluminium prices, both in the London Metal Exchange market Shanghai market, and are trending at lows. In the week ending April 30, SMM average spot aluminium price stood at 14,106 yuan per tonne, down 74 yuan per tonne from the previous week. The price of the light metal is expected to drop further across the globe, at least, in the near term. In another survey, SMM found that several aluminium producers in...
LME aluminium prices are in retreat due to the supply side reforms initiated in China. Though Goldman Sachs holds a better price outlook for the light metal in the coming months (US$2,100 in 12 months), the recent price drop seems to be taking the sheen off the light metal to a certain extent. LME aluminium, which ended at US$US$1,930 per tonne last week Friday, closed further down at US$1,909 per tonne on Tuesday, May 2. Reuters’ technical analysis suggests that LME aluminium may revisit its May 2 low of US$1,904 per tonne, following its failure to break a resistance at US$1,931. According to Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), LME aluminium should move between US$1,910-1,940 per tonne on Wednesday, May 3, with strong resistance at the 5-day, 10-day and 20-day moving averages while looking for...
