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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India is at the threshold of emerging as the next biggest demand driver for aluminium- the strategic metal of tomorrow. Although, presently, the per capita consumption of the metal here stands at 2.2 kg against the world average of 8.4 kg, rapid urbanisation, improving automobile story of the country, and increasing GDP rate- indicate at a future where the use of aluminium has grown significantly. Countries which are now competing with India at the production front will then try to grab of a piece of this lucrative market. China, for instance, is already doing so. There the GDP rate has started declining and the demand for industrial metals like aluminium has shrunk considerably. Satish Pai, Deputy Managing Director of Hindalco Industries Ltd., sounded positive when he said this at the...
The Centre on Thursday, July 30, announced to set up Aluminium Development Council in the lines of Steel Development Council to address various issues of aluminium industry including effect of global slowdown, promoting per capita use and raw material linkage. "The proposed Aluminium Council Development is a genuine demand of the industry and it will be set up soon under the chairmanship of union mines minister or secretary. The council would undertake an independent study on how to adjust various segments associated with the industry in the regulatory framework," said union mines secretary Balvinder Kumar. He was speaking at a national seminar of 'Aluminium: the strategic metal' organised by the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) here. He said, despite global slowdown, domestic...
Vedanta Limited is chalking out plans to produce 1.7 million tonne of aluminium this fiscal through a capacity ramp-up at Balco and Odisha's Jharsuguda plants. "Ever since April 1 this year, we have been ramping up our aluminium lines at Balco and Odisha. We would expect that all the Balco lines would be raised this year," Vedanta Limited Group CEO Tom Albanese told PTI. The Anil Agarwal-led company is a major shareholder at Balco in Chhattisgarh and Jharsuguda plant in Odisha. "In Odisha, we have four new pot lines that we would be ramping up," he said. "... That would get us to total annualised production capacity of about 1.6-1.7 million tonnes of aluminium per year and I would compare it with last year's aluminium production level of about 900 thousand tonnes," he added. The company...
Manufacturing PMIs from major economies to be released today will leave LME aluminium moving in a wide range of USD 1,635-1,660/mt. SHFE 1608 aluminium will challenge previous highs and move at RMB 12,600-12,800/mt. On Wednesday’s (June 29) night trading, SHFE 1608 aluminium dipped to RMB 12,320/mt after opening at RMB 12,360/mt. But prices then quickly returned to RMB 12,480/mt before ending at RMB 12,420/mt. On Thursday, SHFE 1608 aluminium opened at RMB 12,425/mt. Prices rose to RMB 12,575/mt after SMM data showed aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets fell another 50,000 mt. Finally, the most active contract closed at RMB 12,530/mt. Positions were down 4,310 to 164,724. SHFE aluminium will remain strong in the short term on falling stocks and loose monetary policy. In China’s...
SHFE aluminium has made a stunning comeback of late, and the rebound will prove sustainable at least for now as stocks in domestic major markets have unexpectedly hit the lowest in nearly five years, SMM predicts. Source: Reuters As of today, aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets totaled 313,000 tonnes, down another 50,000 tonnes to a new low last seen in September 2011. In fact, the figure was down as much as 66 per cent from this year’s high seen in early March. So, what's behind the dramatic fall? SMM has summarized several reasons as below: Massive production cuts late last year were the main reason. SMM statistics showed China’s aluminium output fell 1.76 per cent year-on-year to 12.47 million tonnes during January-May. Besides, better downstream consumption in the first...
Following recent smelter shutdowns, only two companies in the US reported domestic production of primary aluminium, noted US Geographical Survey in their latest issue of Mineral Industry Surveys. Consequently, beginning in February 2016, monthly production data were withheld to avoid the release of proprietary data. According to the latest Mineral Industry Surveys data published by the USGS, at the end of April, approximately 750,000 metric tons per year of capacity was operating at primary aluminium smelters in the United States according to public statements by the two companies that own the smelters. Prices and Stocks: The monthly average U.S. market price of primary aluminium ingot increased to $0.793 per pound in April from $0.773 per pound in March. The monthly average price...
Aluminium price increases this year have been minimal. Even when metals prices were rising across the board in the first quarter, aluminium was the laggard as oversupply still kept investors away from buying it and construction demand remained tepid. However, the metal is rising slowly but steadily as investors see an opportunity to buy aluminium when prices fall short-term. Thanks to Chinese stimulus that construction demand has shot up and aluminium prices with it. A recovery in demand is a key factor supporting aluminium prices this year. Excess aluminium production in China is damaging the prospects of aluminium producers in the rest of the world, purely because of the size of China’s massive aluminium industry. China is the world’s largest producer accounting for 54.4 per cent of...
Strike threat in Norway and falling crude oil supply in Venezuela allowed crude oil prices to stay at highs. LME aluminium has been rising for two consecutive days, nearing last week’s high, and should remain strong at USD 1,625-1,645/mt today. Tight supply in domestic spot market and strong LME aluminium will allow SHFE 1608 aluminium to hover at highs of RMB 12,350-12,500/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 40-80/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract.
China Aluminum International Trading Co. (Chalco Trading) raised aluminium prices in major markets today after two consecutive days of cuts, it said on its WeChat. For details, please see the table below: Unit: yuan/tonne Note: Chalco Trading is a full subsidiary under Chalco responsible for alumina and aluminium sales.
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has announced a major milestone in connection with its pending separation into two strong standalone, publicly-traded companies. Alcoa Upstream Corporation (to be renamed Alcoa Corporation prior to separation) has filed an initial Registration Statement on Form 10 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Alcoa Corporation will hold the Upstream and North American packaging businesses. The Value-Add businesses will remain in the existing company, which will be named Arconic Inc. The separation is on track to be completed in the second half of 2016. “The filing of the Form 10 is an important milestone as we prepare to launch two businesses that are well-positioned for success,” said Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Alcoa...
Impact from UK leave vote is fading. Blast in Turkey and falling crude oil stocks supported crude oil prices. LME aluminium will return to levels seen before UK vote result and move at USD 1,620-1,640/mt today. SHFE 1608 aluminium has met growing resistance and should move at RMB 12,340-12,480/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 30-70/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract. Key macroeconomic indicators for base metal prices Base metal market should continue diverging trend on Wednesday with eyes on US API and EIA reports and US annualized PCE core price index. US PCE core price index for May will likely be below April’s level, which can be reflected by the positive annualized CPI and PPI in May. But the annualized PCE core price index for May should...
Aluminium Association of India (AAI) is organizing a national seminar on 'Aluminium: The Strategic Metal' in Bhubaneswar on Thursday June 30, 2016. A number of companies and associations along with key professionals from across the country's aluminium industry value chain are expected to attend the seminar to be held at the city's Mayfair Convention. The panel of guests includes Balvinder Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, who will grace the event as the chief guest, while R K Sharma, Principal Secretary to government of Odisha, Ministry of Steel & Mines shall be the guest of honour at the seminar. A series of papers has been lined up for presentation at the meet's technical session that will follow the inauguaral session of the seminar. This includes presentations on 'Aluminium...
Quintiq, a Dassault Systèmes company and global leader in supply chain planning and optimization (SCP&O), announced today that its planning and optimization software platform has been selected by Ma'aden Aluminium to facilitate a business planning transformation programme. Ma'aden Aluminium wanted to switch from volume-driven to demand-driven production planning. To achieve its targets, it needed a planning software platform that could integrate internal planning processes, improve information flow and support optimal decision-making. Ma'aden Aluminium chose Quintiq for its scalability and optimization capabilities as well as successful track record in the industry. Quintiq will optimize the aluminium producer's internal processes and guide its employees on industry best practices and...
The Aluminum Association released yesterday the fourth edition of the Guidelines for Handling Molten Aluminum. The first edition was published in 1980. With previous updates in 1990 and 2002, this latest revision represents the hundreds of years of collective expertise in managing molten metal accumulated by many leading industry experts. The updated Guidelines are available for purchase in the Association’s online bookstore. “The Aluminum Association and the aluminum industry have long put the safety and well-being of its employees at the forefront of their priorities,” said Garney Scott, CEO of Scepter Inc. and Chairman of the Aluminum Association. “The industry has made considerable progress in protecting its employees and the Association’s Guidelines is a key asset to this work.”...
Vedanta Resources Plc ("Vedanta", together with its subsidiaries) hosted a Sustainable Development Day in London on 24 June 2016. This was the second time that the annual event has been held. Analysts, investors and members of key industry bodies attended the event to share an update on the company's sustainable development activities. At the meeting, Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Plc, commented in his opening remarks: "Sustainable development is at the heart of our business and I continue to ensure it is a priority for the company and its subsidiaries. We have made substantial progress on our sustainability journey, thanks to the efforts of our management team and everyone who works at Vedanta, and I am committed to the goal of zero harm, zero discharge and zero waste." Anil...
Some Japanese aluminium buyers have agreed to pay producers a premium of $90 per tonne for metal to be shipped in the July-September quarter, two sources directly involved in the quarterly pricing talks said on Monday. The deal, which marks a 22-23 percent fall from a $115-117 per tonne premium (PREM-ALUM-JP) in the previous quarter, is the first drop in three quarters, in line with a slide in overseas surcharges for physical aluminium. Japan is Asia's biggest importer of aluminium and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region.
Sohar Aluminium, the largest non-hydrocarbon industrial venture in the Sultanate of Oman, achieved a new production record in 2015 -- one of a slew of operational improvements logged by the company last year. Aluminium production jumped from 363,528 tonnes in 2014 to 377,186 tonnes last year -- the highest annual output in the company's history. This was achieved by operating at the highest amperage -- 389kA at the end of the year, at targeted current efficiency and operating pots levels, and a production rate of 2,879 kg Al/pot/day -- amongst the best in the world for this technology and amperage, the company said in its newly released Sustainability Report 2015. "To achieve this feat, all departments across the smelter operated at significantly better levels than in previous years. The...
The US dollar index kept rising following UK leave vote. A series of US economic data to be released later in the day will have temporary impact on the US dollar index. LME aluminium will continue facing downward pressure from strong dollar and drop to USD 1,585-1,605/mt. Impact on SHFE 1608 aluminium from UK vote result has faded, and the contract should move at RMB 12,300-12,400/mt, supported by falling aluminium stocks in China. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 20-60/mt are expected over SHFE 1607 aluminium contract. Key macroeconomic indicators for base metal prices Diverging trend is expected for base metals on Tuesday with focus on US Q1 annualized GDP, house price index in 20 cities for April and June Conference Board’s CCI. Markets expect US Q1 annualized GDP...
