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...
Grow with
AL Circle
Aluminium prices rose on Thursday, August 20, leading other base metals, as falling stocks and stronger demand from China supported the market. But the rise was held back by an increase in global supply. At the London Metal Exchange (LME), cash aluminium bid stood at USD 2,566 per tonne, down 0.21 per cent from USD 2,571.5 per tonne a day earlier, while the cash offer price also dropped by 0.21 per cent per cent to USD 2,567 per tonne from USD 2,572.5 on August 19. The three-month contract also eased slightly, with the bid and offer both falling 0.23 per cent, to USD 2,567 per tonne and USD 2,568 per tonne, respectively. Far-dated contracts were broadly stable. The December 2026 bid edged down 0.04 per cent to USD 2,622 per tonne from USD 2,623 per tonne, while the offer price slipped by...
Peel Ports Group, providing port and logistics services, has become the first UK port operator to join the Aluminium Federation (ALFED), a non-profit organisation dedicated to representing and supporting the UK aluminium industry, underpinning its strategic focus on helping the steel and metals industries. This development aligns with the Group's ambition to strengthen its presence in the aluminium sector, building on a record year for steel imports handled at the Port of Liverpool. The Group stated that its membership with the ALFED will enable it to deliver more efficient and sustainable supply chain solutions for aluminium importers. In addition to this, it has already been collaborating with customers to position cargo closer to demand hubs, mainly across its seven statutory harbour...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Navaratna central public sector enterprise (CPSE), is pursuing brownfield expansions in alumina and aluminium production as part of its strategy to secure Maharatna status. NALCO plans to invest INR 17,163 crore (USD 2.06 billion) to enhance smelter capacity by 0.5 million tonnes per annum and an additional INR 12,000 crore (USD 1.44 billion) to set up 1,080 MW of power generation capacity, with land acquisition for the smelter project nearing the final stage of completion. In addition, the company is also developing advanced plans to expand its alumina refinery capacity through a fifth stream of 1 MTPA with an investment of INR 5,677 crore (USD 681 million), alongside an INR 1,961 crore (USD 235 million) project to develop the Pottangi...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices continued its decline on Tuesday, August 19, reaching its lowest level in over two weeks, following the US decision to expand the 50 per cent import tariff. As per the price graph, both cash bid price and official settlement price dropped further by USD 14.5 per tonne or 0.56 per cent and USD 14 per tonne or 0.54 per cent to settle at USD 2,571.5 per tonne and USD 2,572.5 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price also lost USD 9 per tonne or 0.34 per cent to clock at USD 2,573 per tonne and USD 2,574 per tonne. December 26 bid price and December 26 offer price dropped to USD 2,623 per tonne and USD 2,628 per tonne, after clocking a fall of USD 7 per tonne or 0.26 per cent. LME aluminium 3-month Asian Reference Price dwindled by...
Aluminium markets endured a turbulent first half of 2025, with ingot prices slumping sharply in the second quarter across North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Oversupply, sluggish downstream demand, and rising inventories all weighed heavily, while US tariff policy further unsettled trade flows. The pressure intensified in July as Washington doubled tariffs on aluminium imports to 50 per cent, a move that disrupted supply chains and reshaped price dynamics. North America: tariffs, stockpiling, and demand weakness In North America, the Aluminium Ingot Price Index fell nearly 18 per cent in the second quarter compared with the first, reflecting the combined impact of oversupply and weaker demand. Importers had accelerated stockpiling ahead of the Section 232 tariff hike in June, leaving...
Ontario has introduced a USD 1-billion relief fund to support businesses hit by aluminium, steel, and auto tariffs. The initiative, called the Protect Ontario Financing Program, is part of a broader USD 5-billion tariff support package unveiled in the province’s spring budget. According to Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, the program will provide loans to help companies cover payroll, rent, and utility costs, measures aimed at preventing closures and layoffs. To qualify, businesses must be directly impacted by the specified tariffs, employ at least 10 workers, and generate minimum annual revenue of USD 2 million. Other key parameters include: Operating within the province of Ontario Having a minimum of three years of business operations and available financial statements Facing...
London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices fell on August 18 as expanded US import tariffs and rising inventories pressured the market. The LME aluminium cash bid price was USD 2,586 per tonne on August 18, down from USD 2,599 per tonne on August 15 , while the cash offer price stood at USD 2,586.5 per tonne, compared with USD 2,600 per tonne previously — a decline of 0.50 per cent. The 3-month contract declined 0.75 per cent, with the bid price at USD 2,582 per tonne and the offer price at USD 2,583 per tonne, compared to USD 2,601.5 and USD 2,602 per tonne earlier. Forward contracts also weakened. The December 26 bid fell 0.68 per cent to USD 2,630 per tonne, while the offer slipped to USD 2,635 per tonne, down from USD 2,648 per tonne and USD 2,653 per tonne on August 15. The LME...
Following India's 79th Independence Day, Vedanta Aluminium, the nation's largest aluminium producer, launched its campaign "Badhte Bharat ki Pehchaan." The initiative underscores the company's commitment to driving inclusive growth, innovation and self-reliance while highlighting its role in enabling transformation across multiple sectors. The campaign underscores Vedanta Aluminium's role in advancing transformation across key sectors vital to India's resurgence, including electric mobility, renewable energy, aerospace and defence and infrastructure . It further positions aluminium as a pivotal enabler of the nation's Viksit Bharat@2047 vision. This aligns seamlessly with the firm's recent endorsement of India's National Aluminium Vision document, which outlines a strategic roadmap to...
With China’s aluminium production cap being at 45 million tonnes and the strengthening demand trends, especially from sectors like construction and transportation, it is evident as China's unwrought aluminium and its product imports in July 2025 recorded a 38.2 per cent year-on-year surge, as per the customs data revealed on Monday. China’s imports of aluminium and its products As of July, the total imports from the world's top consumer alone stood at 360,000 tonnes, which directly links with the rising demand in the region from various allied industries. July's inflows pushed China's cumulative imports of unwrought aluminium and related products to 2.33 million tonnes for the first seven months of 2025, reflecting a 1.5 per cent year-on-year increase. China's aluminium output in July...
When aluminium prices slipped on both the Shanghai and London exchanges this week, it wasn’t just another market wobble, it was the latest chapter in a trade saga that has stretched over seven years. What began with a modest tariff in 2018 has grown into a protectionist wall, reshaping how the world’s two biggest aluminium players, China and the UK sell into the American market. On August 18, US tariffs expanded to cover more aluminium products at a steep 50 per cent rate, just as Chinese smelters reported yet another rise in production. The result was swift: Shanghai’s most-traded aluminium contract fell 0.82 per cent to yuan 20,570 (USD 2,864 a tonne), a two-week low, while London prices slipped 0.4 per cent to USD 2,596.50. For producers, it was a reminder that tariffs and supply gluts...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices closed the week, (Friday, August 15), with a fall across both cash bid price and official settlement price. The prices dropped by USD 8.5 per tonne or 0.32 per cent to settle at USD 2,599 per tonne and USD 2,600 per tonne. On the same day, 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price moved down by USD 6.5 per tonne or 0.24 per cent to halt at USD 2,601.5 per tonne and USD 2,602 per tonne. December 26 bid price and December 26 offer price, lost USD 5 per tonne or 0.18 per cent to settle at USD 2,648 per tonne and USD 2,653 per tonne. LME aluminium 3-month Asian Reference Price dropped by USD 12.5 per tonne or 0.47 per cent to halt at USD 2,607 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock came in at 479,550 tonnes, after witnessing a slump of 125...
Rio Tinto, a British-Australian multinational company and the world's second largest metals and mining corporation, announced the commencement of works on the Norman Creek access at its Amrun bauxite mine in Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. Work is underway on the project following approval of a USD 180 million investment, enabling access to the Norman Creek region's 978 million tonnes of ore reserves. Initial production is targeted for 2027. As of now, the firm has initiated early works and a final feasibility study for the Kangwinan project, aimed at boosting its annual bauxite production capacity. This initiative unlocks around 466 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite , almost half of Amrun's 978 million tonne declared reserves, averaging 54.4 per cent alumina. Infrastructure works...
Global aluminium market turbulence, rising costs, and a stronger rouble pushed Rusal into a USD 87 million net loss in the first half of 2025, reversing a USD 565 million profit in H1 2024. The company reported that its operational and financial performance came under pressure as domestic lending conditions tightened and the rouble strengthened by nearly 23 per cent, driving up profit tax expenses. A 2.4-fold increase in interest expenses also weighed on results. The impact of these factors was partially offset by a slight increase in global aluminium demand and generally positive price trends. H1 2025 revenue rose by USD 1,825 million, or 32 per cent year-on-year, to USD 7,520 million from USD 5,695 million in H1 2024, driven by a 21.7 per cent increase in primary aluminium and alloy...
As of August 2025, South32, a mining and metals company, has made an announcement of its plan to place the operations of Moral Aluminium on care and maintenance from March 2026. Back in July 2025, Australia's South32 announced plans to mothball its Mozal Aluminium Smelter in Mozambique, citing an inability to secure affordable and reliable electricity beyond the expiration of its current power supply agreement in March 2026. The company has flagged a USD 372 million impairment charge, reflecting the growing uncertainty over the smelter's long-term viability. Due to the uncertainties around "significant" and "affordable" power supply, the plan for Mozal Aluminium's operation will be under care and maintenance. With the existing power supply agreement expiring in March 2026, ongoing...
London Metal Exchange aluminium prices fell on August 14 across spot and forward contracts compared to the previous session. The LME aluminium cash bid price dropped USD 17.5 or 0.67 per cent to USD 2,607.5 per tonne, while the LME cash offer price fell USD 17.5 or 0.67 per cent to USD 2,608.5 per tonne from August 13 levels of USD 2,625 per tonne and USD 2,626 per tonne respectively. The three-month bid slid USD 21.5 or 0.82 per cent to USD 2,608 per tonne, and the offer declined USD 21.5 or 0.82 per cent to USD 2,608.5 per tonne from USD 2,629.5 per tonne and USD 2,630 per tonne. The December 2026 bid price was down USD 17 or 0.64 per cent to USD 2,653 per tonne, and the offer dropped USD 17 or 0.64 per cent to USD 2,658 per tonne, compared with USD 2,670 per tonne and USD 2,675 per...
India and the United Kingdom have unveiled a new trade pact poised to open fresh avenues for India's mineral sector, particularly aluminium. The pact called CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) is expected to enhance market access and competitiveness, setting the stage for strategic collaborations and export opportunities. For industry stakeholders and observers alike, this marks a potentially transformative moment worth exploring further. What is the CETA pact all about? Once which started back in January 2022 and finalised on May 6, 2025 has been finally inked on July 27, 2025, the India–UK CETA pact is hailed as a historic step to boost jobs, exports and growth. The pact grants duty-free access to about USD 6.5 billion worth of Indian exports to the UK, covering textiles,...
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the UAE, has recently announced that it has signed an agreement to supply CelestiAL-R billets to Sankyo Tateyama through its strategic partner ITOCHU Corporation. Sankyo Tateyama is a leading Japanese manufacturing company that produces various construction materials for buildings, architectural and industrial applications and housing. The recent announcement of EGA, the world’s biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer, has made it obvious that the introduction of CelestiAL-R billets would help the company to meet all the rising demands of low-carbon aluminium within extrusion and other applications. The CelestiAL-R billets are a combination of scrap metal along with aluminium produced with solar power. It would help to reduce...
In line with the forecasts indicating tight supply and rising demand in Asian countries, Kedia Advisory reports aluminium prices have increased 0.99 per cent to INR 254.85 (USD 2.90). The supply to the European factories continues to face supply constraints amid sanctions on major producer Russia, while the US enforces a 50 per cent aluminium import levy since June 4 to strengthen domestic smelting capacity and curb import reliance. Although market speculation points to a potential halving of tariffs or a Canada exemption, physical aluminium price premiums continue to trade at elevated levels. The August commodity exchange of aluminium premium surged past 70 cents per pound (USD 1,543 per tonne), reflecting an almost 90 per cent increase since late May, with market sentiment further...
