The conclusion of negotiations on the EU–India Free Trade Agreement creates a new context for Indian manufacturers considering the European market, but future opportunities will increasingly depend on regulatory preparedness as well as commercial competitiveness. Negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement were concluded in January 2026. Earlier this month, the European Commission submitted proposals to the EU Council for its signature and conclusion. The Agreement is not yet in force and remains subject to the required European and Indian procedures. For the Indian aluminium industry, the development comes at a time when access to Europe is increasingly shaped by environmental, product and supply-chain regulation. One of the most immediate examples is the European Union’s Carbon Border...
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has paid INR 11 billion (USD 114 million) in dividend to the Government of India for FY26, marking the company’s highest-ever payout. The company declared a total dividend of INR 21 billion (USD 219 million) for FY26, including one final dividend and three interim dividends. This represents a 230 per cent payout on equity shares with a face value of INR 5 (USD 0.052) each. The dividend cheque was handed over to Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy at an investor roadshow in Kolkata on September 28, 2026. NALCO reported a profit after tax of INR 58 billion (USD 604 million) for FY26. Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: " Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade...
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On Wednesday’s night trading, SHFE 1607 Aluminium dipped to RMB 12,220/mt after opening at RMB 12,305/mt. But prices then rallied to RMB 12,400/mt before ending at RMB 12,380/mt. On Thursday, SHFE 1607 Aluminium rose to RMB 12,395/mt after opening at RMB 12,355/mt. But short selling sent the most active contract down to RMB 12,280/mt in the afternoon. Finally, the contract ended down RMB 35/mt at RMB 12,325/mt. Trading volumes were down 9,502 lots to 181,804 lots, and positions were down 7,078 to 266,412. Positions of SHFE 1608 Aluminium were up 12,466. SHFE 1607 Aluminium will move around the 10-day and 20-day moving averages in the near term.
Operational aluminium capacity in China will keep growing in May due to restarted and new capacity, SMM expects. SMM sees about 269,000-tpy increase in operational aluminium capacity, which will bring the country’s aluminium output to 2.6 million tonnes in May, up about 100,000 tonnes from April. Aluminium capacity in operation grew 1.05 million-tpy in late April from the end of last year, SMM statistics showed.
LME aluminium may consolidate in a range of $1,529-$1,559 per tonne for one or a few days before rising again. The bounce from the May 13 low of $1,531 seems to be incomplete. However, the metal may have not accumulated enough bullish momentum to bounce beyond the resistance at $1,559, the 50 percent Fibonacci retracement rise from the Nov. 23, 2015 low of $1,432.50 to the April 29 high of $1,686. The chance of a break below $1,529 could be low, as the support at $1,529 has been proved to be strong, successfully holding the drop for a few days. A Fibonacci retracement analysis on the fall from $1,686 to $1,531 reveals a resistance at $1,568, the 23.6 percent level, a break above which could lead to a gain to $1,590, the 38.2 percent level.
Hilde Merete Aasheim, executive vice president of the primary metal business for Hydro, headquartered in Norway, has been appointed chairman of the London-based International Aluminium Institute (IAI) at the 89th meeting of its board of directors in Shanghai. Aasheim takes over from Abdulla Kalban, chief executive officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, who stands down at the end of his two-year tenure. “It is a great honour for me to have been elected by my peers to chair the institute at this time of unprecedented change in the aluminium industry,” Aasheim says. “I look forward to building on Abdulla’s achievements over the last two years to advance further the role our modern metal plays in improving people’s quality of life through its innovative applications and unique properties.”...
Bell Bay Aluminium announced resumption of operations within four to five weeks. The general manager of the company says they are thrilled to be heading back to full production after months of power rationing. The prolonged Basslink outage and record low rainfall caused major industrial energy users of Tasmania to agree to cut back energy use to help keep the region's lights on. BBA general manager Ray Mostogl said recent higher-than-expected rainfall had provided the trigger for an early return to full production. “The rainfall has been what we’ve all been hoping for. We’re delighted to be ramping up about a month earlier than we first planned,” he said. Bell Bay Aluminium operates a smelter near George Town, 45 kilometres away from Launceston. The smelter has a production volume of...
Aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets plunged 39 per cent from this year’s peak to 570,000 tonnes as of May 13. Aluminium prices, however, got no boost and lost nearly 5 per cent in just two weeks. What was behind the unexpected price decline? Will the light metal search for even lower floor? Aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets dropped just 20,000 tonnes in the first week of May, much slower than previous weeks. This left market worried that a turning point in aluminium inventories might be in sight, thus dragging aluminium prices down. In addition, ferrous metals prices in domestic futures market took a heavy battering after Chinese regulators introduced measures to cool fever. Pessimistic remarks that Chinese economy will struggle in the “L” shape for a long time,...
The US dollar index rose above 95 as minutes of the US Fed’s April meeting strengthened expectations for rate hike in June. This will drag LME aluminium down to USD 1,535-15,55/mt on Thursday. SHFE 1607 aluminium will move at RMB 12,200-12,420/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot premiums of RMB 10-50/mt are expected over SHFE 1606 aluminium contract. Key macroeconomic indicators for base metal prices Diverging trend should intensify further on base metals market with US dollar gathering rising momentum, supported by hawkish statement from US Fed April rate meeting. Attention is turning to US May Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing index and US initial jobless claims early last week. The hawkish statement from US Fed April rate meeting come as no surprise and the meeting minutes...
SHFE 1607 aluminium will challenge RMB 12,500/mt on May 18 with longs gathering strength, SMM observes LME aluminium will struggle around the 5-day moving average and range USD 1,540-1,560/mt during Asian trading hours Wednesday. Spot aluminium will trade at discounts of RMB 10/mt and premiums of RMB 30/mt against SHFE 1606 aluminium. Key macroeconomic indicators for base metal prices Diverging trend is expected for base metals on Wednesday with eyes on US last week’s crude oil inventories and euro-zone April CPI. The final reading of annualized April CPI in euro zone should be negative. Inflation in euro zone shows no sign of upward momentum, European economists said. Though crude oil prices continue rallying, the flash annualized CPI for April fell short of forecast and remained in the...
Tracking firmness in base metals overseas coupled with strong demand at domestic spot markets, aluminium prices edged up 0.19 per cent to INR 103.70 per kg in futures trade today as participants’ enlarged positions. Marketmen said apart from increased domestic demand, a firming trend in the base metals in global market, supported the upside in aluminium futures. At the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery this month inched up 20 paise, or 0.19 per cent, to INR 107.75 per kg, in a business turnover of 270 lots. The metal for delivery in June rose by a similar margin to trade at INR 104.60 per kg in 11 lots.
US-based conglomerate GE has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras), to set up an Industrial Internet Centre of Excellence. The Centre is being established to develop applications that will help companies save costs. The first of these will be the Digital Twin of an aluminium smelter. Digital twins are digital replicas of physical smelters, from whom they collect data to analyse and support maintenance of the actual facility. One of the biggest challenges that aluminium smelters face worldwide, is high maintenance cost. According to senior company officials, GE would invest around Rs three crore in the first six months and could commit around Rs 30 crore over five years depending upon the outcome. Aluminium smelters are refineries for extracting...
Upon the closing of the “Two Sessions”, it has become a central topic that China’s economy has entered the “New Normal”. The Report on Government Work made by Premier Li Keqiang has set the GDP growth target of 6.5-7 per cent for the year of 2016 based on a comprehensive assessment on the difficulties of future economic growth. In the past year, China only saw a GDP growth rate of 6.9 per cent, which was the lowest over the past 25 years. President Xi Jinping has said previously: “Nowadays, the recovery of world economy is hard and tortuous, and the Chinese economy also faces downward pressure in a certain degree. The key to resolve the issues is adherence to innovation-driven development and exploring new development approaches.” Focus on India and Other Southeast Asian Markets to Open...
SMM surveyed 36 Chinese aluminium smelters about their opinions over aluminium price outlook. Those optimists see SHFE 1607 aluminium breaking through the 10-day moving average and LME aluminium rising above USD 1,550/mt. First, aluminium capacity restarts in China are limited. China’s aluminium output fell 2 per cent YoY to 2.49 million mt in April, also down from March. Second, operating rates rose at aluminium processors, especially wire & cable producers, and will remain high in May. Third, aluminium stocks in China five major markets fell at 40,000-50,000 mt pace each week after a brief slowdown in the first week of May, and are now below 600,000 mt. Fourth, speculative capital has flowed out of SHFE aluminium market, meaning price movement will depend mainly on market fundamentals....
Aluminium on London Metal Exchange (LME) has found a key support at $1,529 per tonne, and may hover above this level or bounce to a resistance at $1,559. The support is provided by the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement on the rise from the Nov. 23, 2015 low of $1,432.50 to the April 29 high of $1,686. Given that the drop from $1,686 could be too sharp to sustain, the metal has a better chance of pausing around $1,529 and bounce towards the 50 percent level at $1,559.
The AluSolutions conference and exhibition took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on 10 – 11 May 2016. More than 300 visitors from across the international aluminium industry gathered on the first day to hear presentations from representatives from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Gulf Extrusions (GULFEX), Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion Company (TALEX), The Bureau for Middle East Recycling and Emirates Environmental Group. The conference was inaugurated by Senaat's ACEO, H.E Eng. Jamal Al Dhaheri (pictured), who welcomed the event to the region and highlighted the growing aluminium industry in the Gulf. The sessions continued with a look at tracking aluminium through the supply chain, downstream development and recycling and sorting technologies. Day two saw the Aluminium...
Indian aluminium industry seeks a safeguard duty of at least 15 per cent covering all product categories from primary to value-added, said Satish Pai, Vice President of Aluminium Association of India, in a recent interview. Pai said, "We have been always asking as you rightfully said about 15-20 per cent. Now, the government has in the last Budget, increased the duty on aluminium from 5 percent to 7.5 per cent. So, we got 2.5 per cent more duty. Now, the important point is that in that same Budget, the green cess on coal went up from INR 200 a tonne, it actually doubled to INR 400 a tonne and 40 per cent of the cost of production of aluminium comes from power. "So, that 2.5 per cent increase in duty got negated by the increase in cess on the coal. So, as a part of the overall procedure,...
Consumers in the upper North Island would face the biggest increase in national electricity grid charges under the Electricity Authority's proposed changes to transmission pricing while the Rio Tinto-controlled aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point would get less than half the benefit it may have hoped for. The authority released a consultation paper on transmission pricing that proposes replacing the current two main charges - $150 million a year for the HVDC link between the North and South islands and an interconnection charge of $639 million a year, with two new charges: an area-of-benefit (AoB) charge of $296 million and a residual charge for Transpower's costs of $500 million a year, spread across the country. Because consumers in Auckland and the Far North have received the biggest...
SHFE 1607 aluminium will struggle around the 5-day moving average and move at RMB 12,050-12,200/mt on Monday. LME aluminium will remain weak at USD 1,530-1,550/mt. In China’s spot aluminium market, spot discounts of RMB 0-10/mt and spot premiums of RMB 0-30/mt are expected over SHFE 1605 aluminium contract. Key macroeconomic indicators for base metal prices Base metals may enter downside track this week due to poor reading of economic figures from China released last weekend. US April new home starts are expected to fall slightly to 1 million units as March building permits have posted losses for four weeks in a row on the monthly basis. But US April home sales remained red-hot thanks to expectation for low interest rates. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) slipped from above 4 per...
Aluminium stocks in China’s five major markets fell at a much faster pace last week as demand has picked up, SMM says. Warehouse withdrawals recovered markedly, but arrivals did not keep up pace, SMM learned. Downstream buyers returned to the market as their panic eased after aluminium prices fell slower. Processors that chose to work through stocks on hand two weeks ago also entered the market. SMM expects aluminium destocking to continue this week. The table below shows details of aluminium stocks at China’s five major markets: Unit: 1,000 tonne
