Aluminium prices came under renewed pressure on October 1 as expectations of improving supply, stronger Chinese exports and a firmer USD weighed on the market. Aluminium settled 0.73 per cent lower at INR 340.65, while expectations of tighter US monetary policy added to the broader macroeconomic pressure. The decline comes as several aluminium smelters prepare to restart previously idled capacity, while others move ahead with expansion plans. These developments are raising expectations that global aluminium availability could improve in the coming months. China exports add to supply pressure China is emerging as another important factor for the aluminium market. Rising exports are partly offsetting supply disruptions in the Gulf, with August aluminium exports increasing 17.2 per cent...
According to SMM statistics, on September 30, aluminium billet inventory in major consuming regions in China stood at 149,500 tonnes, up 500 tonnes WoW from last Thursday and down 5,000 tonnes from this Monday, with inventory consolidating at highs and basically flat overall. On a year-over-year basis, inventory was about 35,000 tonnes higher than the same period in 2025 and about 41,000 tonnes higher than the same period in 2024, with total inventory still at the highest level for the same period in the past four years. From the perspective of warehouse withdrawals, aluminium billet withdrawals from September 21 to September 28 totalled 44,800 tonnes, holding near 45,000 tonnes for two consecutive weeks. By region, Foshan inventory stood at 69,500 tonnes, down 3,000 tonnes from last...
Grow with
AL Circle
Buyers of copper and aluminium in China reduced spot purchases in the domestic and international markets this week after the country's equity market rout reduced the liquidity for the buying, people in the industry said. Merchants and factories that buy the metals for manufacturing of semi-finished products such as copper rods and aluminium profiles appear to be holding less cash than they need for spot purchases, the people said. The decline in liquidity comes as equity prices fall, stock trading suspensions lock in investments, and loans linked to stocks fall in price. "End-users have some liquidity problems, limiting their buying this week," said a trader at a state-owned refined copper producer, who was not authorised to speak with media and so declined to be identified. "We don't...
Fives announces the acquisition of ECL, a specialist in the design and installation of equipment used to produce primary aluminium. ECL will become a new entity within Fives and bring a high level of complementary technical strengths and sales strategies. Founded in 1947, and became a subsidiary of Péchiney in 1970 until its acquisition by Rio Tinto Alcan, ECL is a world leader in the design and installation of equipment used to produce aluminium, with a particular focus on Pot Tending Machines (PTMs), Furnace Tending Assembly (FTA) machines, and Anode Rodding equipment. More than half of the world’s operating aluminium smelters outside China use equipment supplied by ECL. The company also developed an offer of high-added value services (spare parts, maintenance, and modernization). It...
Production numbers are creating sleepless nights for the stakeholders of Aluminium. There has been a constant surge in the world production of Aluminium thanks to China that has kept on subsidizing the production units so that they do not become dormant. The result has been that the production from smaller and even larger units from China has remained rampant, and is affecting the world production numbers as a whole. The prices on the other hand have been unable to bear that brunt. The prices of LME Aluminium have declined by more than 7% till July 2015. MCX Aluminium has also declined by 5% marginally lower than London counterpart due to currency fluctuations and improving domestic consumption and emphasis of government of Make in India programme. The production of Aluminium reached...
The Aluminum Association announced today the addition of three new member companies -- HEICHE GROUP US Surface Technology; Phinix, LLC; and Walter Surface Technologies. The firms join as associate members – firms that supply the North American aluminum industry with goods and services. The new member additions come at a time of continued demand growth for aluminum. According to recent preliminary Aluminum Association data, the North American aluminum industry shipped an estimated 25.5 billion pounds of aluminum in 2014, the most since 2006. More recent data shows 3.1% year-over-year demand growth through April 2015. From the 2009 baseline, demand for the metal in the U.S. and Canada has risen by nearly 40 percent. “We’re excited to welcome these new member companies to the Aluminum...
LME aluminum will rise to $ 1,670-1,710 per tonne next week, Shanghai Metals Market foresees. The price rise will be driven by positive technical side, easing Greek debt crisis and impressive rally of Chinese stock market. SHFE 1509 aluminum contract will face upward correction after sharp fall, but poor market fundamentals will curb the upside room. The contract should range 12,400-12,600 yuan per tonne. In China’s spot market, growing bullishness before upcoming delivery of SHFE 1507 aluminum contract will allow spot discounts to narrow to 30-70 yuan per tonne.
The debut of ALUMINUM USA in Detroit on 11 and12 November is fast approaching, and the list of exhibitors and partners is growing steadily. Numerous international companies have registered to participate. With the trade magazine Light Metal Age, the trade show just brought on board a key media partner and additional supporter. Light Metal Age is the most important US magazine dedicated to the primary production and processing of aluminium. The first ALUMNUM USA will take place at the Cobo Center in Detroit on 11 and 12 November. Adding the new trade show to its portfolio, Reed Exhibitions – the world’s largest organiser of trade fairs and conventions – continues to expand its global operations. ALUMINUM USA joins the ALUMINIUM World Trade Fair in Germany (Düsseldorf) and aluminium shows...
Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro ASA’s fully owned subsidiary, Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products GmbH , has secured a power contract with Axpo Trading AG, a Switzerland-based energy company with captive power production and international trading activity, totaling 0,9 TWh (100 MW) annually in the eight year period from 2018 to 2025. The new power contract will replace parts of an existing combination of internal and external power arrangements entered into in 2012, supplying Hydro Neuss primary aluminium plant with a total of 2.2 TWh (250 MW) annually in the period from 2013 to 2017. In the period from 2018 to 2020, the remaining 1.3 TWh (150 MW) of the expiring power sourcing arrangement will be replaced by an internal power contract supplied by Hydro. “Together with ongoing...
Alcoa Inc., the largest U.S. aluminum producer, more than doubled its estimate for the global supply surplus this year amid increasing output from China. Supply will exceed demand by 762,000 metric tons, the company said Wednesday in its second-quarter earnings presentation. That’s up from an April estimate of 326,000 tons. Total demand is expected to reach 57.5 million tons this year, Alcoa said. The revision was driven by lower expectations of Chinese capacity curtailments, Chief Financial Officer Bill Oplinger said on a conference call. China will add 2.8 million tons of production capacity this year, Alcoa said in the presentation. The country already accounts for half of the world’s aluminum output and is on pace to export record amounts of products made from the lightweight metal...
Alro SA, one of the largest aluminium producers in Central and Eastern Europe, invested over USD 500 million to modernize and to increase the efficiency of its operations. The Company will continue to focus on the increase of the production capacity for high added value products and the improvement of the technology. “This year, we celebrate 50 years since we started producing aluminium in Slatina and we are proud that we managed to achieve excellent performances, thanks to our vertical integration strategy and production diversification, focused on high added value aluminium”,said Gheorghe Dobra, General Manager Alro Slatina. “In 50 years we managed to become a major aluminium producer in Central Europe, a trustworthy partner for our clients and suppliers, a responsible employer and a...
Platts, a leading global energy, petrochemicals and metals information provider and a premier source of benchmark price references, this month launched a weekly primary aluminum assessment for aluminum spot cargoes delivered to South Korea. The new price reference, known as Platts CIF Korea Spot Premium Weekly, is Platts' first price assessment for South Korean metals products and augments Platts' existing suite of metals price references serving regional and global markets. It reflects the transactable value of physically-traded aluminum as a premium or discount to the London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price for P1020A ingots on a cost, insurance & freight (CIF) Busan basis. The assessment reflects the cost of physically delivering primary aluminum to Korean users, expressed as a...
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa has reported solid second quarter 2015 results on July 9, 2015 as the Company’s transformation showed strong progress. Profitability from Alcoa’s growing aerospace and automotive businesses increased year-over-year as mid and downstream investments delivered positive impact. In the upstream, the Primary Metals business was resilient in the face of market headwinds and the Alumina business delivered its strongest first half results in eight years. The Company’s portfolio reshaping is driving results. Alcoa reported second quarter 2015 net income of $140 million, or $0.10 per share, including $143 million in restructuring-related charges, primarily to optimize the Company’s upstream portfolio. Year-over-year, second quarter 2015 results compare to net income...
The world’s biggest aluminum makers will be under even more pressure to make deeper production cuts and stave off a price slump that saw the metal trade near its lowest level in six years on Wednesday. China, which accounts for half of the world’s aluminum output, is on pace to export record amounts of metal products this year, helping to deepen a worldwide glut. Producers outside China, including Alcoa Inc. and United Co. Rusal, had already cut back capacity through last year. Still, 1 million metric tons more, enough to supply Japan for six months, will probably be curtailed within a year, according to Macquarie Group Ltd. China’s economy is poised to grow at its slowest pace in a quarter of century. As the country shifts toward a consumer-driven economy, more of its processed aluminum...
Alcoa shares have declined by a third since February. And things could have been worse, had it not made the changes it did. The aluminium maker's strategy, pursued over the past several years, has two planks. First, it wanted to make its core "downstream" aluminium production business more efficient. Second, it has expanded its manufacturing of end products for aerospace, automobiles and other industries. The shift has won plaudits. Yet the company still cannot fully shake off the effects of an aluminium price that is down 15 per cent in eight months. he production side of Alcoa mines bauxite to refine into alumina and smelts alumina into aluminium. The company has curtailed capacity and moved down the cost curve. And with the help of $US5 billion worth of recent acquisitions, its rolled...
Hindalco Industries Ltd., the Indian aluminum producer backed by billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla, is seeking to refinance about Rs15,000 crore ($2.4 billion) of debt, people familiar with the matter said. The Mumbai-based company is discussing with banks about extending the maturity of the local-currency project loans to about 10 years, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are confidential. It may also be able to negotiate a marginally lower interest cost, the people said. Hindalco, whose total debt more than doubled in the four years ended March, is contending with mounting costs at a time when aluminum prices are falling. It is seeking to refinance under central bank guidelines announced in August, which make it easier for industrial firms to extend the tenor of...
Rio Tinto is preparing its first shipments of metal from its world-class Kitimat aluminium smelter in Canada following an extensive modernisation of the facility. The modernisation of the aluminium smelter will increase production capacity by 48 per cent and result in Kitimat becoming one of the lowest cost smelters in the world. Rio Tinto is now focused on safely ramping up towards its annual production rate of 420,000 tonnes. The modernised smelter, which was delivered in line with the revised schedule and budget, is powered exclusively by Rio Tinto’s wholly owned hydro power facility and uses the company’s proprietary AP40 smelting technology which will effectively halve the smelter’s overall emissions. Aluminium chief executive Alf Barrios said “The modernisation of Kitimat will...
Demonstrating a deep commitment to sustainability and business continuity, Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) - an operating subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) - is one of the first industrial enterprises in the UAE to develop and implement a full Crisis & Business Continuity Management Systems; and in January 2015 became the first manufacturing company in the Middle East to achieve certification to the ISO 22301:2012 Business Continuity Management Systems standard (by LRQA). These milestones reflect EGA's commitment to implementing management strategies and processes that will identify and manage possible risk, emergency, crisis and business disruption events associated with all its business activities; and is in keeping both with the company's pioneering spirit and its quest for...
Deutsche Bank’s downside risk case for aluminum has come to pass. Sharply falling premiums have not been offset by a rising LME price, which has also fallen. The all in aluminum price has fallen by 21% year to date, exacerbated by less than inspiring Chinese macro data and the uncertainty of a Grexit weighing on sentiment. Industry deflation via lower coal prices and technology gains mean that the only 11% of global smelters and 10% of Chinese smelters are loss-making. Given the propensity for China to continue exporting, a managed supply cut by some of the producers ex- China may only result in encouraging further exports as regional premiums rise once more. As highlighted in the case of European stainless steel, it is only through anti-dumping measures that Chinese exports are likely to...
On the back of a strong operational performance, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) increased its production figures in the second quarter of 2015 by 3.1% Year- on-Year (YoY) to reach 238,904 metric tonnes (mt) (versus 231,713 mt in Q2 2014), while its sales figures touched 232,193 mt for the same period in 2015, an increase of 2,383 mt versus 229,810 mt in Q2 2014. In addition, Alba was able to increase its Value-Added (VA) sales for the same period to 66% versus an average of 65% in Q2 2014. Commenting on Alba’s sales and production figures for Q2 2015, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “Despite challenging market conditions and the dramatic drop in worldwide physical premiums, Alba continues to exceed its performance targets.” Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) will release its...
