Europe’s recycled aluminium industry is an important component of the global secondary aluminium supply chain, with Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom (UK) representing key national markets. Production across the European region stood at nearly 6 million tonnes in 2023, supported by established scrap recovery systems, industrial recycling capacity and demand for recycled metal. Russia also contributes to the regional landscape through secondary aluminium production units concentrated in several industrial centres. According to AL Circle’s analysis in its report, “ World Recycled ALuminium Market Analysis Industry Forecast ”, the four countries present different market structures, from Germany’s substantial recycling capacity and Italy’s scrap-based production to the UK’s organised...
According to SMM survey statistics, the operating rate of the secondary aluminium alloy industry in September was 35.0 per cent, up 3.1 percentage points M-o-M but down 6.7 percentage points Y-o-Y. Industry production continued its recovery trend, but the overall operating level remained below the same period last year. On the demand side, September marked the traditional peak consumption season, with downstream orders recovering from August. End-use demand from automobiles and other sectors improved marginally, but the peak season effect has yet to fully materialise. According to CAAM data, automobile production in September was 2.99 million units, up 11.4 per cent M-o-M but down 8.7 per cent Y-o-Y. NEV production was 1.814 million units, up 12.2 per cent Y-o-Y. CAAM noted that China's...
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In June 2018, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) announced China will expand environmental inspections to more cities and regions from June till April next year, as a part of a three-year anti-pollution plan. Two hundred teams with a total of some 18,000 inspectors and support staff started the inspection in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Shanghai, and continued to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces, and some 11 cities in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces. Many city governments have ordered partial or temporay shut down of facilities after the inspection. According to a latest update from Shanghai Metals Market, the city government of Linyi, Shandong province, instructed local secondary aluminium producers to suspend or curtail production for about three weeks, starting from...
The international export-import data shows that the total volume of aluminium scrap imported to Belgium has been rising over the past few years. In 2016, Belgium had imported about 2, 75, 996 tonnes of aluminium scrap in total, while in 2017, the import volume increased 6.4 per cent to 2, 95, 076 tonnes. This year is estimated to be no exception as well. In 2018, the scrap import volume to Belgium is likely to rise even further to 2, 99, 165 tonnes, 1.38 per cent higher from 2017 and 8.39 per cent higher from 2016. The import value is also expected to increase in 2018 to stand at US$ 264 million from that of US$ 246 million in 2017. In 2016, the import value was higher than 2017 at US$ 251 million despite the lower import volume, but down from the expected import value in 2018. However,...
Hindalco, one of the largest aluminium producers in India, has urged the government to cap the quantity of imports of low-cost semis, wire rods, scrap from China, southeast Asia, and the United States, fearing the rising share of inbound shipments in the domestic market. “We have asked the government to impose quantitative restrictions on imports in the near term,” said Satish Pai, Hindalco’s managing direct and chief executive office. According to his opinion, the government should move to duty safeguards eventually but before that should put quantitative restrictions. He added that although the profit of aluminium producer clocked double in the Q1 ended on June 30 driven by manufacturing and government’s infrastructure push, the import quantity rose 20 per cent in the said period due to...
Norway-based Tomra Sorting Recycling has announced it will showcase its sensor-based sorting technologies at Aluminium 2018, the world trade fair and conference in Düsseldorf, Germany, Oct. 9-11. Tomra’s exhibition stand will spotlight the company’s X-tractT machine and laser-induced breakdown spectoscropy (LIBS) technology, the company says. According to Tomra, the X-tract machine separates valuable materials from metal waste and LIBS technology sorts and separates different aluminum wrought alloys. Aluminium 2018 is expected to attract more than 27,000 visitors from 100 countries and will share latest insights into aluminum production and processing, finished goods and recycling. Tomra’s technical experts will be available at its stand during all three days of the event. Tomra says its...
According to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey, Domestic primary aluminium production in May 2018 was 73,000 tonnes. The average daily production in May was 2,360 t, unchanged from that in April 2018, and 14% more than that in May 2017. The U.S. aluminum industry purchased an estimated 724 million pounds of aluminum scrap during May 2018. The country imported 63,200 of aluminium scrap in May, up from April 2018, but slightly down YoY. For the period of January to May 2018, 284,000 tonnes of scrap were imported by the U.S, down from the same period of 2017. As a whole scrap import has dropped in May as well as for the period from January to May in comparison to the same period of 2017. On the other hand, the U.S. exported 148,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap...
Indonesia has become one of the most significant downstream aluminium product manufacturing hubs in south-east Asia, mostly catering to the automotive industry and thus, has increased the procurement of aluminium scrap for the use in the downstream industry. Countries like Australia, the USA, and the United Kingdom are the major sources of Indonesia's aluminium scrap imports. Besides a surge in import volume, the country’s import cost is reportedly rising as well, since 2016. Indonesia’s aluminium scrap import cost for procuring 71,029 tonnes had stood at US$90 million in 2016, 6.25 per cent down from US$ 96 million in 2015. In contrast to this, the import cost rose to US$ 119 million in 2017, up 24 per cent from 2016 and 19 per cent from 2015. Along with the cost, 2017 had also witnessed...
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been boasting over the years as one of the major exporters in the aluminium scrap industry while generating a significant amount of revenue. Both its export volume and revenue have been witnessing a year-on-year growth, and 2018 is estimated to be no exception, as per the data shown by the international export-import research. The aluminium scrap in Saudi Arabia is gathered from various sources such as used beverage cans, which account for almost 50 per cent for sourcing scrap, old buildings, vehicle engine blocks, utensils, and electric cables. Development on expanding aluminium smelting capacity is also at peak in the Kingdom which is expected to generate a larger amount of scrap and thereby boost the export volume. For instance, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)...
The Aluminum Association, in cooperation with the Aluminium Association of Canada, reported primary aluminium production in North America (U.S. and Canada) was at an annual rate of 3,683,641 tonnes during June 2018, declining 90,024 tpy (-2.4%) from the May 2018 rate of 3,773,664 tonnes. Preliminary estimates indicate that aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totalled an estimated 11,928 million pounds through May 2018, up 3.4 per cent over like-2017. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totalled 8,532 million pounds, up 4.0 per cent. The U.S. continued to import its crude, semi-finished aluminium and scrap from its key supplying countries to accommodate the domestic consumption. The country imported 26,762 tonnes of...
Aludium, an integrated, midstream aluminium manufacturer with casting, hot mill, cold mill and finishing capabilities, has recently announced to resume its casthouse at Alicante mill in Spain, which was mothballed for past 10 years. It is now going through an update and expected to come online from the first quarter of 2019. This new facility will increase the company’s ability to recycle aluminium thereby, reducing its dependence on external sources of aluminium, minimise the company’s environmental footprint at the same time, and also create new jobs for community people. “We expect to reduce our energy consumption by 150 kWh annually, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 150,000 tonnes per year,” said Alberto Ruiz, Plant Manager at Aludium Alicante. He further added,...
According to the data found by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s aluminium scrap import grew year on year, while the country’s scrap export, although smaller in volume, stood the same over the past four financial years. In FY2014-15, a total amount of aluminium scrap imported by India was 870,000 tonnes, which however, decreased a little in the next financial year 2015-16 to 867,000 tonnes, but turned around in the two successive financial years. In FY2016-17, the total volume of India’s aluminium scrap import stood at 931,000 tonnes, 7 per cent up from FY2014-15 and 7.38 per cent up from FY2015-16; while in FY 2017-2018, it grew massively to 1,121,000, 16 per cent higher from its previous financial year. The research found India’s import of aluminium scrap jumped 11 per cent...
Metalcorp, one of Europe's leading independent producers of secondary aluminium slabs (recycled aluminium) based at Amsterdam has announced their plan to shift its Amsterdam headquarters to Luxembourg. The company expects to save up to €1 million through the relocation. The move comes as an aftereffect when the metals industry is taking up various cost cutting and revenue generation measurers to withstand US president Donald Trump's 10% tariff on aluminium imports, as well as sanctions against leading aluminium producer Rusal. Mark Nunes, CFO of the company, told the Luxemburger Wort that the company is shifting to Luxembourg to minimise its costs. "In addition, we can simplify our corporate structure and reduce the administrative burden," Nunes added. The new corporate headquarters is...
French retailer Leclerc has announced it will be relaunching its cookware recycling programme for the sixth consecutive year. The group says that the initiative has allowed for the recycling of more than 200 tonnes of aluminium since its inception. Each year, more than 6,000 tonnes of cookware are discarded by French households, according to the retailer. Launched in 2012, the 'Les Ecogagnants' (The Ecowinners) programme aims to incentivise customers to bring back used cooking implements such as pans or skillets.Leclerc said that for each of these items collected between the 4 and 6 of October, it will give a 50% discount on an equivalent new product in the 'So Recycled' line of cookware by the French brand Téfal. As the name implies, this new line of products is made from 100% recycled...
China’s aluminium scrap import in June remained at a lower level given the sweeping tariffs and restrictions Chinese aluminium scrap imports. Shanghai Metals Market believes that this downtrend is likely to stay even in the month of July on continued trade disputes between China and the United States. The latest data from China Customs show that the country imported 110,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap in June, without registering much change from May but 41.1 per cent lower from 155,000 tonnes in the same period of 2017. This brought the import volume in the first half of CY2018 to 840,000 tonnes, 21.7 per cent down from 10, 24, 800 tonnes in the corresponding period of 2017. The below graph shows China’s scrap import volume in June 2017 and 2018 The below graph shows China’s scrap import...
Secondary aluminium industry body Metal Research Association of India (MRAI) urged the Indian government today, July 18, to completely eradicate the 2.5 per cent customs duty on aluminium scrap import. Earlier, MRAI also opposed the Aluminium Association of India’s proposal to levy 10 per cent duty on scrap import, as the association thinks that the duty may take a severe toll on jobs in the downstream and ancillary industry. MRAI President Sanjay Mehta said in a statement, "We are surprised to see that even after knowing this, a delegation of the (aluminium) association met Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek recently and requested to increase the duty to 10 percent." He further said a hike in duty would restrict the aluminium scrap export to...
Shanghai Metals Market studied that multiple hindrances relating to environmental problems, additional tariffs on aluminium scrap exports to the US, and stern limitations on impurities in scrap imports inevitably led to a drop in Chinese secondary aluminium operation rate for the month of June. The operation rate dropped 52.74 per cent, down 5.91 percentage points month-on-month and 6.17 percentage points year-on-year. Production at most producers shrank and finished products inventory edged down. Compared to last year, the first six months this year saw a relatively lesser demand for finished products, as a result of which most producers were left with heavy stocks in inventories. They, therefore, preferred to cut production and destock amid a seasonal lull in order to better manage...
Aluminium scrap import by Belgium has increased over the last two years. The trend is expected to continue through 2018.The top exporters of aluminium scrap to Belgium in 2017 were France (76084 tonnes), the Netherlands (61068 tonnes), Germany (53721 tonnes) and UK (44569 tonnes). According to the recent estimates, Belgium imported about 275996 tonnes of aluminium scrap in 2016 with total cost of USD 252 million. The country’s import of this product increased to 295076 tonnes in 2017. The total cost of import was USD 246 million. In 2018, Belgium is expected to import 312538 tonnes of aluminium scrap. The value of import is estimated to stand at USD 315 million by the end of the current year. Belgium exported 269769 tonnes of aluminium scrap in 2017, up from 253278 tonnes in 2016. The...
Aluminium Association of India (AAI) has urged the government to increase the duty on imports of aluminium scrap as the domestic sector may become a victim of escalating trade war between the US and China. The statement comes in the wake of Washington imposing 25 percent duties on USD 34 billion of imports from China. The association said an estimated 30 percent of China's aluminium scrap imports come from the US. And recently China has announced its intent of imposing 25 percent import duty on the metal from America. "The import duty in India on aluminium scrap is currently only at 2.5 percent, thereby making it a viable alternative for US exports," the body said, adding that as a precautionary measure it wants the duty on both aluminium scrap and primary metal to be raised to 10...
According to the latest Mineral Industry Survey report from US Geological Survey, US domestic primary aluminium production in April 2018 was 71,000 tonnes. The average daily production in April was 2,360 tonnes, 3% more than that in March 2018, 18% more than that in April 2017, and 13% more than that in April 2016. Recovery of secondary aluminium from imported and domestically procured scraps contributes a significant portion of aluminium consumed in the US. The U.S. continued to import its crude, semi-finished aluminium and scrap from its key supplying countries to accommodate the domestic consumption. The country imported 60,700 tonnes of aluminium scrap in April, accounting for about 11% of the total import. For the period of January to April 2018, 221,000 tonnes of scrap were imported...
