Aluminium’s trade map is no longer drawn by smelters alone. Scrap flows, power contracts, industrial policy and specialist grades now shape who secures metal, at what cost and under whose rules. Ten recent developments across Europe, the US, Australia, Japan and Mexico show how recycling, energy and regulation are becoming the new levers of aluminium competitiveness. They also show where traders, exporters and policymakers may need to adjust. Scrap tug-of-war: the US pull, Europe’s leak and the recycling base at stake The pull starts with price. The US UBC scrap benchmark averaged USD 2,322.89 a tonne in July, USD 2,491.22 in August and USD 2,602.51 in September. That is a 12 per cent climb, and it came after a July that opened at USD 2,464.98 and fell to USD 2,270.76 within two days....
Nespresso is expanding its aluminium coffee capsule recycling network across New Zealand, adding 25 JB Hi-Fi stores as collection points and bringing the total number of participating retail locations to 138. The move gives coffee drinkers more places to return used capsules, helping make recycling a little easier after that final, satisfying sip. The new collection points join existing locations at Briscoes and Noel Leeming stores. The expansion also complements other return options available through Nespresso, including its boutiques, public collection points, NZ Post drop-off locations and courier collections from customers’ homes. The aim is to make returning used capsules more convenient, recognising that a single collection method will not work for everyone. For those who enjoy...
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There's a new way to recycle aluminum cans in the stateline. Behr Metals has a new trailer pickup program.And that program can help raise money for local charities. An aluminum can may not be worth much by itself. But a trailer full can be worth quite a bit.Around 800 pounds, so we're looking at probably a pay out of four to six hundred dollars to someone bringing that back, that's a lot of money. Behr Metals started its free trailer collection program in Peoria. The Rockford branch now has seven trailers for non-profits to use. Jim Barbagallo says all a non-profit has to do is reserve a trailer for a weekend, fill it up with cans, and bring the full trailer back to Behr. "We weigh the amount and we pay them the going rate for aluminum cans and through the month of October we're adding...
Along with football season comes tailgaters and tons of aluminum cans. Ahead of game day, people who are promoting the use of aluminum cans are attempting to break the record for the longest chain of aluminum cans. They already have the cans and began stringing them together Tuesday morning at the Brown County Fairgrounds. They say they'll keep at it until they have at least 66,130 cans strung together. That would beat by one can the previous record set by a school in South Africa. Representatives from Guinness are there to evaluate whether the effort qualifies for their Book of World Records. “We're reminding people that aluminum cans are the smartest choice for tailgating. We're doing that by setting a world record,” said Steve Gardner, VP of Communications for The Aluminum Association....
The Aluminum Association is pleased to announce that Heidi Biggs Brock has been named its new president, effective October 1, 2011. Ms. Brock will succeed Steve Larkin, who has served as the Association's president since 1998, and earlier this year announced his plan to retire at the end of 2011. The Aluminum Association, based in Arlington, Virginia, works globally to aggressively promote aluminum as the most sustainable and recyclable automotive, packaging and construction material in today's market.
Aleris named Kelly R. Thomas vice president and Treasurer, effective September 1, 2011, responsible for Global Treasury operations, Investor Relations and Global Risk. Thomas, currently vice president, Global Risk, succeeds Michael J. Hobey, who will become vice president, Finance for the company's Rolled Products North America business. Aleris is a privately-held, global leader in fabricated products and aluminum recycling and alloy production.
Since August, the price of wrought aluminum scrap maintained high level in Guangdong province,higher than East China and North China. High level of primary price and hot consumption of wrought aluminum are the main factors to support high price of wrought aluminum scrap. Aluminum price keeps hovering around 18,000Yuan/Ton in Guangdong, higher than East China by 200 Yuan/Ton. Moreover, there are lots of primary processing enterprises in Guangdong, and in order to save cost, they will turn to aluminum scrap. Most of the aluminum scrap they purchased are of high ratio of aluminum and low content of other metals. Since raw aluminum with mixed metal content, so primary processing enterprises often turn to wrought auminum scrap.
Secondary aluminium alloy 226 prices moved sideways in Europe this week as lower LME and scrap prices meant consumers negotiated cheaper deals, sources said. Trading was quiet because many key players were still away on holiday, and a clearer picture was expected to emerge in the coming weeks. A German consumer was understood to have purchased 2,000 mt of Hungarian 226 alloy at Eur1,820/mt ($2,594/mt) FD for October delivery, market sources said. "I heard a Southern German buyer bought some alloy, not 226 grade, but if it were converted it would work out at Eur1,810/mt FD," said a seller. "We haven't done anything at this level [Eur1,810-1,820/mt]," said a German producer, who added he had sold some truck loads this week at Eur1,870/mt FD Germany. One consumer said that the push towards...
The Lucky Group is the leader in scrap metal trading in the Middle East, having recycling facilities located at strategic locations in Dubai, Jebel Ali, Doha and Tehran. But with growth and the need to expand their operations in order to satiate the needs of global markets, they have now successfully acquired a number of recycling operations in North America and the Far East. With operations running at full swing and their foray into secondary aluminum and semi-primary alloy manufacturing at their Jebel Ali facility, they seek to increase their presence in the international arena at The World Scrap Metal Congress. Being one of the sponsors of The World Scrap Metal Congress, Lucky Group’s Mr. Saleem Shaban will speak about selling scrap metal to Asian markets and also about how to cater to...
UK secondary aluminium ingot prices were stable on Wednesday as continental European demand continued to prop up volumes and prices even as some in the market are yet to return from the summer holiday period.
Secondary aluminum alloy producers are pushing for higher prices, backed by stronger London Metal Exchange prices and a slight uptick in auto demand. While A380.1 prices were flat at $1.18 to $1.19 per pound this week, producers said they have started quoting at $1.20 to $1.21. And while no business was confirmed at the asking prices, producers said gains on the LME would lend support to an increase in the coming days.
Total aluminium recovered from scrap in the U.S. in June was 254,000 tons, slightly lower than 260,000 tons the previous month but 11% higher than in June 2010. Of this, 134,000 tons of aluminium was recovered from new scrap, slightly lower than the previous month but 7% higher than in June 2010. Aluminium recovered from old scrap in the U.S. in June totaled 120,000 tons, which was slightly lower than in May but 17% higher than a year earlier.
The output of ARMENAL plant, the only producer of aluminium foil in the Caucasus and Central Asia, totalled 13,110 tons in the first half of 2011, a 8.2% increase as compared with the same period last year. Company’s volume of exports made 12,602 tons, a 4% increase as compared with Jan.-June 2010. According to Armenia’s customs service, export growth of ARMENAL reached $45.1 million (a 19% increase). ARMENAL formed part of RUSAL in 2000.
The U.S. recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans reached its highest level in a decade, with 58.1% of all cans recycled last year—a rate that is more than double than that of any other beverage container, according to the Aluminum Assn., Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Nearly 56 billion aluminum cans were recycled in 2010, leading to a used beverage container (UBC) recycling rate of 58.1%—the highest in 11 years. Because it takes 95% less energy to produce a can from recycled material, the high recycling rate also resulted in energy savings. The amount of energy saved just from recycling cans in 2010 is equal to the energy equivalent to 17 million barrels of crude oil, or nearly two days of all U.S. oil imports. Not only can cans be...
Ohio scrap processor Global Scrap Management Inc. (GSM) has invested about $3 million in an aluminum foundry that is expected to melt 4 million pounds of scrap per month. The new Altimet division melting operation is in a former Ford Motor Co. transmission plant in Batavia, Ohio, located a few miles from the company’s Milford, Ohio, base.
Demand for Novelis Inc's [NVLX.UL] aluminum products is growing globally, with consumption ranging from very strong in Asia to up -- if a bit less than forecast -- in the United States, despite some investors' fears that the economy may be slipping into recession. In a recent interview, Chief Executive Officer Phil Martens told Reuters he expects the uptrend to continue.
According to a study by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc, the market for non ferrous scrap metal copper, aluminum, lead, nickel, zinc and similar metals grew 28% to USD 40 billion in revenue last year. Products from electronic circuit boards to soda cans provide the raw materials which are resold primarily to steel smelters and metal fabricators worldwide. Mr Rick Weekly co owner of F&W Resources in Springfield said the resulting run up in copper and aluminum prices shows no signs of easing. He said that “The prices are at an all time high right now. It’s jumped again in the last couple of weeks.”
Japan Metal Bulletin reported that major secondary aluminum alloy makers around Tokyo try to slightly increase or leave selling price unchanged for August shipment. The price negotiation begins in next week.
The US aluminum industry purchased an estimated 684 million lb of aluminum scrap during April 2011, according to the US Geological Survey. Figures are up 14.4% over a year ago. USGS estimates that recovery of aluminum and aluminum alloys totaled 556 million lb in April, up 14.3%. Through the first four months of 2011, recovery of aluminum from scrap totaled an estimated 2.195 billion lb during 2011, up 13.5% over 2010. US exports of scrap, not included in the government's consumption statistics, totaled 1.385 billion lb, up 12% over last year.
Secondary aluminium alloy 226 prices remained unchanged this week in thin trading conditions, typical of the summer vacation period in Europe, sources said. "It's a quiet market," said a trader. Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the UK markets were said to be inactive this week because of summer holidays and factory shutdowns.
