Major aluminium producers have offered Japanese buyers premiums of USD 310-325 per tonne for primary aluminium shipments in the October-December quarter. The bar is 18-22 per cent lower than the USD 395 per tonne premium agreed for the current July-September quarter. The premium paid by Japanese...
Asia’s alumina exports entered 2026 on a strong footing, with shipments to global markets reaching 7.05 million tonnes worth USD 2.76 billion in H1 2026 , up 27.36 per cent year-on-year . The sharp rise in H1 was driven by a quarter-on-quarter surge by a considerable margin. This indicates an...
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Japan has confirmed the discovery of rare–earth–bearing sediments in 6,000-metre-deep seabed zones, following a targeted expedition aimed at reducing reliance on China for critical minerals. Officials say the operation marks the world’s first attempt to recover rare earth resources from such...
The 2026 SMM GRMI (3rd) Global Renewable Metals Industry Summit (GRMI2026) will be held in Japan this May. Organised by Shanghai Metals Market, GRMI2026 will gather 600+ delegates in Tokyo from May 11 to 12, 2026. Background of #GRMI2026 Against the backdrop of the global trend toward sustainable...
A single smelter has had immense impact on the global trade scenario. Mozal’s closure hit the CBAM impacted nations, tightened the global aluminium supply chain scenario and now is influencing the Japan’s Q1 2026 aluminium premium with around a 127 per cent hike quarter-on-quarter. After a year of...
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central), operator of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka, is recycling retired bullet train cars into high-purity aluminium alloys for reuse across transport infrastructure and consumer products. Instead of treating old rolling stock as scrap, the operator...
Paragon Union Bhd made a partnership with Asahi Seiren Co., Ltd., which is the largest secondary aluminium producer in Japan. This partnership is all about grabbing the growth opportunities in the booming global recycled aluminium market, which is currently valued at over USD 160 billion. The...
Japan’s aluminium inventories at its main ports (Yokohama, Nagoya, and Osaka) fell slightly in November 2025, hinting at some relief from recent tightness. Total stocks were 312,100 tonnes in November, down 5.2 per cent from October’s 329,100 tonnes, but still 9.2 per cent higher than the 285,800...
While aluminium is being valued for its top-notch recyclability and strength, prolonged exposure to heat causes conventional aluminium alloys to lose strength, limiting their use in engines, turbines, and aerospace systems. However, this long-standing limitation is addressed by a research team of...
Q1 2026 Japan MJP (main ports) aluminium ingot premium is expected to rebound from the low of USD 86 per tonne in Q4 2025, with the centre rising. The core logic stems from tightening supply in Asia triggered by the restructuring of global aluminium trade flows, coupled with catalysts from European...
A new strategic agreement has emerged between Wheels India Limited and Tokyo's Topy Industries via the Technical Assistance Agreement. The main aim of this agreement is to boost Wheels India's designs, development and manufacturing skills in the aluminium alloy wheels market. Toby Industries, as...
Japan’s aluminium market may be heading into a much firmer pricing environment next year, with Marubeni Corp signalling that buyers could be paying USD 85 to USD 203 per tonne in premiums through 2026. The trading company expects international price strength to divert metal away from Asia,...
Cartier’s refreshed presence in Tokyo’s Ginza district now arrives with a markedly softer note, after Klein Dytham Architecture reimagined the store’s frontage with sweeping aluminium forms that recall the movement of a wedding dress. In an area monopolised by rigid vertical lines and tightly...
SUS Corporation, a leading producer of aluminium profiles in Japan, have recently launched the t2-01 aluminium unit house. This is a new type of 4R architecture that uses sustainability norms within its manufacturing protocol. The four “R” of 4R stands for - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Remain. The...
After the energy crisis in the 1970s, Japan's aluminium industry rapidly contracted, with annual capacity shrinking from a peak of 1.5 million tonnes to less than 10,000 tonnes per year. Japan's aluminium supply relies mainly on imports, with the majority of its aluminium demand being met through...
The price of Japanese aluminium ingots has noted a 0.3 per cent increase in its price in late October 2025, mainly owing to the fact that the value of the Japanese yen (JPY) has depreciated against the rising dollar. Although the price has increased, the market still faces a downward trend as...
Evonik has launched Alu5, the business’s first fumed alumina manufacturing plant in Yokkaichi, Japan. It is a remarkable step forward for the company’s expansion across Asia, strengthening its ability to deliver high-quality aluminium oxide solutions for a wide range of industrial applications. The...
The global aluminium and bauxite markets are currently experiencing a wave of volatility and changing dynamics. Bauxite is starting to carve out a significant place in international trade, challenging the long-held supremacy of iron ore. Meanwhile, India and China are at the forefront of...
In late October 2025, the quarterly surcharge for imported primary aluminium into Japan was assessed at USD 86 per tonne (CIF main Japanese ports, P1020/P1020A ingot) by S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts) — a 20.4 per cent drop from the Q3 figure of USD 108 per tonne. The decline, which came...
Japan plays a vital role as a major aluminium importer in Asia; with the premiums it negotiates each quarter over the LME cash prices acting as a regional standard. However, it's rare for these negotiations to drag on for several weeks after the start of the quarter. The quarterly pricing talks...
