AL Circle Analysis: Import rise meets demand growth on aluminium extrusion chessboard
Aluminium’s downstream trade network is getting more fragmented as import dependence, changing end-use demand and trade-policy interventions reshape regional markets. From North America and Europe to Asia-Pacific, the aluminium industry is navigating a market where access to supply, competitive...
US industrial policy needs to be systematic, not just ad hoc – Part 2
Our current approach can win economic skirmishes, but not the geopolitical conflict. – Part 2 Impact #5 of ad hoc industrial policy: Failing to use all required tools Industrial policy is often caricatured as just tariffs and subsidies. Mis-framed debates that evaluate the merits of tariffs in...
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Rexam trading in line with expectations with aluminium costs falling
Beverage can maker Rexam PLC on Tuesday said it is trading in line with expectations, with can volumes higher in the first quarter, boosted by a good performance in Europe but offset by softer conditions in the Middle East and North American markets and a slowdown in South America, though the group...
Century rejected a proposal for new labor deal at Hawesville, Kentucky, smelter
Century Aluminum rejected a proposal from unionized workers for a new labor deal at its Hawesville, Kentucky, smelter over the weekend, the United Steelworkers Local 9423 said in a post on its website. Century's rejection of the proposal places the two parties at a stalemate nearly one month after...
North American estimated aluminum demand up 2.9% YTD in February
Preliminary estimates indicate that aluminum demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an estimated 4,133 million pounds during the first two months of 2015, up 2.9 percent over a year ago. Demand for semi-fabricated (mill) products totaled 2,900...
Beck Aluminum Racine relocating, expanding in Mount Pleasant
Beck Aluminum Racine will relocate and expand to a former manufacturing plant at 7505 Durand Ave. and add 25 new jobs, the building owner has announced. Beck, 1349 23rd St., executed a long-term lease for the 192,000-square-foot building on Durand which was previously a Bosch Rexroth manufacturing...
Market flooded with non-standard aluminium shapes due to "cherry-picking'
Much of the aluminum currently available in the United States is of shapes and profiles that are less than ideal for U.S. fabricators, prompting traders to sell it at discounts and raising concerns about the availability of standard shapes. A high physical premium has attracted imports from abroad,...
Aluminum industry announces partnership with department of energy to expand workforce, improve technology
The Aluminum Association announced today a new partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) to increase the number of aluminum industry jobs in the United States and explore new, sustainable technologies to advance U.S. manufacturing. The DOE’s Aluminum Industry Jobs Partnership will identify...
Constellium to build second Body-in-White finishing line in the U.S. to meet increased automotive demand
Constellium N.V. announced today that it has decided to build a second Body-in-White (BiW) finishing line in North America to further support the growing demand for aluminium from the U.S. automotive industry. The investment is expected to reach $160 million and is part of the previously announced...
Kentucky mill outage hurts Novelis' aluminum can sheet business
Leading aluminum can sheet producer Novelis Inc lost business to competitors after a three-week outage at its U.S. joint venture rolling mill in January, a company executive told reporters on Wednesday. Vice President and General Manager Tom Boney said at a roundtable discussion that the outage at...
Global production of aluminium aerosol cans reaches new record in 2014
Despite the numerous trouble spots around the world and restrained economic growth in many areas, the production figures released by the international producers of aluminium aerosol cans have only been heading in one direction for years: upwards. The industry also reported positive results for...
Global Recycling leaders converge on Vancouver for industry’s largest gathering
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the Voice of the Recycling Industry™, will host its 2015 Convention and Exposition April 21-25 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in British Columbia, Canada. This annual event has become the largest convention of its kind, bringing together...
Ford trucks made with Alcoa aluminum get top safety ratings
The new Ford F-150, with an updated body made of aluminum from Alcoa, got a top safety rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Ford previously committed to changing the F-150 from a steel body to a 97% aluminum body, and the aluminum is provided by the Alcoa works in...
PSC sounds open to slight rate cut for Noranda
Several members of the Missouri Public Service Commission appear to be leaning toward a slight reduction in the electric bills of the state’s largest energy The PSC hopes to decide on Ameren Missouri’s request for a rate increase by the end of the month, after almost a year of scrutiny. Along with...
Shelbyville company to invest in press, expansion
Brazeway announced recently that it will invest in a new extrusion press and expansion in its Shelbyville facility. The move is designed to continue Brazeway’s leadership in the HVAC, refrigeration and automotive aluminum heat transfer markets. The press will be the largest extrusion press in North...
Alcoa reports quarterly business update
Alcoa reports business update for First Quarter 2015. On April 8, 2015, Alcoa reported strong 1Q15 profits, demonstrating that the Company’s strategy of building its value-add portfolio and creating a globally competitive commodity business is fully on track. The company also continued with...
North American Aluminum new mill orders surged 10% in March 2015
The statistics released by the Aluminum Association indicates that the new mill orders for the month of March 2015 have increased significantly by nearly 10% from the same month a year ago. The orders jumped 6.6% from Feb ’14 levels. The year-to-date new mill orders index was up by 7.0% in 2015....
Automotive piston market to grow six percent as aluminum dominates
Automotive pistons are in demand as vehicle production climbs, but the trend is not without its challenges as a there is a growing shift in popularity to electric cars and smaller engines with fewer cylinders per vehicle. Newer technology can leave engines like this inline 6-cylinder design in the...
Ohio scrap recycler receives loans to expand
American Recycling Services, (ARS), an Alliance, Ohio-based scrap recycling company, has been approved by the Alliance City Council for a $103,000 loan through the Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) program. The UDAG loan is part of a $257,000 loan package that includes a loan from Huntington...
Constellium unveils its newly expanded automotive structures facility in Van Buren, MI
Constellium N.V. today unveiled its newly expanded plant in Van Buren, Michigan. This state-of-the-art facility produces customized automotive structures and features advanced prototyping and development capabilities. The 210,000 square foot expansion project has doubled plant manufacturing...
