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...
Grow with
AL Circle
U.S. seeks to fund Alcoa's bet on automotive aluminum
The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed lending money to Alcoa Inc. to expand aluminum production at a Tennessee factory, setting the stage for the first loan to a supplier under a dormant $25 billion fund. The loan would help the largest U.S. aluminum producer expand a 100-year-old factory in...
Rio Tinto appoints new chief executive of Aluminium business
Rio Tinto has appointed Alfredo Barrios as chief executive of its Aluminium business. He will succeed Jacynthe Cote who will leave the business for personal reasons to pursue other interests. Alfredo will assume the role on 1 June 2014 and join the Executive Committee on this date. He will be based...
Kobe Steel & Toyota Tsusho plans to start aluminium plant in U.S
Kobe Steel Ltd. said it is planning to start a joint venture for constructing an aluminium steel plant in U.S with Toyota Tsusho Corp., the Japanese trading house. This decision shows the increasing demand for aluminium sheet in autoparts in U.S due to tighter fuel regulations. The two companies...
Aluminum Association updates on Aluminum shipments in the US and Canada
Preliminary estimates indicate that aluminum demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) totaled an estimated 6,149 million pounds during the first three months of 2014, down one-tenth of one percent from a year ago. Aluminum net shipments (including...
AAC encourages the use of aluminium in Construction & Infrastructure
The subjects of construction, architecture and design will be front and centre in numerous discussions during the Canadian International Aluminium Conference (CIAC) which is to take place in Montreal, June 2-4. Among the numerous expert panels presented during the event, two will focus specifically...
Hindalco's US subsidiary will pay a dividend of $250 M to its parent company
Hindalco's US subsidiary Novelis will play a significant role in reducing the parent's massive debt going forward as it trims its capital expenditure and generates cash on the back of better sales volume. Novelis, the world's biggest maker of flat-rolled aluminum used to make beverage cans, decided...
Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld named Platts CEO of the year as company transformation accelerates
Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld was named CEO of the Year at the 2014 Platts Global Metals Awards ceremony held today in London. The recognition caps off a transformational year for Alcoa, as it pivots from a commodity-centric focus to become a diversified lightweight...
Analysis continues on aluminum plant : Oliver Chi
Analysis continues on the proposed Barstow Aluminum Plant, according to Assistant City Manager Oliver Chi, who said the city and developer will be in a better position next month to provide more details. Chi said consultants for Orange County-based Scuderia Development have been meeting with city...
Boeing Honors Taber with performance excellence award
Taber Extrusions LLC, the industry leader in large press aluminum extrusions, is the proud recipient of the Boeing Performance Excellence Award (BPEA) for 2013. Taber received this award based on a twelve-month period with 100% on-time delivery and a 100% quality rating. For 2013, Boeing recognized...
CRL-U.S. Aluminum expands commercial door stocking program
The new Stocking Program for CRL-U.S. Aluminum Standard Doors and Frames now provides immediate availability for the most popular standard door options. C.R. Laurence is committed to designing, engineering, and manufacturing quality products that the architectural and glazing communities can trust....
Alcoa and union at U.S. plants still remain divided in their key decisions
Negotiations with the unionized workers at 10 U.S plants and Alcoa Inc. did not reach a conclusion as there were many divided opinions regarding wages as well as increase in healthcare premiums. The union said this before a day of the expiry of the labor contract. According to sources, 4 local...
Orbite appoints HPA plant manager
Orbite Aluminae Inc. announced today it has filled a key position at its Cap-Chat HPA production plant with the hiring of Mr. Bruno Bibeau as Plant Manager. In a career spanning over 30 years, Mr. Bibeau has developed a deep expertise and successful track record in technical operations and plant...
Aluminum Association updates on downstream market in North America
Aluminum prices had their ups and downs this week. The LME cash price rose $40/mt to its mid-week peak of $1,758/mt only to retreat to $1,732/mt at week’s end. Estimated shipments of Extruded Products by U.S. and Canadian producers totaled 1,090 million pounds in the first quarter of 2014, up 6.7...
Aluminum Association updates on primary aluminum production in North America
The Aluminum Association, in cooperation with the Aluminum Association of Canada, reported primary aluminum production in North America (U.S. and Canada) was at an annual rate of 4,626,898 tonnes during April 2014, down 59,725 tpy (1.3%) from the previous month's rate of 4,686,624 tonnes. Compared...
CRL-U.S. Aluminum introduces new AVA15 aviation and transportation project portfolio
The new AVA15 Aviation and Transportation Portfolio provides architects, designers, and specifiers with scalable architectural solutions for large-scale commercial transportation projects. The new AVA15 Aviation and Transportation Portfolio highlights CRL-U.S. Aluminum's ability to provide the...
North American Aluminum new mill orders rose 0.32% in April ‘14
The statistics released by the Aluminum Association indicates that the new mill orders for the month of April 2014 have increased marginally by 0.32% over the previous month. The year-to-date new mill orders index is down 1.16%. New orders for plates were down in April when compared with March this...
Alcoa to supply aluminum to spirit AeroSystems
Alcoa officials have signed a long-term agreement to supply aluminum sheet to Spirit AeroSystems Inc., Wichita, Kan., in a contract valued at approximately $290 million over five years. On April 8, 2014, Alcoa increased its 2014 global aerospace growth expectation by one percentage point to 8% to...
Constellium and UACJ sign Joint Venture and select Bowling Green, Kentucky to produce Body-in-White aluminum sheet for automotive industry
Constellium N.V. and UACJ Corporation announced today that they have signed a Joint Venture Agreement to supply Body-in-White aluminum sheet to the North American automotive industry, following their January 2014 announcement of plans to collaborate in the North American Body-in-White market. The...
