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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Trump to take major action if aluminium and steel investigation results yield national concerns
<p>President Trump said in a Tweet that he was looking forward to the results of investigations into whether aluminium and steel imports were endangering national security. He also assured that the government would "take major action" if necessary.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img...
Secondary aluminium recovery in the U.S. up in Q1 2017
<p>According to the latest aluminium recycling statistics published by the U.S. Geological Survey and Department of Interior, the U.S. aluminium industry purchased an estimated 4,14,500 tonnes of aluminium scrap during March 2017, up 7.1% YoY. </p> <p><img style="vertical-align: middle;"...
Aluminium demand in North America up in March and through Q1 2017
<p>According to the preliminary estimates from Aluminum Association, aluminium demand in the United States and Canada (shipments by domestic producers plus imports) stood at an estimated 6,798 million pounds for Q1 2017, up 3.3percent over the same period of 2016. Demand for semi-fabricated...
ABx is selling into the strengthening cement & fertiliser markets until Chinese demand recovers
<p>Current trends in the metallurgical grade Chinese markets are encouraging and ABx is beginning to engage with potential customer refineries – but current prices still need to rise a bit yet.</p> <p>In the meantime, ABx will grow its bauxite business by supplying cement-grade bauxite for...
LeEco may ditch Electric Vehicle project in U.S.
<p>Early 2016, LeEco formed a U.S. subsidiary, Faraday Future, to build a $1 billion electric vehicle plant in Nevada and the company founder Jia Yueting continued to move forward with the plan despite the cash crunch.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="vertical-align: middle;"...
US Primary aluminium production in March 2017 up 11% MoM; but, down 19% YOY
<p>According to the recently published USGS Mineral Industry Survey for Aluminium in March 2017, domestic primary aluminium production in March 2017 was 63,000 tons, up 11% in comparison to February 2017, but down 19% YOY and 56% less than the production in March 2015. The average daily production...
Jilin Midas Aluminium Industries clinches 13 contracts worth RMB521m
<p>Midas Holdings subsidiary Jilin Midas Aluminium Industries has secured 13 PRC and international supply contracts. The new contracts are for the projects in Canada, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Holland, Germany and China. The combined value of these contracts is around RMB520.9...
Primary aluminium production in North America drops further in 2017
<p>The Aluminum Association, in cooperation with the Aluminium Association of Canada, reported that primary aluminium production in North America (U.S. and Canada) was at an annual rate of 3,965,579 tonnes during April 2017. This registers a drop of 11,897 tpy (-0.3%) from the March 2017 rate of...
Arconic completes Debt-For-Equity exchange of Alcoa Corporation common stock
<p>Arconic Inc. today announced the completion on May 4, 2017 of the exchange of its remaining 12,958,767 shares of common stock of Alcoa Corporation for $428,635,000 aggregate principal amount of Arconic debt held by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC. The...
U.S. aluminium sector to unite with Britain and EU against China
<p>According to a report by Reuters, the representatives of the U.S. aluminium industry are urging their EU counterparts to take action against “massive illegal subsidies" in China. The industry also wrote to British Prime Minister Theresa May regarding this matter. </p> <p><img...
Aluminium demand in North America up in the first two months of 2017
<p>According to preliminary estimates by the Aluminum Association aluminium demand in the United States and Canada that includes shipments by domestic producers and imports stood at an estimated 2.1 million tons for the first two months of 2017, up 2.0% over the same period of 2016. Demand for...
US aluminium scrap recovery up 2% in February
<p>According to aluminium recycling statistics published by the U.S. Geological Survey and Department of Interior, the U.S. aluminium industry purchased an estimated 763 million pounds of aluminum scrap during February 2017. This registers about 1.4% increase over the February 2016 total of 753...
Braidy Industries to build US$1.3 million-aluminium rolling plant in Kentucky
<p>The State of Delaware based Braidy Industries has announced a US$1.3 billion investment for a new aluminium rolling mill in Greenup County, Kentucky. The fully integrated facility is expected to be the most technically advanced aluminium rolling mill in the US.</p> <p>Braidy’s...
UPDATE: US President signs executive order on aluminium import
<p>The US President Donald Trump yesterday signed an executive order for investigating the impact of aluminium imports on U.S. national security as it considerably used in defence industry manufacturing. He asked Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to inspect the matter.</p> <p><img...
Imports have been flooding into the aluminium industry, says US Commerce Secretary
<p>The U.S. Commerce Department yesterday launched a probe into aluminium imports as it might be affecting U.S. national security. The investigation is alike to the one that was launched by the administration last week into steel.</p> <p><img style="vertical-align: middle; display: block;...
ITC primarily determines certain aluminium foil imports from China are harming US producers
<p>As an update on the anti-dumping case against China, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has primarily determined that certain aluminium foils imported unfairly from the People’s Republic of China are harming U.S. producers. This indicates further proceeding of the antidumping...
Streamlining business: Alcoa to consolidate global administrative locations
<p>The global minerals and metal major Alcoa Corporation today announced that it plans to consolidate its worldwide administrative locations in a bid to streamline its overall business and lower costs.</p> <p>Alcoa said that it will close its office in New York City and shift its global...
Total aluminium imports by US and Canada up 50% through the first two months of 2017
<p>As reported in the Aluminum Association’s “Index of Net New Orders of Aluminum Mill Products” for March increased 13.6% over February 2017.</p> <p>{newsStudioGallery}</p> <p>Month on month, orders for flat roll products (sheet, plate, can stock and foil) were up 14.7%, while...
