Trump-backed Oklahoma aluminium smelter faces a 60-day pause

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Oklahoma’s Inola City Council has approved a 60-day moratorium on the construction of the proposed aluminium smelter in Oklahoma, the US. Although strongly backed by US President Donald J. Trump, the verdict has temporarily put the high-profile project on hold as authorities assess concerns over its environmental impact and ownership structure.

The development marks the latest setback for the project, which has attracted national attention after receiving strong backing from former US President Donald Trump, who has described it as critical to America's manufacturing strength and national security.

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Council halts construction pending further review

The temporary suspension follows a heated public debate, with residents, industry supporters and local officials presenting sharply contrasting views on the proposed facility.

Supporters argued that expanding domestic aluminium production is essential for defence and industrial resilience.

"Yet none of these capabilities can exist without the foundational materials that build them. Aluminium is the backbone of our modern military," one supporter said during the council meeting.

Opponents, however, supported by residents such as Carl Day, who cited the example of Century Aluminum’s Kentucky smelter, warned about the project’s potential effects on agriculture, water resources and the local environment.

Foreign ownership and political angles

The proposed Oklahoma smelter is being developed by UAE-based state-owned Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), which holds a 60 per cent stake in the venture. Century Aluminum owns the remaining 40 per cent, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office.

The ownership structure has become a focal point in the debate, with critics questioning whether a strategically important US aluminium facility should be majority-controlled by a foreign state-owned enterprise.

Republican candidate and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a lawsuit seeking to pause the project’s progress.

Apart from citing environmental concerns and the effect on nearby farming activities in his petition, Drummond stated, "The controlling hand behind the largest smelter ever proposed on American soil belongs not to Oklahomans, nor even to Americans, but to a foreign sovereign more than 7,000 miles away."

Hence, the proposed smelter then emerged as a key issue in Oklahoma's gubernatorial race.

Drummond’s runoff opponent, Mike Mazzei, who has received Trump's endorsement, has publicly expressed support for the project, calling it an important investment for both the US economy and national security.

Trump also reiterated his support on Truth Social, describing the facility as a "magnificent, job-producing, desperately needed Aluminium Plant" and stressing that expanding domestic aluminium production is "all about National Security."

With the moratorium now in effect, construction will remain suspended for at least two months while city officials undertake further evaluation of the project's environmental, economic and regulatory implications.

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