Alumina Trade
Australia’s alumina exports fall 9.46% despite China’s 19-fold import surge, with shipments to Indonesia & Oman also rising
Australia, one of the world’s major alumina production and export hubs, witnessed a significant shift in its trade flows in the first half (H1) of 2026. Although the country’s total alumina exports declined, shipments to China surged nearly 19-fold, making it Australia’s one of the largest export destinations. Meanwhile, exports to the UAE and South Africa fell, while Indonesia and Oman recorded increases. Australia exported 6.7 million tonnes of alumina worldwide in H1 2026, down 9.46 per cent from 7.4 million tonnes in H1 2025. Compared with 7.5 million tonnes in H1 2024, exports declined by 800,000 tonnes, or 10.67 per cent, over two years. The contrasting performance across major destinations highlights how Middle East shipping disruptions, changes in aluminium production requirements...
Hindalco’s digital alumina tender tests a new route to price discovery
With only 10 per cent of globally traded alumina changing hands on the spot market, Hindalco is moving its tenders online in an effort to strengthen the evidence behind benchmark prices. For a commodity market where a relatively small number of transactions can influence prices across a much larger pool of long-term contracts, the quality of the underlying data matters. That is the challenge facing alumina, and Hindalco is now testing whether digital trading infrastructure can help address it. Hindalco is expected to conduct its first digital tender for metallurgical-grade alumina on Metalshub before the end of 2026. The physical cargo sold through the tender may be only part of the significance of the transaction. The more important outcome could be the structured market data generated...
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15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
India Mining Week 2026
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
India Mining Week 2026
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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AL Circle Analysis: US scrap imports hit 580kt as China slips 3.2%, who drives aluminium recycling?
A should-cost analysis of an aluminium tower furnace in India: Comparing the economics of LPG, PNG, and electric energy sources
Germany’s construction aluminium demand falls 12%, but 2027 recovery and recycling offer fresh growth prospects
AL Circle analysis: Germany’s aluminium trade surplus, Novelis’ US expansion, Asia’s EV demand & India’s underutilised downstream capacity
News
US alumina imports reach 712kt in H1 2026, up 2.7% despite Q2 decline
Alumina imports in the United States increased in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, although imports fell sharply in the second quarter. Total imports reached 712,000 tonnes in H1 2026, up 2.7 per cent from 693,000 tonnes in H1 2025. The H1 2024 total was 495,000 tonnes. Imports in Q1 2026 reached 446,000 tonnes, up 32 per cent from 337,000 tonnes in Q1 2025. However, imports dropped to 266,000 tonnes in Q2 (a 25 per cent decline) from 356,000 tonnes in the same quarter a year earlier. Brazil remains the largest supplier Brazil remained the largest exporter of alumina to the US during the period covered by the data. Its shipments reached 568,000 tonnes in H1 2026, around 5 per cent increase from 542,000 tonnes in H1 2025. In H1 2024, Brazil supplied 430,000...
Germany’s aluminium FRP consumption reaches 1.68 Mt as 2025 trade surplus tops $3.1 billion
Germany’s aluminium flat-rolled products (FRP) market is revealing a striking disconnect between its shrinking primary aluminium base and its still substantial downstream manufacturing capacity. Estimated German FRP consumption reached 1.68 million tonnes in 2025, up from approximately 1.66 million tonnes in 2024, even as domestic primary aluminium production had fallen sharply in previous years. The latest trade data add another layer to the picture. Germany’s combined imports of aluminium plates, sheets and strip above 0.2 mm (CN 7606) and aluminium foil of 0.2 mm or less (CN 7607) reached approximately USD 5.04 billion in 2025, while exports climbed to USD 8.18 billion. That left a combined trade surplus of about USD 3.14 billion across the two FRP categories. Germany remains a net...
Hindalco moves alumina tenders to Metalshub in push for greater price transparency
Hindalco Industries is moving to structured digital tenders for spot sales of metallurgical-grade alumina in a bid to improve transparency, broaden market participation and strengthen price discovery in the global alumina market. The company is partnering with Metalshub for the initiative through its subsidiary Utkal Alumina International. The move comes as the alumina market continues to lack the transparent, transaction-based pricing mechanism available for aluminium. Hindalco said only around 10 per cent of the 55–60 million tonnes of alumina traded globally each year in the third-party market is sold through spot transactions, even though those sales can influence benchmark prices for a much larger volume of long-term contracts. Hindalco moves alumina spot sales to digital bidding...
WEEKLY: Alumina prices hold steady as new supply grows; holiday demand slow, market turns bearish
Last week, domestic spot alumina prices continued to adjust sideways with relatively low trading activity. On the supply side, domestic alumina operating capacity recently reached approximately 100.9 million tonnes per year, setting a new high for the year. A newly commissioned alumina plant in Guangxi officially commenced feeding raw materials last Monday, with a total planned capacity of 2 million tonnes per year. On the cost side, prices of domestic bauxite remained stable last week, with the market relatively subdued. Regarding imported bauxite, elevated ocean freight rates continued to constrain shipments of spot cargoes from Guinea. The spot market was quiet over the past week, with scarce offers from mines and traders, and quoted prices showing a slight upward trend. The stability...
Alumina turns to net exports in August; net export pattern expected to widen further in September
I. Total volume: Monthly pattern shifts from net import to net export According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs of China, from January to August 2026, China's cumulative alumina imports reached 2.994 million tonnes, up more than fivefold year-on-year; cumulative exports totalled 2.339 million tonnes, up about 33 per cent year-on-year; cumulative net imports stood at 654,000 tonnes, narrowing from 729,000 tonnes in January–July. Although the net import pattern persists, the scale of net imports has continued to shrink, further easing the impact of imports on the domestic market. On a monthly basis, China imported 349,500 tonnes of alumina and exported 425,000 tonnes in August, resulting in net exports of 75,500 tonnes — the first shift from net imports to net...
Impact Minerals funds the next phase of high-purity alumina development with $1.56m capital raise
Impact Minerals Limited has raised approximately AUD 2.2 million (USD 1.56 million) before costs through a renounceable rights issue, providing additional funding to advance its two high-purity alumina projects in Australia. The company issued nearly 69 million new shares and approximately 46 million options under the capital raising, which was launched in August. Impact Minerals said the offer received strong participation from existing shareholders, including full take-up by its major German family office investor. Any remaining shortfall shares may be placed within three months, subject to the allocation policy outlined in the offer. Funding targets pilot and customer qualification work The fresh capital will support development of Impact Minerals’ Lake Hope and Alluminous high-purity...
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