Alumina Trade
Ghana’s bauxite bottleneck: President Mahama courts investors for missing alumina refinery
Ghana is seeking investors to establish an alumina refinery, aiming to close a gap in its bauxite-to-aluminium production chain as the country prepares to phase out raw mineral ore exports by 2030. President John Dramani Mahama has identified the absence of domestic alumina refining as a key obstacle to retaining more value from the country’s mineral resources. Speaking during a panel discussion at the 2026 Financial Times Africa Summit on October 21, Mahama said Ghana could no longer rely on exporting raw materials while importing finished products. The government wants more processing to take place locally, creating jobs and expanding industrial activity. “We cannot continue forever to be the exporter of raw materials to the rest of the world and consumers of finished products,” Mahama...
Aughinish Alumina dodges proposed EU sanctions as 22nd Russia package takes shape
Aughinish Alumina, the Rusal-owned refinery in County Limerick and one of Ireland’s major industrial employers, remains outside the European Commission’s draft 22nd sanctions package against Russia, although pressure to restrict its alumina exports continues. However, the position could change as the European Commission consults EU member states on the proposed measures. Confidential discussions involving Commission officials and senior diplomats from all 27 member states are expected to take place over the coming weeks to assess support for the proposals and consider possible amendments. Alumina export restrictions remain under consideration The debate centres on Aughinish Alumina’s shipments to Russia, where the raw material is processed into aluminium at smelters owned by Rusal....
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15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
SMM AICE 2026 Southeast Asia Aluminum Conference
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
SMM AICE 2026 Southeast Asia Aluminum Conference
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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.
LEARN MOREGlobal EV sales to hit 35.4 million by 2030, with aluminium usage forecast to rise 38% in North America & 79% in China
AL Circle analysis: How do Germany’s 32.8% automotive aluminium share, 40% Diet Coke can price rise & 3.54Mt North American extrusion demand matter?
AL Circle Analysis: Guinea’s 150Mt bauxite cap, China’s import swings, US tariffs draw aluminium Q4’26
EU approves Germany’s power relief instrument: Could aluminium producers save €459m annually?
North America’s aluminum extrusion demand set to reach 3.54Mt by 2035: The end-use sectors behind the climb
News
WEEKLY: China alumina slips again as stocks rise; RMB 2,500-2,620/tonne seen near term
Domestic alumina spot prices edged lower last week, though trading activity picked up modestly. On the supply side, China's operating alumina capacity stood at around 98.9 million tonnes per year recently. One Guangxi refinery with a normal run rate of 2.3 million tonnes per year curtailed another production line, bringing current operating capacity down to 1 million tonnes per year. Separately, a newly commissioned alumina project in Guangxi has begun shipping finished product. The plant started feeding on September 21 and is now in a phase of quality optimisation and ramp-up, targeting full production next month at around 2 million tonnes per year. With industry margins compressing further, higher-cost operators face mounting pressure; coupled with recent weather-related disruptions in...
Vietnam in focus: IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026 to unite global aluminium industry leaders
The global bauxite, alumina and aluminium industry will converge in Hanoi on 28–29 October 2026 for the 15 th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition (IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026) , organized by the International Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminium Society (IBAAS) in association with VFMSTA. Hosted at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the two-day international gathering will bring together industry professionals, engineering companies, technology providers, researchers and business leaders to exchange technical knowledge, explore emerging opportunities and strengthen international cooperation across the aluminium value chain. The conference marks an important milestone in IBAAS's international engagement, bringing its established industry platform to Vietnam and...
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...
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...
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