Aluminium For Germany
South Korea’s aluminium foil imports hit five-year high at 57kt in YTD July 2026 as China drives 96% of new volume
South Korea’s aluminium foil market has entered a stronger phase in 2026, with imports reaching their highest level in five years. But the trade data points to a more specific shift beneath the headline growth: most of the additional aluminium foil entering South Korea is coming from China. South Korea imported 57,261.18 tonnes of aluminium foil from the world in YTD July 2026, up 23.94 per cent from 46,201.68 tonnes in YTD July 2025. Imports stood at 50,840.22 tonnes in YTD 2022, 43,145.18 tonnes in YTD 2023 and 47,238.94 tonnes in YTD 2024, before slipping to 46,201.68 tonnes in 2025, as per ITA. The return to growth is clear, but the supplier data reveals where that recovery is coming from. China supplies 92% of South Korea’s aluminium foil imports China supplied 52,751.81 tonnes of...
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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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 MOREGermany’s aluminium FRP consumption reaches 1.68 Mt as 2025 trade surplus tops $3.1 billion
AL Circle Analysis: Europe’s aluminium scrap curbs, India’s risk and US’s supply opportunity
German downstream aluminium exports fall 13% in H1 2026 but US enters top 5 with 228.1% import surge
Caustic soda plant setup in India: How aluminium growth is reshaping demand, costs and opportunities
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There is real tightness of aluminium in Europe, but it is a supply shock rather than a CBAM-driven deficit
Europe’s aluminium market is navigating a new carbon-cost reality as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters its definitive phase. Since 1 January 2026, the policy has brought fresh questions over import costs, domestic versus imported aluminium pricing, low-carbon premiums and changing procurement strategies. In search of these answers, AL Circle has engaged in a candid conversation with Nick Ogilvie, CBAM Lead at CarbonChain, in which he has unpacked how these dynamics are playing out in the market. He explains that while CBAM is designed to close the carbon-cost gap between EU-produced and imported aluminium on direct emissions, its pricing impact remains relatively modest. According to Ogilvie, the current tightness in European aluminium supply is being driven far...
European Aluminium premium hits $574/t as potential US tariff cut raises Canadian supply fears
European aluminium premiums have climbed to their highest level in almost four months as the market weighs the potential impact of lower US tariffs on Canadian aluminium supplies. The front-month COMEX European duty-paid aluminium premium rose 10 per cent to USD 574 per tonne on October 1, Thursday, according to LSEG data. The premium, which is paid on top of the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium price for physical metal, reached its highest level since June 8. Canadian metal flows drive European supply concerns The European premium has risen in recent weeks amid reports that the US could reduce its 50 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminium imports to 25 per cent. A lower tariff could make the US market more attractive to Canadian producers, potentially reducing the metal available to...
Germany’s next big aluminium recycling prospect lies in 600kt of solar PV waste
Germany is on track to generate over 600,000 tonnes of solar PV waste by 2030, creating a major recovery opportunity for aluminium and silver. A new study by the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) highlights the approximate raw-material value locked in the country’s installed solar fleet. At the same time, it identifies a key challenge of an efficient recovery of the trapped aluminium and silver. Germany had roughly 5.35 tonnes of PV modules installed by 2023, containing around 660,000 tonnes of aluminium and 3,900 tonnes of silver, with a combined value of about EUR 4.8 billion (USD 5.4 billion) at current prices. These figures have risen considerably since 2023 and would need to almost double by 2030 if Germany is to meet its solar deployment targets. However, turning...
5083 aluminium holds durable growth potential, but real demand will hinge on marine, transport and defence programmes
In an interview with AL Circle, Rafael Suchan, CEO and co-founder of Metycle, a vertically integrated secondary metals company headquartered in Cologne, Germany, has shared his thoughts on the European Union’s aluminium scrap sourcing strategy and the demand trends of scrap grades. According to Rafael, the EU must aim for more scrap sourcing options since the bloc’s tighter non-OECD waste-export rules may lead to scrap material leaving Europe. Regarding aluminium scrap grades in demand, UBC scrap, clean extrusion scrap and segregated sheet are the highest consuming grades. Upon asking about the growth opportunities of 5083 high-magnesium aluminium alloys, he further said the pace will follow actual marine, transport and defence programmes. Before co-founding Metycle, Rafael Suchan served...
Global aluminium industry gears up for ALUMINIUM 2026 in Düsseldorf with focus on recycling, innovation and demand
Four days to go, and the aluminium world is getting ready to move to Düsseldorf. From October 6-8, the city will host ALUMINIUM 2026 , with more than 800 exhibitors and partners and over 21,000 trade visitors expected at Messe Düsseldorf. The event will bring together producers, recyclers, downstream manufacturers, technology providers, equipment suppliers, policymakers and end users from across the global aluminium value chain. The 2026 edition comes at an important point for the aluminium industry. European producers are facing pressure from energy costs, international competition and tighter climate requirements, while concerns around raw material security and resilient supply chains continue to grow. At the same time, demand for aluminium is expanding across electric mobility,...
ABB to spotlight smarter, more efficient aluminium production at ALUMINIUM 2026
At ALUMINIUM 2026, taking place in Düsseldorf, October 6-8, ABB will showcase technologies designed to help aluminium producers improve process control, product quality and production efficiency. Visitors will be able to step inside a cold rolling mill through an immersive virtual reality experience to explore integrated automation, electrification, digital and measurement technologies in action. The showcase comes as aluminium producers face the dual challenge of meeting growing demand while reducing the environmental impact of production. The increasing shift towards secondary aluminium is creating new opportunities to decarbonize the industry, while maintaining precise process control remains critical. ABB will highlight AL-EMS electromagnetic stirring technology and its metallurgical...
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