Aluminium Ingot
Aluminium ‘metal’ definition clarification: Why Indian Supreme Court’s 1981 ruling still stands strong
In the course of the aluminium trade, a metal and a product made from that metal may share the same material, but they do not necessarily share the same commercial identity. Over four decades ago, the Supreme Court of India drew this distinction in a ruling that continues to offer an interesting perspective on the aluminium value chain today. India’s tax framework has since moved from the earlier state-level sales tax regime to the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Yet, the underlying question raised by the 1981 verdict remains relevant to an industry where primary aluminium, flat-rolled products and extrusions serve different markets and applications. The judgment offers a historical lens through which to understand how aluminium ingots and billets came to be distinguished, for the purposes...
Vietnam’s Lam Dong bauxite-aluminium chain expands as alumina output hits 1Mt, ingot production begins
Vietnam’s Lam Dong province is expanding its bauxite-aluminium production chain, with alumina output rising in the first nine months of 2026 and the launch of the country’s first aluminium ingot production at Nhan Co Industrial Park in July. Lam Dong’s industrial production index (IIP) increased 12 per cent in the first nine months of 2026 from the same period last year. The bauxite mining industry grew 19 per cent, while processing and manufacturing increased 19.4 per cent. Alumina production rises as aluminium ingot production begins Alumina production in the province reached an estimated around 1 million tonnes in the first nine months, up 1.7 per cent year on year. Third-quarter production was around 380,000 tonnes, an increase of 9.3 per cent. Vietnam produced its first aluminium...
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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.
LEARN MOREA 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
AL Circle Analysis: From Guinea to Gulf, how bauxite, tariffs and logistics redraw aluminium map
India’s bauxite imports jump 129.5% in H1 2026: Quality gap, refinery expansion outpace 25Mt domestic output
News
Macro stagflation concerns combined with weak demand keep aluminium prices consolidating on a subdued note in the short term
SHFE aluminium was not open during the National Day holiday. On Oct 7, LME aluminium 3M opened at USD 3,140.5 per tonne, hit a high of USD 3,148 per tonne, a low of USD 3,101.5 per tonne, and closed at USD 3,125 per tonne, down USD 18.5 per tonne from the previous close, a decline of 0.59 per cent. Futures continued to consolidate on a weak note, with prices breaking below the 5/10/20/40/60-period moving averages. All moving averages exerted downward pressure, confirming a clear bearish trend. Trading volume during the session was 16,383 lots, with open interest at 567,000 lots, up 1,296 lots, driven mainly by bearish positioning. On the daily chart, the MACD death cross persisted, with DIFF below DEA and green bars maintained, indicating bearish momentum was still being released. US...
South China A00 aluminium ingot premium expected to ease from highs after national day holiday
In the final three trading days before the National Day holiday, the South China spot market stayed soft: aluminium prices continued to edge lower, the SHFE aluminium backwardation structure strengthened, and premiums over the next-month and far-month contracts were actually elevated. Ahead of the holiday, the willingness to cash out at the high basis was strong, and amid ongoing destocking, discount-priced cargoes still dominated spot circulation; demand was largely subdued, with only localized bargain-hunting replenishment and quite limited buying interest. On the whole, however, the high spot premium for aluminium ingots in South China remained largely intact. As of September 30, the SMM A00 aluminium (Foshan) spot premium over the 2610 contract stood at RMB 260 per tonne, still within...
China’s aluminium imports flat, exports slump; molten-metal shift keeps physical ingot tight despite 163,600 tonnes net inflow
According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China(GACC), China’s primary aluminium imports totalled 185,500 tonnes in August 2026, down 14.65 per cent year-on-year (YoY) and up just 0.16 per cent month-on-month (MoM). For January–August, cumulative imports reached 1.66 million tonnes, down 3.41 per cent YoY. August exports stood at 21,900 tonnes, down 14.53 per cent YoY and 30.48 per cent MoM. Cumulative exports for the first eight months were 167,500 tonnes, up 9.26 per cent YoY. Net imports in August came to 163,600 tonnes, down 14.67 per cent YoY but up 6.44 per cent MoM; the January–August cumulative net import total was 1.49 million tonnes, down 4.65 per cent YoY. In aggregate terms, August imports were essentially flat MoM while...
Inventory changes of aluminium ingots and billets around the 2026 National Day
According to SMM statistics, changes in aluminium ingot and aluminium billet (collectively referred to as aluminium inventory) inventories in major consumption areas in China around the National Day holiday, 2020-2026: overall destocking before the holiday, with the most concentrated inventory buildup during the holiday. During the one-week National Day holiday from 2020 to 2025, aluminium ingots, aluminium billets, and total aluminium inventory all saw inventory buildup (aluminium ingots up 4.0 per cent -17.3 per cent, aluminium billets up 12.7 per cent -66.0 per cent, total aluminium inventory up 6.9 per cent -21.2 per cent ). In the second week after the holiday, aluminium ingots did not see further inventory buildup except in 2021, while aluminium billets destocked in all six years....
PMI recovers in peak season with structural divergence; macro pressure combined with pre-holiday adjustment dominates market
Futures: The most-traded SHFE aluminium contract opened at RMB 23,895 per tonne in the night session on September 29, reached a high of RMB 23,960 per tonne and a low of RMB 23,845 per tonne, and closed at RMB 23,910 per tonne, down RMB 110 per tonne or 0.46 per cent from the previous close. Futures came under pressure and weakened, with prices falling below the 5/10/20/40/60 moving averages across all timeframes. All moving averages turned downward, and bearish pressure was evident. Trading volume during the session was 57,873 lots, with open interest at 267,000 lots, up 1,187 lots, driven mainly by bearish position building. On the technical front, the 4-hour MACD death cross continued, with DIFF well below DEA and the green histogram expanding further, as bearish momentum continued to...
Aluminium prices consolidate ahead of National Day holiday; watch for post-holiday inventory buildup and concentrated arrivals risks
1. Macro perspective The US-Iran conflict entered its second week. After the escort coalition intervened, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz partially recovered, but war risk insurance rates remained elevated. Brent crude pulled back from a high of USD 101 to consolidate around USD 95, with energy cost support weakening from earlier levels but not yet fading. The US Fed delivered a 25bp rate hike at its September FOMC meeting, and the dot plot indicated one more hike may still occur this year. Chair Warsh struck a hawkish tone in his post-meeting remarks, and the US dollar index held at a 13-month high. Next week, attention turns to China's official PMI on September 30, as well as US PCE and non-farm payrolls data during the National Day holiday—with China's market closed for seven days...
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