Aluminium Scrap Trade

EU plans aluminium scrap export ban on non-OECD countries; China, India in focus
07 SEPT 20262MINS

EU plans aluminium scrap export ban on non-OECD countries; China, India in focus

The European Union (EU) is preparing a broader restriction on aluminium scrap exports to non-Organisation for Economic Co-operation ‌and ⁠Development (OECD) countries, replacing an earlier trade proposal that would have covered only part of the bloc’s scrap flows. The move could largely impact international aluminium recycling trade, especially major Asian destinations such as China and India. As per an official statement released from the cabinet, EU Executive Vice-President Stephane Sejourne has “decided to withdraw the proposal and to explore a ​proposal, independent from trade instruments.” and is instead working on a delegated act under the Waste Shipment Regulation. The European Commission had initially been expected to introduce limited measures on September 23. However, “In the...

04 SEPT 20265MINS

Buying Indian secondary aluminium? Start with these seven verifications

Secondary aluminium is increasingly central to Europe’s decarbonisation plans. It is used in automotive castings, construction profiles, packaging and consumer goods and is valued because it can deliver similar mechanical properties to primary metal while requiring a fraction of the energy and emitting far less carbon dioxide. The European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) have made low-carbon aluminium a strategic priority. As India’s scrap aluminium imports have continued to rise, from 0.88 million tonnes in CY15 to nearly 2 million tonnes in CY25, with a long-term CAGR of about 8.6 per cent, stronger traceability and licensing requirements are becoming increasingly important across the secondary aluminium supply chain. For this...


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Why aluminium scrap grade matters when buying secondary aluminium in India
Bauxite03 SEPT 2026

Why aluminium scrap grade matters when buying secondary aluminium in India

India’s aluminium recycling sector has matured significantly over the past decade. Secondary aluminium, produced by remelting and refining scrap, now accounts for a growing share of the country’s total aluminium consumption. Recycling aluminium requires up to 95 per cent less energy than smelting primary metal from bauxite, and that energy advantage flows directly into pricing: secondary alloy ingots are consistently priced below equivalent primary material, often by a meaningful margin, without compromising performance for most industrial applications. The Indian market has a wide spread of recycled-aluminium suppliers, from fully integrated, ISO-certified recyclers operating multi-location facilities and supplying global customers, to informal remelters working from single furnaces...

India’s aluminium recyclers face a scrap-supply bottleneck
Recycled AL21 AUG 2026

India’s aluminium recyclers face a scrap-supply bottleneck

India’s rapidly expanding secondary aluminium industry is facing a shortage of domestic scrap, leaving recyclers dependent on overseas suppliers and vulnerable to changing trade policies in major exporting regions. Secondary aluminium production has increased from approximately 0.85 million tonnes in 2015–16 to nearly 2.2 million tonnes in 2025–26, according to industry estimates cited by the Material Recycling Association of India. The sector now supplies around 35 per cent of India’s aluminium consumption, but imports account for roughly 80 per cent-85 per cent of its scrap requirements. The imbalance is prompting recyclers and primary aluminium producers to push competing policy proposals on the 2.5 per cent basic customs duty applied to imported aluminium scrap. Domestic scrap cannot...

More US aluminium scrap heads to Asia amid domestic supply concerns
Recycled AL19 AUG 2026

More US aluminium scrap heads to Asia amid domestic supply concerns

The United States exported about 1.25 million tonnes of aluminium-bearing scrap in the first half of 2026, up 21 per cent from 1.03 million tonnes during the same period last year. The figures, based on US Census Bureau data cited by Davis Index, show that more recycled aluminium is leaving the country even as domestic producers and policymakers debate whether the material should be retained to support US supply chains. Thailand and India lead purchases Thailand was the largest destination for US aluminium scrap in the first six months of 2026, receiving 268,000 tonnes. India followed with 233,350 tonnes, while Malaysia, South Korea and Hong Kong rounded out the top five destinations with 160,700 tonnes, 139,500 tonnes and 136,200 tonnes respectively. All five markets increased their...

BMW Car2Car project raises aluminium recovery potential from 23% to 52%
Recycled AL12 AUG 2026

BMW Car2Car project raises aluminium recovery potential from 23% to 52%

The BMW Group and its consortium partners have demonstrated that a larger share of material recovered from end-of-life vehicles could return to new automotive applications, increasing the project’s “Car2Car rate” from 6 per cent to 51 per cent under expanded processing and sorting conditions. The rate, as defined by the project, measures the percentage of material from an end-of-life vehicle that can potentially be recovered at a quality suitable for reuse in new industrial applications. It does not mean that 51 per cent of every scrapped vehicle can currently be recycled into a new car under standard commercial conditions. The results are based on research and demonstration work conducted under optimised processing conditions. They show the potential of improved material separation,...

Aluminum Association applauds Trump administration action to secure critical materials supply chains
Recycled AL03 AUG 2026

Aluminum Association applauds Trump administration action to secure critical materials supply chains

The Aluminum Association today welcomed President Trump's memorandum calling for strengthened domestic supplies of recoverable critical minerals and materials. The memo directs the Commerce Secretary to take “all appropriate action under section 101 of the [Defense Production] Act” to “secure the supply of recoverable Critical Minerals and Materials.” Aluminium is one of only a handful of materials included on every government critical minerals list. The Aluminum Association has called for targeted scrap export controls to keep more of this vital material in the United States. Aluminium scrap exports are growing, and much of this metal is ending up with strategic rivals including China, either directly or through third-party countries. The association encourages the Commerce Department to...

Beyond buying and selling: How AL Biz Assisted Trade joins the aluminium value chain
Downstream31 JUL 2026

Beyond buying and selling: How AL Biz Assisted Trade joins the aluminium value chain

The aluminium industry is one of the most interconnected global supply chains, spanning bauxite miners, alumina refineries, smelters, recyclers, fabricators, traders and end-users. While each segment plays a critical role, businesses often operate with limited visibility in the market whenever the need arises to go beyond their immediate network, either for finding a new raw material source, reaching a global buyer or improving production efficiency. This is where a digital B2B marketplace is an important link in the aluminium ecosystem. Enter AL Biz , the digital integrated B2B marketplace for the aluminium value chain. Through its global platform, AL Biz brings together producers, suppliers, traders and buyers across the entire value chain, i.e., from bauxite and primary aluminium to...

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