Australia
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...
WEEKLY: Bauxite stays flat as shipping costs jump; China ports pile up stock, demand stays soft
Last week, domestic ore prices remained generally stable. The supply side of domestic ore showed a continuous tightening trend, driving some traders and alumina refineries to purchase Turkish ore for blending purposes. Factories in Shanxi and Henan regions hope to further increase the usage of imported ore to ensure production. Mysteel expects domestic ore prices to have a slight upside room in the short term. Regarding imported ore, according to Mysteel’s research, a large mine in Guinea significantly raised its October quotation. With FOB prices remaining stable, ocean freight increased by US USD 3.5 per tonne to US USD 36 per tonne. Combined with oil price adjustments, the CIF price to major northern Chinese ports may exceed US USD 78 per dry tonne. Currently, refineries have shown...
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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 MOREWho’s holding up Germany’s aluminium game? Meet EGA, Hydro and Constellium
Germany’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
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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...
AL Circle Analysis: Bauxite developments, alumina trade & primary aluminium market dynamics across Australia, Guinea, US & India
The aluminium industry is entering another phase of supply-chain repositioning. Across bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium, companies are investing in new resources, consolidating strategic assets and expanding processing capacity, while governments are increasingly treating domestic supply as a strategic priority. The latest developments from Australia, Guyana, Guinea, Indonesia, the US and India point to a market where resource security, processing location and control over supply chains are becoming as important as production growth. At the same time, new trading mechanisms and changing investment patterns are beginning to influence how aluminium and its raw materials reach the market. Bauxite supply expands, but securing the right tonnes is becoming harder In Western Australia, VBX...
VBX raises $5m to expand Wuudagu bauxite project DFS as thyssenkrupp offtake deal ends
VBX is reshaping the development strategy for its Wuudagu bauxite project, in Western Australia raising AUD 7 million (USD 5 million) to advance its definitive feasibility study (DFS) while ending an indicative prepayment and offtake deal with thyssenkrupp Materials Trading Asia (TKMTA). The Wuudagu bauxite DFS is now expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, later than the previously targeted second half of 2026. VBX said the additional time and funding will allow it to incorporate cost and schedule improvements identified by preferred contractors and potential project partners. The funding package comprises AUD 4.5 million (USD 3.2 million) in firm commitments from new and existing strategic and institutional investors at AUD 0.64 (USD 0.46) per share, along with the...
Alcoa advances 10-year gas supply deal with USD 1.5m Equus funding in Western Australia
Alcoa has approved USD 1.5 million in funding for Equus Energy’s gas project in Western Australia, allowing the company to move into the second phase of development and begin work to secure key project partners. The funding will support partnering activities as Equus seeks operating, LNG offtake, infrastructure and financing partners needed to advance the project toward front-end engineering design (FEED) and a final investment decision (FID). The Stage Two approval follows Alcoa’s acceptance of the project’s Stage One pre-FEED deliverables. It also comes after Equus signed a binding 10-year gas sales agreement with Alcoa in August. Equus said it has already started discussions with several strategic operating partners, which are reviewing the findings from the pre-FEED work. To learn...
Metro Mining ships 756,000 WMT of bauxite in August as Ikamba returns to full strength
Metro Mining has ramped up bauxite shipments from its Bauxite Hills Mine in Cape York, Far North Queensland, after its offshore floating terminal Ikamba returned to full strength in late July. The Australian bauxite producer shipped 756,000 wet metric tonnes (WMT) of bauxite in August 2026, marking an 8 per cent increase from July, according to its September 16 operational and marketing update. The August performance also put the spotlight on Ikamba’s ability to operate independently. With the offshore floating terminal back at full capacity, it handled the month’s shipments without the contribution of the TSA Skardon, which was undergoing dry-docking. The TSA Skardon has now completed its dry-docking and is scheduled to return to site in mid-September, just as shipping conditions are...
H1 2026 sees more renewable energy than ever: Here’s a region-by-region guide to renewable energy supply in the recent past
In the first half of 2025, humanity generated more electricity from renewables than from coal for the first time ever. What led to it? It was possible only because of two decades of falling solar panel prices, taller wind turbines, and governments finally treating clean power like an economic opportunity instead of a favour to the planet. But the renewable energy scenario cannot be portrayed as a single global story. To get the full picture, one has to connect dozens of regional stories moving at wildly different speeds. Some countries are already powered almost entirely by sun, wind and water. Others are still warming up. Here is a tour of how renewable energy supply looks across the world’s regions right now, and who is actually leading the charge. The global scorecard: Renewable energy...
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