Downstream Aluminium Market
Demand is flying, but margins aren't: Kaiser Aluminum’s Q3 dilemma
Kaiser Aluminum is seeing stronger demand across aerospace, defence, packaging and semiconductor-related markets, with customer bookings extending into 2027. However, the aluminium producer’s latest results highlight a challenge: converting rising shipments and record conversion revenue into stronger profitability as planned outages, lower scrap utilisation and startup costs weigh on margins. The company reported third-quarter 2026 shipments of 300 million pounds, up from 270 million pounds in the same period last year, while conversion revenue climbed 25 per cent year-on-year to a record USD 439 million from USD 351 million. Net sales reached USD 1.21 billion. Despite the growth, adjusted EBITDA increased by only USD 3 million year-on-year to USD 84 million. A USD 29 million unfavourable...
Aluminium Processing Rate Steady at 61.7% as Peak Season Ends
This week, the operating rate of leading downstream aluminium processors in China held steady M-o-M at 61.7 per cent. Overall industry production remained stable, but internal divergence intensified, with initial signs of a shift from peak season to off-season emerging. The operating rate of primary aluminium alloy producers edged up 0.4 percentage points to 60.6 per cent, driven by a M-o-M increase in wheel hub exports in September and growth in automobile production. Downstream demand showed a mild recovery, and the lower aluminium price center helped slightly repair market sentiment, though actual transactions remained sluggish, with enterprises maintaining production schedules aligned with long-term contracts. The operating rate of aluminium plate per sheet and strip producers held...
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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
Aluminium profile exports remained at a high level in September, with a downward shift expected in the fourth quarter
According to customs data, aluminium profile exports from China in September 2026 totalled 92,700 tonnes, up 0.2 per cent month-on-month and 26.5 per cent year-on-year. Total exports for January-September reached 722,300 tonnes, up 10.7 per cent year-on-year. September exports set a new monthly high for 2026. Aluminium profile exports have moved from a recovery phase in the second quarter to a high plateau: the total volume has remained around 90,000 tonnes for three consecutive months. By province, September was characterised by generally stable volumes, but noticeable shifts in the regional structure. Among the traditional production centres, Guangdong exported 42,600 t (45.9 per cent), an increase of 200 t, or 0.4 per cent m/m – virtually unchanged. Shandong maintained above 12,000 t...
Aluminium safety workshop trains 120+ workers as US industry targets stronger domestic supply chains
The US aluminum industry is placing renewed emphasis on workforce safety, domestic production, and material recovery, with the Aluminum Association’s sold-out Casthouse Safety Workshop in Charlotte, North Carolina, highlighting the importance of safe molten aluminum handling. The program trained more than 120 industry workers and has been running for over 30 years, with the Association describing it as a global benchmark for casthouse operators and supervisors. The workshop comes as the industry continues to focus on strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities and supply chains. Alongside workforce training, the Aluminum Association has called for bipartisan permitting reform to accelerate investment in US aluminum production, arguing that faster approvals could help unlock the...
Canada wants to keep its aluminium at home, starting with rolling mills
Canada is looking to expand its domestic aluminium processing capacity as the government seeks to reduce the sector’s dependence on the United States. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has described more than USD 193 million in federal funding for projects at five industrial sites in Quebec as a first step towards strengthening the country’s aluminium supply chain and building the capacity to process more metal at home. The funding, announced in La Baie, Quebec, covers projects at four Rio Tinto facilities in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region and the Alouette aluminium smelter in Sept-Îles. Joly, who also serves as the minister responsible for economic development in Quebec, said the investment reflects the strategic importance of aluminium to Canada’s economy and national sovereignty. The...
CBM urges UK-EU agreement to protect aluminium, steel and automotive supply chains
The Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) has called for closer UK-EU relations, warning that proposed European industrial policies could affect British manufacturers supplying the aluminium, steel and automotive industries. Stephen Morley, CBM President and Chair of the Euroforge Automotive Sector, made the call at the organisation's autumn meeting in Munich. He said stronger cooperation between the UK and EU was important for protecting manufacturing jobs, investment and cross-border supply chains. He stated, “ We need to protect British industry, but we also need to recognise that the UK and European automotive sectors are deeply connected. What damages one part of the supply chain will inevitably affect the other. ” Join the fourth edition of webinar " Hedging for recyclers -...
More revenue, less aluminium: Profilgruppen’s Q3 numbers tell two stories
Profilgruppen reported a 14 per cent increase in third-quarter revenue to SEK 567.6 million (USD57.12 million), but the rise was driven mainly by higher metal prices rather than stronger demand. The Swedish aluminium profile producer delivered 6,850 metric tonnes of aluminium profiles during Q3 2026, down 6.8 per cent from 7,350 tonnes in the same period last year. Despite the higher revenue, operating profit under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) edged down 1.7 per cent to SEK 28.6 million (USD 2.88 million) from SEK 29.1 million (USD 2.93 million) a year earlier. Under the company’s alternative accounting method, RAN, operating profit fell 37.5 per cent to SEK 3 million (USD 301,970), compared with SEK 4.8 million (USD 483,153) in Q3 2025. Net income under IFRS...
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?
Aluminium’s downstream and end-user world is having one of those fortnights where a beer can, a luxury sports car, a German construction site and an Indian furnace all end up in the same conversation. The metal may begin its life far upstream, but its real fuss is playing out in cans, cars, extrusions, buildings and factories, where tariffs, trade policy, energy costs and demand cycles decide who wins. This fortnight highlights that aluminium demand is moving towards electric vehicles, lightweight transport and long-life infrastructure, even as packaging and construction feel the pinch of cost and weak activity. Meanwhile, producers from Vietnam to New Zealand are arguing over the oldest question in the business of how much protection, taxation or openness does a downstream industry need...
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