Japan
Ex-China aluminium market runs steadily as market awaits Q4 MJP settlement
This week, the overseas aluminium market was generally mediocre, with limited trading activity across major markets. In South Korea, purchases were mainly small-scale restocking, with little change in prices. In Thailand, demand remained weak, and some sellers slightly lowered their offers due to shipment pressure. The market focused on Q4 MJP quarterly pricing, with Rio Tinto's latest offer further reduced, and market expectations suggested there is still room for the final settlement price to move lower. South Korea: Mediocre market, transactions mainly small-scale restocking This week, trading in the South Korean market was very subdued, with purchasing demand limited to small-scale restocking and no concentrated procurement seen. Sellers showed moderate willingness to offer, with...
India's hidden urban mines are going to landfills: Why e-waste needs a second life
As smartphones, laptops, televisions, electric vehicles, and household appliances become an integral part of modern life, electronic waste (e-waste) is emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing waste streams. Yet, every discarded electronic device contains more than just obsolete technology—it contains valuable metals and critical minerals that can be recovered and reintroduced into the economy. The future of e-waste management is therefore not simply about recycling; it is about urban mining. Urban mining refers to the recovery of precious and critical materials from discarded electronic products instead of extracting them from natural mines. Gold, silver, copper, palladium, lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements found in electronic devices are becoming increasingly...
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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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Japanese aluminium buyers offered $310-$325/t premiums for October-December shipments
Major aluminium producers have offered Japanese buyers premiums of USD 310-325 per tonne for primary aluminium shipments in the October-December quarter. The bar is 18-22 per cent lower than the USD 395 per tonne premium agreed for the current July-September quarter. The premium paid by Japanese buyers over the LME cash price is closely watched as a benchmark for aluminium pricing in Asia. The latest offers come after two quarters of rising premiums, driven by tighter physical availability and supply disruptions. Premiums increased from USD 195 per tonne in January-March to USD 350-353 per tonne in April-June and further to USD 395 per tonne for July-September , as geopolitical disruptions affected aluminium supply routes and spot availability, while low LME inventories added to pressure...
Asia’s alumina exports jump 27%: Is an 8Mt H2 shipment within reach?
Asia’s alumina exports entered 2026 on a strong footing, with shipments to global markets reaching 7.05 million tonnes worth USD 2.76 billion in H1 2026 , up 27.36 per cent year-on-year . The sharp rise in H1 was driven by a quarter-on-quarter surge by a considerable margin. This indicates an acceleration in aluminium production, translating into an increased demand for alumina in the market. The key question for H2 2026 is whether Asia can maintain this pace despite geopolitical disruptions, evolving refinery capacity and changing market demand. H1 2026 sets a strong export benchmark Comparing the H1 export graphs of Asia across 2026, 2025 and 2024, the Y-o-Y improvement remains consistent. H1 2026 – 7.05 million tonnes, up 27.36 per cent Y-o-Y from H1 2025 H1 2025 – 5.54 million tonnes,...
Kirin looks to recycled aluminium and renewable energy for lower-carbon packaging
Japanese beverage company Kirin is exploring greater use of recycled and low-carbon aluminium as part of its efforts to reduce emissions from packaging and move towards a more circular packaging system. The company is considering GHG-free aluminium produced using renewable energy, as well as lower-emission aluminium with a high recycling rate. It is also looking at the possible use of carbon-free aluminium cans. Aluminium, PET and paper are among the packaging materials covered in Kirin’s climate risk assessment. The company estimates that carbon pricing could add JPY 43.8 billion (USD 275.4 million) to packaging costs by 2050 under its sustainable scenario, which assumes a stronger global shift towards a low-carbon economy. To learn the future of aluminium in the packaging industry,...
From aluminium to semiconductors, Piyush Goyal pitches India to Japanese industry
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has met senior executives from Japanese companies in Osaka, pitching India as an investment and manufacturing partner across semiconductors, electronics, aluminium, paints and coatings, and sports goods. The meetings formed part of Goyal’s four-day Japan visit, where he led India’s largest-ever business delegation to the country. The trip focused on encouraging Japanese companies to expand manufacturing, technology partnerships and supply-chain investments in India. Focus on electronics and aluminium Goyal met a delegation led by Katsumi Azuma, president and chief executive of ROHM Co. Ltd., to discuss potential cooperation in semiconductor and electronic-components manufacturing. India has been developing its semiconductor and electronics...
Bhoruka Extrusions: From Mysore factory to global aluminium-profile markets
Aluminium extrusion is a widely used manufacturing process that turns aluminium billets into precisely shaped profiles for buildings, vehicles, solar systems, electrical equipment and industrial machinery. Its relevance comes from aluminium’s low weight, corrosion resistance, conductivity and recyclability, while extrusion allows manufacturers to create complex sections for a specific use. Industrial aluminium extrusion profiles can also be tailored to customers’ required dimensions, alloy composition and functional requirements. This makes extrusion relevant for uses such as electrical enclosures, transport components, solar structures and equipment where reducing weight or improving corrosion resistance is important. In India’s aluminium value chain, Bhoruka Extrusions Private Limited...
EU, Canada and Asia aluminium prices: Why $3,386/t benchmark can cost $5,792/t - read how regional premiums reshaped markets
What does a tonne of aluminium actually cost? The answer depends on where you are buying it. There is the price most of the market watches every day - the LME cash price. But a buyer waiting for aluminium to arrive at a Rotterdam warehouse, a US - Canada manufacturing plant or a Japanese port is dealing with something more complicated. The same primary metal can carry very different price tags once regional premiums, freight, tariffs and other costs enter the equation. That distinction became important in the first half of 2026. The LME cash aluminium price averaged USD 3,386 per tonne, compared with USD 2,538 per tonne in H1 2025, an increase of USD 848 per tonne, or 33.4 percent. But regional premiums moved very differently, meaning buyers in different parts of the world faced very...
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