Tag: Aluminum

European Aluminum Industry Faces Existential Threats

European Aluminum Industry Faces Existential Threats

The European aluminum manufacturing industry is under attack from two short- and medium-term threats, both of which have the potential to significantly impact aluminum consumers across the region. Threat #1: Potential Russian Aluminum Ban, Aluminum Manufacturing Shortage The first threat is the widely debated possibility of the EU banning Russian aluminum. While the UK has […]

China’s Aluminum Exports to EU Plunge 30% Under Carbon Tariff

China’s Aluminum Exports to EU Plunge 30% Under Carbon Tariff

Earlier this week, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association reported a 30% decline in the volume of aluminum products exported from China to the European Union. Aluminum manufacturing analysts quickly pointed out that this most likely resulted from the bloc’s 2023 carbon border tariff. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) represents a new way […]

Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Sideways After U.S. Smelter Closure

Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Sideways After U.S. Smelter Closure aluminum smelting

Following a 4.7% month-over-month decline during January, aluminum prices fell an additional 1.9% throughout the first half of February. Despite these declines, aluminum prices continued to trade in their long-term sideways range. Meanwhile, the Midwest Premium also remains consolidated, with prices retracing to the downside following a short-lived bounce at the end of January. Overall, […]

Aluminum Market Projections for 2024: Stability Amidst Economic Uncertainty?

Aluminum Market Projections for 2024: Stability Amidst Economic Uncertainty?

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Hydro, a green aluminum producer with multiple plants and locations around the globe. Mike Stier, Hydro’s Vice President of Finance, and Duncan Pitchford, President of Hydro Aluminum Metals in the U.S. (whom I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing before), sat down to discuss Hydro’s views on aluminum performance […]

Will Electric Cars Benefit or Threaten Europe’s Aluminum Industry?

Will Electric Cars Benefit or Threaten Europe’s Aluminum Industry?

Are electric cars going to benefit or threaten Europe’s aluminum industry? At first, it might appear a stupid question. However, it is also one that aluminum industry news sources continue to ask. The average European EV contained 283kgs of aluminum in 2022 compared to 169kgs for ICE vehicles. That is according to a study by […]

Aluminum MMI: U.S. Demand Muted, Russian LME Stocks Hit 90%

Aluminum MMI: U.S. Demand Muted, Russian LME Stocks Hit 90% Russian aluminum in LME warehouses

Following a more than 8% month-over-month increase in December, aluminum prices retraced during the first weeks of January, returning to their sideways trend. Markets appeared to shake off alumina supply jitters that saw prices spike at the end of 2023, as global demand remains muted. Nonetheless, there remains no expert consensus as to the overall […]

India US Trade Leaders Ease Duties, Forge Steel & Aluminum Export Harmony

India US Trade Leaders Ease Duties, Forge Steel & Aluminum Export Harmony india us trade

India US trade is primed to shift. Both countries seem eager to enter a new period of trade harmony, as India’s Ministries of Mines and Steel, along with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), recently set up an in-house system to oversee the export of steel and aluminum products to the […]

UK to Impose Carbon Tax for Steel and Aluminum Production

UK to Impose Carbon Tax for Steel and Aluminum Production

HM Treasury recently announced that the UK plans to enact a carbon tax on certain metals and natural resource imports into the country by 2027. The December 19 announcement said that steel, aluminum, and iron ore will be subject to the tax. This tax is currently known as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). “Goods […]

Green Aluminum Market: Insight From Hydro’s Duncan Pitchford

Green Aluminum Market: Insight From Hydro’s Duncan Pitchford

Aluminum supply remains a major topic of discussion among metal buyers. Traditional smelting and metal manufacturing remain the most widely used metal manufacturing methods worldwide. However, “green” metal initiatives have witnessed growth in recent years. Recently, I interviewed representatives from Norsk Hydro, a recycled and green aluminum company based out of Norway, to gain insight […]

Conflicting Reports Signal Chinese Aluminum Supply Uncertainty

Conflicting Reports Signal Chinese Aluminum Supply Uncertainty aluminum smelting aluminum supply

Conflicting reports continue to emerge from China regarding aluminum supply, demand, and production. Some information notes that the downturn in the country’s economy is largely due to the ongoing real estate crisis. As demand wanes, this poses questions regarding the internal pickup of aluminum and other base metals. However, other reports talk of the country […]

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