Aluminium’s Big 4: strategies and outlook for 2017
The four biggest aluminium companies in the world (excluding China), namely Alcoa, Norsk Hydro, UC Rusal and Rio Tinto, had...
Goran Djukanovic
Steel Versus Aluminium: Who’s Winning the Lightweighting Battle In Cars?
Much like the metals industry, automobile manufacturers are continually and significantly investing in research and development, from developing new alloys and materials with improved properties to perfecting the latest techniques in the welding and shaping of various materials and alloys. These efforts...
Aluminium prices in 2017 – the only way is up?
– A closer look at Reuters’ aluminium price poll – The price outlook remains positive despite temporary fall expected...
Aluminium use in the production of trains steams ahead
Much like in the auto industry, steel and aluminium are the dominant materials used in the construction of train bodies,...
Events
47th Faro Meeting Highlights
On April 6-7, Imola, Italy hosted the 47th Faro Meeting, a conference devoted to latest developments in the automotive industry and metals markets. During the first day of the two-day conference, speakers from renowned world companies, including Ducker Worldwide, LMC Automotive and Novelis Inc, expressed their views on current and future trends in the automotive […]
High electricity prices are driving Australia’s aluminium industry out of business
Record high power prices are making difficult times worse for the aluminium industry in Australia. The latest victim is the Boyne Island smelter majority owned by Pacific Aluminium (a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and co-owned by several Japanese companies), who decided to reduce production by 14% or some 80,000 tonnes/year at the end […]
Why aluminium prices are set to increase in H2 2017
After a strong start in the first two months of the year, base metals prices have weakened recently in expectation of U.S. interest rate increase this month, which would drive up the US dollar. Speculations that China will cut aluminium and alumina production in several provinces to cope with air pollution were behind the 12% […]
China battles air pollution and aluminium overcapacity
A recent proposal by China’s government to halt some coal and metals production facilities to fight air pollution over the winter could affect alumina refineries and would create shortages of alumina, if implemented, but would have a limited impact on aluminium supply. This could be concluded from the latest information coming from China after The […]
Significant investmensts in U.S. and Mexico signal bright future for aluminium demand
The new U.S. administration, precisely president Donald Trump, is preparing to implement a set of measures aimed at bringing back production and jobs on US soil in the automotive industry, among others. Trump has made it quite clear: he will not allow automakers to build cars in Mexico and export them to the U.S. Moreover, […]