The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) published Aluminum: Competitive Conditions Affecting the U.S. Industry, a report based on its recent 332 investigation conducted at the request of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. Focusing on the years 2011–15, the report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of major aluminum producing and exporting countries, provides qualitative and […]
Alcoa Corporation plans to restart three of five potlines at its Warrick Operations aluminum smelter near Evansville, IN, which had been previously closed in March 2016. The remaining two potlines will be classified as curtailed capacity and will remain idle. The three restarted potlines will directly supply the Warrick rolling mill, which serves the North American […]
The U.S. launched a new trade enforcement complaint against the People’s Republic of China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) concerning China’s subsidies to certain producers of primary aluminum. These subsidies appear to be provided through artificially cheap loans from banks and through artificially low-priced inputs for aluminum production, such as coal, electricity, and alumina. […]
Alcoa Inc. completed its separation into two standalone companies — Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Corporation (learn more about Arconic). Following its separation from Alcoa Inc. (now known as Arconic), Alcoa Corporation has begun operating as an independent, publicly-traded company producing bauxite, alumina, and aluminum products. “We are launching Alcoa Corporation as a world leader in […]
UC Rusal launched the first RA-550 pot, which is running at over 550 kA, at the Sayanogorsk aluminum smelter (SAZ) as part of a US$28 million project. “RA-550 is a reduction cell with a breakthrough design for future smelters and upgrade projects at Rusal’s existing smelting capacities,” said Victor Mann, Rusal’s technical director. “Alongside the technical and […]
By Joseph C. Benedyk, Editor. On September 29, 2016, the day after the Aluminum Association and Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC) Management Conference finished their Aluminum Week program in Washington, D.C., the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) held a hearing (Investigation No. 332-557) — Aluminum: Competitive Conditions Affecting the U.S. Industry. The hearing addressed the harmful […]
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation obtained U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval for the sale of the its aluminum smelter and facilities in New Madrid, Missouri, to ARG International AG for a purchase price of $13.7 million. The Court approval follows an auction that took place on September 28, 2016. The company expects to close the transaction in […]
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By Goran Djukanovic, Aluminum Market Analyst & Consultant. Uncertainty hangs over the primary aluminum industry in U.S., or what has been left of it. Plummeting aluminum prices and high electricity costs resulted in closure or curtailment of some three-fourths of primary aluminum production in the last five years, leaving less than 1 million tonnes of […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. A conspicuous transformation occurred in the world’s primary aluminum industry during the past five years with the construction of “Mega” aluminum smelters (>1 million tpy) in China, which have boosted aluminum production to levels not previously experienced by companies. Nine aluminum companies had an annual production greater than 2 million […]
