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Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed 2023’s first-quarter premium for imported primary aluminum at $85/mt plus London Metal Exchange cash, CIF main Japanese ports, on Jan. 20, down 14.1% from $99/mt assessed in the fourth quarter of 2022, as poor demand and pessimistic outlook was observed in Japan. Following the fall in premiums […]

Although tensions remain high, prospects for a US-EU “Transatlantic trade war” precipitated by green energy subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act have likely been overblown, analysts and stakeholders said Jan. 19. Representatives of EU-based think tanks and industry groups, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the IRA created a degree of nervousness as the

North Asia, including parts of Japan, South Korea and China, is likely to be hit by a spell of extremely cold weather in the next one week, which will boost overall energy and natural gas demand for heating and help reduce high gas inventories in the region, according to national weather forecasts and market participants.

Global aluminum giant Alcoa has notified its alumina customers of a force majeure, given the impact of reduced natural gas supply to its operations in Western Australia, an Alcoa spokesperson said by email. Alcoa said Jan. 9 that its Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia cut production by about 30% due to a gas shortage

The European Union is to propose a suite of regulatory interventions and funding mechanisms to boost clean technologies and combat potential market distortions created by the US Inflation Reduction Act, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Jan. 17. The commission’s Green Deal Industrial Plan includes a Net-Zero Industry Act to help expedite permitting

Ohio-based steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs announced an increase to base sheet steel prices by a $50/st minimum on all carbon flat-rolled products in a letter sent to customers Jan. 17. The company said the increase would be effective immediately on all new spot orders of carbon hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated coil products. The price hike was issued

Battery developer Britishvolt has gone into insolvency and administration, after discussions with potential investors fell through. The company confirmed Jan. 17 that EY would be handling the administration. In an emailed statement in response to S&P Global Commodity Insights’ questions, EY said that Britishvolt had entered into administration due to insufficient equity investment for its

China’s crude steel output in 2022 fell by 2.1%, or 21.73 million mt, from 2021 to 1.013 billion mt, marking a second-successive annual decline, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Jan. 17. Some mill sources said China would continue to contain its steel production growth in 2023, which would lend support to the

Alumina markets globally are likely to be supported in the first quarter by ongoing supply disruptions in Australia and high energy prices amid the Russia-Ukraine war, while a recovery in aluminum demand remains uncertain and depends on the degree to which China is able to resume and sustain operations after easing COVID-19-related restrictions. Australia implemented

Divided government in Washington provides an opportunity to build bipartisan consensus on permitting reform and other steps to unleash domestic energy production, the head of the top US oil and gas trade group said Jan. 11, while also accusing the Biden administration of pursuing policies that restrict production. Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the