Week-in-review: Smelters, scrap, and a squeeze play
Terminal markets firmed up amid new smelting announcements, tightening bauxite expectations, and jittery macro signals.
Author: nicholasbell
EGA makes its move on U.S. primary aluminum supply gap
EGA has a sterling reputation for execution of big capital projects in smelting and refining, and it's early in the game, but the political winds seem to argue for energy provider Public Service Company of Oklahoma to cut a deal
Teamsters gain foothold at Real Alloys
Real Alloy’s Morgantown plant voted to join Teamsters Local 89. Time will tell whether this will prove unsettling to this operation, given the Teamster's history with the company.
Billet Market Starts to Move Higher
The billet market has been quiet in 2025 so far, but extruders exposed to the spot market are now facing some challenges.
Recyclers aren’t on the menu; they have a seat at the table
ReMA's Spotlight on Aluminum highlighted a litany of pressure points shaping the industry, with a particular emphasis on the aluminum scrap frontier.
From the front lines to the furnace: Aluminum’s role in American resilience
Memorial Day gives us a moment to reflect on the materials and industries that have supported American strength.
Recycled metal exports bans - An idea that masks the problem
Domestic increases in mill capacity and a struggling recycling rate, amid China's relaxed UBC scrap import policy, fail to make the case for banning US exports.
Rio Tinto’s power move: Building to last and green aluminum’s infrastructure
Rio Tinto is embarking on a major upgrade of the nearly century-old Isle-Maligne hydroelectric station in Quebec, preserving one of the lowest-cost smelting footprints in the world.
Container bookings and prices surge
Average bookings for the seven days ended on May 14th skyrocketed, which could cause bottlenecks, as containers getting stripped and shipped from the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports
The new math of Trump's auto tariffs
The purpose of the tapered tariff reduction is to allow time to readjust supply lines or onshore manufacturing to the U.S., a phaseout that incentivizes shifts in components production.