Category: Growth Markets

Trade data shows Chinese beverage can sheet imports more than doubled from January through most of May despite tariffs, higher conversion fees, expanding domestic capacity and a weaker US dollar.

The Lebanon facility will effectively double the company's total annual processing capacity to an estimated 240 million pounds.

The contract covers roughly 3,400 workers in Davenport, Iowa; Alcoa, Tenn.; Lafayette, Ind.; and Massena, N.Y.

Meanwhile, USW reached a tentative agreement with Arconic on a three-year master agreement covering workers at four facilities.

Before the second Trump administration, many automakers banked on an electrified future, with federal and state tax breaks incentivizing consumers.

CRU Senior Analyst David Leah said at the CRU World Aluminium Summit 2026 in London that automotive aluminum demand continues increasing, though growth is shifting unevenly between castings, extrusions and rolled products as automakers reassess vehicle designs.

“We will have coils coming off the mill within the next few weeks, well ahead of our previous guidance of end of June in the fourth quarter,” said Steve Fisher, president and CEO of the Atlanta-based company.

Texarkana Aluminum (TKA) used its new Mino four strand hot tandem line to produce the first coil at its Texas facility. 

The current contract expires on May 16.

Construction indicators strengthened entering Q2, though most momentum was concentrated in data centers and infrastructure projects.