EU targets small packaging in new recycling partnership
The move comes as pressure is increasing to keep scrap at home but US tariff exemptions have made exports more appealing.
Category: Recycled Metals
Manufacturing expansions, Airbus developments, low recycling rates, and more
There’s a lot of news to keep track of, so we’re lending a hand with highlights from the past month and what they mean for you.
Lead time takeaways from AMU's survey
December survey data showed lead times rising across aluminum products even as respondents reported steadier conditions.
AMU Survey: UBC expectations fragment as scrap signals stabilized
December survey results show UBC price expectations becoming more debated even as scrap availability, inventory behavior, and Midwest premium expectations point toward steadier underlying conditions.
Midwest premiums: How high is high?
The Midwest premium has risen beyond replacement economics, driven by thin liquidity, depleted US inventories, slow import response, and limited near-term substitutes - raising questions about sustainability and forward risk.
Focus on Demand: Trailer orders take a turn for the worse
Trailers represent a significant source of demand for aluminum extruders and sheet mills, consuming a lot of 6061 alloys. So, any softness in trailer orders is not welcome news.
To hedge or not to hedge
As aluminum markets head into 2026, LME prices appear structurally supported while the Midwest premium looks increasingly risky and politically distorted, forcing buyers and sellers to hedge very differently.
AKFA Aluminum Solutions to build first US manufacturing facility in Kentucky
AKFA Aluminum Solutions will establish its first US manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, introducing a new extrusion-focused aluminum producers into the regional secondary market.
Misery loves company: The plight of low recycling in plastics
Despite competing fiercely for market share, aluminum and plastics share the same structural recycling failures rooted in incentives and policy resistance.
Teamsters ratify first-ever contract at Real Alloy Morgantown after strike authorization
Workers at Real Alloy's Kentucky facility unanimously ratified their first collective bargaining agreement following a strike authorization vote, concluding months of negotiations.