All posts tagged: aluminum

Mercuria, Goldman, JPMorgan See Major Aluminum Market Shock

Mercuria, Goldman, JPMorgan See Major Aluminum Market Shock

Published by Jenni Sidey

Analysts at Mercuria, the Geneva-based Swiss commodities trading firm, are sounding the alarm on the global aluminum market after severe disruptions in the Gulf region, adding to a growing list of trading desks and research teams warning of a deepening supply shock. “The scale of the supply shock we’re seeing in the aluminum market is probably the largest single supply shock a base metals market has suffered in the post-2000 era,” Mercuria commodities analyst Nick Snowdon told Reuters on the sidelines of the Financial Times Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. Snowdon then told Reuters, “We are already in a ‘black swan’ event. No one could have foreseen something on this scale.” Mercuria is a Swiss commodities trading house based in Geneva. Its traders sell, ship, store, and finance physical commodities across markets such as oil, gas, power, LNG, and metals. Snowdon’s alarm over the global aluminum market is mainly because the Gulf region accounts for 9% of world supply, and with major smelters already declaring force majeure and the Hormuz chokepoint blocked for much of …

Apple Watch Series 11 Hits 0 Off Nearly Every Aluminum Model on Amazon

Apple Watch Series 11 Hits $100 Off Nearly Every Aluminum Model on Amazon

Published by skeptic

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes nearly every aluminum model of the Series 11 on sale at a record low price. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you’ll find four of both the 42mm and 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices. If you’re shopping for cellular models, you can find record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $399.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $429.00, down from $529.00. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and …

Metal Shock: Gulf’s Largest Aluminum Producer Declares Force Majeure

Metal Shock: Gulf’s Largest Aluminum Producer Declares Force Majeure

Published by Jenni Sidey

A little more than a week after Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), the Gulf’s largest aluminum producer, halted operations at its Al Taweelah smelter following Iranian missile and drone strikes, EGA has now declared force majeure on parts of its contract book, signaling that supply chain disruptions are spreading beyond energy markets and into industrial metals. Bloomberg obtained new documents showing that EGA invoked force majeure clauses to suspend at least some deliveries after Iranian drone and missile strikes damaged the Taweelah smelter and forced it to shut down operations. EGA is jointly owned by Mubadala Investment Company of Abu Dhabi and the Investment Corporation of Dubai, and it reported 2.83 million tons of cast metal sales in 2025, indicating on its website that it accounted for 4% of the world’s aluminum production. The broader Middle East accounts for about 9% of global aluminum supply. The EGA outage adds to mounting pressure on the global aluminum market, which was already strained by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for six weeks, and still, as of this …

Text messages by trade czar Šefčovič reveal early concerns over EU-US deal – POLITICO

Text messages by trade czar Šefčovič reveal early concerns over EU-US deal – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

It made no firm commitments on steel and aluminum, stating only that the two sides intended to consider cooperating to shield their domestic markets from oversupply and ensure secure supply chains, including with tariff-rate quotas, which are duty exemptions on some imports. Even before the release of the joint statement, the Trump administration took action on Aug. 19 that, in the view of the EU, breached the agreement. In his letter, Šefčovič raised concerns over the addition by Washington of the items containing steel to the list of products subject to the 50 percent U.S. tariff. “As per our agreement and numerous discussions, these exports were intended to be subject to a maximum all-inclusive tariff of 15%. However, they now face significantly higher tariffs due to the 50% duty on their steel and aluminum content, coupled with substantial administrative burden,” he wrote. He estimated that the expansion of the U.S. tariffs affected EU exports worth $55.7 billion.  “I would like to request that the U.S. take the necessary steps to ensure that EU exports now …

New triangular form of aluminum may be more valuable than platinum

New triangular form of aluminum may be more valuable than platinum

Published by Jenni Sidey

Platinum works beautifully. It speeds up chemical reactions, holds up under punishment, and sits reliably at the center of industrial processes worth billions of dollars annually. It also costs roughly 20,000 times more than the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. That gap has driven decades of searching. If chemists could coax a cheaper, more common element into behaving like platinum and its chemical cousins, the implications for manufacturing, sustainability, and cost would be enormous. A team at King’s College London has now taken a significant step in that direction, and the element they’re working with is aluminum. Dr Clare Bakewell and her laboratory have created a new form of aluminum, published in Nature Communications, that can break apart tough chemical bonds and generate molecular structures never previously observed. The discovery opens a line of chemistry that the researchers say goes beyond simply mimicking precious metals. “We chose aluminum as it’s super abundant, making it approximately 20,000 times less expensive than precious metals such as platinum and palladium,” Bakewell said. Dr Clare Bakewell and …

US dangles steel concessions ahead of key EU votes – POLITICO

US dangles steel concessions ahead of key EU votes – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

One sticking point has been the subsequent addition by Washington of hundreds of items that contain steel — from cranes to furniture — to a list of products subject to a 50 percent U.S. tariff. That, in the view of the Europeans, violates the spirit of the Turnberry accord.  In their call last Saturday, Greer assured Lange that many of these items would go, said the German MEP, who is also steering the enabling legislation on the deal.  “Not everything, but a lot of them,” Lange told POLITICO’s Morning Trade newsletter, saying that there was “some movement” on that front. The enabling legislation, which would remove tariffs on U.S. industrial goods, has been stalled for weeks in the EU chamber, as lawmakers balked at approving a deal following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month to strike down President Donald Trump’s original tariffs. The Turnberry deal had set an “all-inclusive” tariff of 15 percent on most goods. Trump quickly replaced that with a temporary 10 percent global duty. With Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, cut …

Apple Watch Series 11 Hits 0 Off Nearly Every Aluminum Model on Amazon

Apple Watch Series 11 Hits All-Time Low Prices on Amazon With $100 Off Nearly Every Aluminum Model

Published by skeptic

Amazon this weekend has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. We first started tracking the return of these deals last month, but this sale has now expanded with many more options on both 42mm and 46mm GPS models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you’ll find four of the 42mm GPS models on sale at this all-time low price, and four of the 46mm GPS models on sale as well. If you’re shopping for cellular models, you can find record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $399.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $429.00, down from …

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Aluminum Build Drops Weight to 200g

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Aluminum Build Drops Weight to 200g

Published by skeptic

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is expected to represent a significant step forward in the evolution of foldable smartphones. By addressing longstanding user concerns and introducing targeted upgrades, Samsung has solidified its position as a leader in this innovative market. Whether you are new to foldable devices or upgrading from an earlier model, the Z Fold 8 offers a polished experience that redefines expectations for durability, design, and functionality. Its thoughtful enhancements cater to both casual users and professionals, making sure it appeals to a broad audience. Creaseless Display: A Leap in Visual Excellence One of the standout features of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is its creaseless display, a major improvement over previous models. By using dual-layer ultra-thin glass, Samsung has effectively eliminated the visible crease that was a common drawback in earlier foldable devices. This innovation not only enhances the phone’s visual appeal but also improves its durability, making sure the screen can endure repeated folding without compromising its integrity. The display is brighter and more color-accurate, making it ideal for a …

EU Parliament puts US trade deal on ice after latest Trump tariff hit – POLITICO

EU Parliament puts US trade deal on ice after latest Trump tariff hit – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

One of the safeguards foresaw a six-month review of the deal to ensure that tariffs on products containing steel were lowered to the baseline level. The second would have revoked the deal if Trump again threatened the EU’s territorial integrity, as he did when he proposed to annex Greenland in January. Cavazzini, a German MEP, said: “The top priority must be to find a solution for the remaining 50 percent tariffs on steel, aluminum, and derivatives. The ball is now in the U.S.’s court. Tariffs are extremely unpopular and have not led to the industrial jobs promised by Trump.” Croatian MEP Zovko, whose party favors the Turnberry deal, said MEPs should still hold a plenary vote to implement it next month. “If we stick to the deal, we can at least demand something from the Americans,” she said. Confirming the delay, Bernd Lange, the chair of the trade committee, said: “Business as usual is not an option.” Senior trade lawmakers, known as shadow rapporteurs, will meet again next week to reassess the situation, the German Social …