The price of metals tends to be fairly volatile in ordinary times. Like everyone else, as metals supply professionals we’ve had an ‘interesting’ year as covid, the drive to cut CO2 emissions and international tensions have impacted prices and supplies. But we’re still here, and we’re glad to see you are, too!

Here’s the latest metals news.

EU applies extra tariffs to Chinese aluminium foil

The EU has added extra tariffs to aluminium foil from China after they discovered producers in China have benefited from ‘excessive and unfair’ subsidies. The European Commission says China has intervened in free market forces to promote the sector. The resulting tariffs, applied to a specific thin grade of aluminium converter foil, range from 8.6% to 18.2% on top of existing anti-dumping fees of 6% to 28.5%. At the same time zinc and aluminium futures in China shot up recently thanks to concerns about supply, and ‘easing’ worries about omicron, together with positive US economic data, forced copper prices up.

Alro wonders if it can survive electricity price hikes

The Romanian aluminium maker Alro also happens to be the country’s biggest electricity consumer. It is apparently on the brink of a decision about whether to shut down production but won’t decide yet ‘despite the exceptional situation on the energy and gas markets.’ The relevant trade union has already revealed an imminent reduction in production and potential suspension thanks to high energy prices. The company’s management says while it’s concerned about energy prices, which are ‘unfounded and economically unsustainable’, it will make an official announcement ‘according to the regulations in force.’ As a result of the uncertainty the company’s shares dropped in value by 12.6% on 22nd December.

The world’s most advanced low CO2 aluminium production plant

RUSAL, the leading aluminium producer, has opened the first phase of the world’s most advanced low-carbon aluminium production plant. Welcome to the magnificent Taishet Aluminium Smelter in Taishet, Siberia, a state-of-the-art smelter and one of the world’s greenest. It only uses clean energy from Siberian hydroelectric power plants. It only uses modern gas cleaning equipment. And together with its clever closed water circulation system, its overall environmental impact is comparatively low.

Ultimately the plant’s full scope CO2 emissions levels will be some of the lowest in the entire sector. The essential pre-operation verifications and testing have already begun. This is RUSAL’s third low CO2 aluminium smelter and is set to create more than 1000 jobs locally. It’ll make an impressive  428.5 thousand tons of low CO2 aluminium per  year in phase 1 and sales of the resulting metal will focus on extruded and rolled metal, around 75% of which will be exported.

Christmas special – What a gift!

Imagine this. You started using a metal detector during the first lockdown in 2020. But you manage to find Britain’s largest ever hoard of forged coins, buried 220 years ago by a notorious criminal. The coins were buried just ten inches down, comprising 332 half crowns, shillings and sixpences with King William 3rd on one side and King George 2nd on the other.

That’s what happened to lucky John McGimpsey in a field in Leek, Staffordshire. Apparently the treasure was buried in 1801 by the forger George Fearns, who’d been caught red handed giving dodgy notes to undercover policemen during a pub sting operation.

Despite the police never finding the hoard, Fearns was prosecuted anyway and was hanged at Stafford Gaol in 1801.

Wishing you a very merry…

Whether it’s aluminium plate, aluminium round bar or aluminium square bar, we’ve got it in stock for you in a range of grades. You might need 5083 aluminium or aluminium 6061, we’ve got that for you as well, in fact we have a range of aluminium grades in an array of formats. We’re also popular brass, steel, and cast iron suppliers. If you need metals our friendly people are always happy to help.

We’d like to wish all our customers and suppliers a safe, enjoyable festive season and a successful new year. Let’s hope 2022 delivers a better year for everyone.

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