What’s on the agenda

Expert insights on where the market is heading and how businesses should position themselves.

• Outlook for aluminium
• Key macro factors shaping demand
• Regional demand trends and growth drivers
• Risks and uncertainties impacting the market
• Changing pricing dynamics

~9% of global aluminium supply is exposed to geopolitical risk. Hear from Gulf producers on navigating market change.

• Strategic importance of the Middle East in global supply
• Evolving trade flows and global partnerships
• Long-term outlook for the region

The market is becoming structurally less flexible — with China near its production limits, even minor disruptions cause major knock-on effects.

• Structural vs short-term supply constraints
• Limited flexibility in global supply response
• Impact of low inventories on market volatility
• Implications for pricing and procurement

Persistent energy volatility in Europe is challenging smelting operations. Producers are rethinking operations and investments.

• Can European smelters remain competitive long-term?
• Securing stable and cost-effective energy supply
• Risk of capacity curtailments and closures
• Competition for energy from data centres
• Role of renewables in production

As producing countries tighten control over resources and prioritise domestic value creation, what will this mean for supply security?

• Resource nationalism and export restrictions
• Increasing competition for upstream resources
• Implications for the wider value chain

Low-carbon aluminium is a growing focus, but buyers remain highly price-sensitive. Can the green premium scale?

• Demand for low-carbon aluminium across sectors
• Willingness to pay vs cost pressures
• Stability and scalability of the green premium
• Role of CBAM and regulation in driving adoption
• Measuring and proving low-carbon value

Europe is pushing to reduce import reliance, but high energy costs and structural challenges continue to limit domestic production.

• Can Europe realistically rebuild domestic capacity?
• Impact of energy costs on regional competitiveness
• Implications for pricing and regional premiums
• Fragmentation of global trade flows

Southeast Asia is emerging as an increasingly important player in the global aluminium value chain.

• Growth of refining and downstream capacity in the region
• Role of Southeast Asia in diversifying global supply
• Opportunities and risks for producers, traders, and buyers

Recycling is playing an increasingly important role, but access to consistent, high-quality scrap remains the biggest barrier.

• Availability and quality constraints in scrap supply
• Increasing competition for low-carbon inputs
• Role of recycling in decarbonisation strategies
• Impact of regulation on scrap demand and flows

Rising costs and supply constraints for copper are driving growing interest in aluminium as an alternative in key applications.

• Role of aluminium vs copper in electrification
• Cost vs performance trade-offs across applications
• Where can aluminium substitute copper?
• How OEMs and utilities are adapting material strategies

Traditional contracting models are not working in today’s market. Flexibility and diversification now outweigh purely cost-driven decision-making.

• What does the “ideal” contract look like today?
• Balancing flexibility vs price certainty
• Are long-term contracts becoming less or more strategic?

Demand for aluminium is evolving across key end-use sectors, with automotive and packaging showing very different growth patterns.

• Demand outlook for automotive vs packaging sectors
• Impact of EV growth and lightweighting on demand
• Role of sustainability and recycling in shaping demand