Guinea, the world's biggest bauxite producer, is considering plans to compel miners to curb exports of bauxite in a bid to halt the slump in the price of the key raw material for aluminium production, sources told Fastmarkets on Monday March 9.

QatarEnergy, the state-owned shareholder of Qatar aluminium producer Qatalum, has suspended the production of aluminium as the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US intensified, it said on Tuesday March 3.

Discover how data-driven procurement helps private label brands navigate rising costs, outperform national competitors, and maintain a winning shelf presence.

European and US primary aluminium premiums could see further upside pressure on supply concerns following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit corridor for Middle Eastern aluminium exports and alumina imports.

The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel since Saturday February 28 have heightened market concerns over potential disruptions to maritime trade routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz – a key transit corridor for Iranian material shipments bound for China.

Senior analyst Andy Farida offers reactive analysis on the impact the Middle East conflict could have on the aluminium market

The Canadian government’s recent efforts to curb unfair steel imports and protectionist measures for its domestic steel industry are “not enough,” and Canada needs to do “exactly what the US is doing,” the executive chairman and chief executive officer of Zekelman Industries, Barry Zekelman, told Fastmarkets in an exclusive interview on Wednesday February 11.

Malaysia implemented an absolute ban on imports of electronic waste (e-waste) to take immediate effect on Wednesday February 4, in an attempt to tighten environmental controls and curb illegal shipments, Fastmarkets understands.

For a brief moment, the mining sector allowed itself to consider a bold idea: Rio Tinto and Glencore in merger discussions.

The publication of Fastmarkets’ European aluminium billet premiums assessments for Friday February 6 was delayed because of a procedural error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.