[SMM Aluminum Express News] Aughinish Alumina, Ireland’s only alumina producer and owned by Rusal, is facing renewed scrutiny after data showed 83% of Ireland’s alumina exports in Q1 2026 were shipped to Russia, compared with just 0.6% to EU countries. The figures challenge earlier claims that most production served European and global markets and have intensified debate over whether the refinery should be included in the EU’s next Russia sanctions package.

Walk the bauxite-alumina-aluminum value chain across Central Asia's five republics and the picture resolves quickly: one country runs the whole chain, one runs a piece of it, and three play no meaningful role at all. That picture, however, may be on the verge of a significant shift.

A RUSAL official said low-carbon and recycled aluminum could help Azerbaijan’s construction sector reduce lifecycle costs and carbon emissions. The company noted that aluminum’s lightweight, durability and recyclability are driving wider use in buildings and municipal infrastructure. RUSAL’s ALLOW low-carbon aluminum brand produces more than 3 million tones annually using Siberian hydropower, with emissions of about 5.9 tCO2e per tone, well below the global industry average. The company added that aluminum can be infinitely recycled after building decommissioning, supporting circular economy and low-carbon urban development.

For almost four weeks, the war against Iran has kept the world on edge – a conflict that leaves deep marks not only geopolitically but also economically. Volatility and uncertainty in global markets are increasing daily.

Entering the second half of March, regional divergence in China’s aluminum market became increasingly pronounced, with the divergence between inventory trends and spot price spreads in east China and south China intensifying. On the one hand, the nationwide post-holiday inventory buildup in aluminum gradually approached its end, inventory overhang pressure in east China continued to ease, circulation efficiency steadily improved, the inventory buildup momentum slowed down significantly, and.....

Rusal's financial report showed that, affected by its capacity optimization plan, full-year 2025 primary aluminum production fell 1.9% YoY to 3.918 million mt (2024: 3.992 million mt). Alumina production, meanwhile, rose 6.7% YoY to 6.858 million mt. In addition, benefiting from the Guinea expansion project and increased equity interests in refineries in China and India, bauxite production increased 16.2% YoY to 18.453 million mt.