BIR held an excellent Amsterdam Convention in May. The event attracted the largest attendance on record and was made even more special given that the first meeting of our world organization was held in the same city 75 years earlier.

• Recycled aluminium production expected to exceed 4.5 million tons in first-half 2023
• More than 30% increase in imports of recycled cast aluminium alloy raw materials
• CMRA works on various fronts to promote industry growth

• Ripple effect of lower consumer spending
• Official cash rate raised in Australia but unchanged in New Zealand
• Easing of cargo freight rates

• Resolution to strike affecting West Coast maritime hubs
• Slowdown in metal flows
• Inflation in check

• Positive vehicle data for May
• Export licences for gallium, germanium and some related chemical compounds
• Consumer market gradually recovering

• India’s manufacturing PMI registers 24th consecutive month of expansion
• Domestic copper scrap has been trading above imported material
• Lower sales of aluminium alloy ingots

• Activity levels increasing, especially in tourism
• Brass manufacturers gradually working through pandemic stocks
• Competition heating up among aluminium scrap collectors

• Peso strength a negative for exporters
• Strong first-half performance by auto industry
• VAT price distortion causing widespread concern

• Development of downstream industries related to non-ferrous metals
• Expansion of aluminium smelting capacities
• Efforts to develop copper mining and processing operations

• Political instability and uncertain policy environment
• Low demand for metals owing to high inflation and interest rates
• New IMF package agreed with Pakistan

Load shedding still impacting industry and economy
Scrap export ban extended until end of 2023
Inflation heading lower

• China tightens inspection regime for scrap from Malaysia
• Malaysia proposes 10% tariff on exports of most scraps
• Some Chinese-owned companies in Malaysia considering relocation

• Inflation news better than expected
• Scrap demand in summer doldrums
• Terminal market prices continue to drift lower

• Dutch government falls and elections likely later in year
• Tighter availability of scrap units
• Heavy investments continue in equipment upgrades

• Strong zloty halting Poland’s export activity
• Czech proposal for lower VAT rates on products with recycled content
• Russian market impacted by weaker rouble

• Freight rates to Asia falling sharply
• Industry weakening domestically
• Metal availability declining steeply

• An increasing spot dynamic for purchases and sales
• Employment rates and labour productivity on the increase
• Essential to provide younger generation with education/training opportunities

• Activity levels and material inflows continue to head lower
• New, tougher material classification
• Inflation still on the agenda

• Portugal and Spain fully recovered from pandemic
• Drop in raw material prices
• Spanish inflation rate below 2%

• Tightened supply of non-ferrous metals
• Demand reasonably strong from Far East and Continental Europe
• Aluminium market settling at substantially lower prices