Ruijin New Materials' Aluminum Project Commences Operations in Baotou, Boosting Industry Chain

US President Trump continued to pressure Iran, firmly stating that he would use the 60-day window provided after the launch of the US-Iran agreement to continue pushing forward negotiations, while still using economic pressure as an important bargaining chip. Trump mentioned that approximately 700 ships were currently transiting the Strait of Hormuz normally. He explicitly demanded that Iran must reach an agreement within the 60-day deadline; otherwise, it would face some unpleasant measures. However, Trump also believed that the situation might not necessarily deteriorate to that extent.

VBX Limited has obtained approval from the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Australian Government's environment department to modify the development plan for its Wuudagu bauxite project in northern Western Australia. The revised proposal reduces the project's indicative footprint by almost 10 per cent to about 1,775 hectares while increasing planned mining and beneficiation rates to up to 9 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). One of the major changes involves shifting the beneficiation plant inland from Guy Point. VBX said the move is intended to lower potential impacts on coastal and marine environments. Other proposed changes include narrower sealed haul roads, a distributed bore field with an optional desalination plant for water supply, and the co-location of port infrastructure to limit disturbance across the project area.

Britain’s growing aluminium scrap exports are raising concerns about the long-term availability of a critical raw material for domestic industries. According to Make UK, aluminium scrap exports reached 624,314 tonnes in 2025, up 43% from 2016 levels, while shipments to India increased 94% to nearly 199,000 tonnes. Exports to the US surged 989% year-on-year to 23,560 tonnes after aluminium scrap was excluded from Section 232 tariff measures. Make UK estimates the UK could require up to 6 million tonnes of recyclable aluminium scrap to support total aluminium demand of 8 million tonnes by 2035. The organisation warned that continued scrap outflows could weaken domestic manufacturing, discourage investment and reduce supply chain resilience. It called for greater investment in scrap collection, sorting and processing infrastructure, improved recycling standards and measures to retain critical aluminium alloys within the UK’s circular economy.