East Hope Stops Offering Alumina on Bauxite Shortage, SMM Learns

[SMM Analysis]Aluminum Processing PMI Rebounded Sharply to 66 in March, Expected to Pull Back in April

The Swedish deposit return system (DRS) operator Returpack/Pantamera reported that in 2025, over 3 billion PET bottles and aluminium cans were returned via Sweden’s DRS. Compared to the record of 2024, the 2025 count marks an increase of 130 million. The operator adds that returning the aluminium and PET containers via the deposit system cuts the carbon footprint by half, thereby promoting recycling and sustainability. 2025 data shows that material customers received 27,826 tonnes of aluminium and 24,835 tonnes of PET. On average, each person returned 283 containers, reflecting an improvement of the 2024 performance by 4 per cent. The overall return rate of Sweden also increased by 88.4 per cent, bringing the nation close to its target of a 90 per cent return rate.

The EU-imposed definitive anti-dumping and countervailing duties ranging from 15.4 per cent to 28.5 per cent on products under CN code ex 7607 11 19 are expected to run until December 9, 2026. The EU duties on Chinese aluminium converter foil came into effect in December 2021, as an effort to address the unfair trade practices found through the investigation in October 2020. The investigation then led to a provisional duty in June 2021, before the final tariffs became effective, with the combined duty range between 16.1 per cent and 46.7 per cent.