[SMM afternoon Review] East China Aluminum: the spot circulation is tight and the spot sentiment is still obvious.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Indian auto components manufacturer Uno Minda has approved ₹14.15 billion (₹1,415 crore, around US$150 million) of investment across four manufacturing projects, including a major expansion of its aluminum casting operations. The company will invest ₹5.1 billion in a new greenfield aluminum casting facility at Thally Road in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, raising casting capacity from around 13,000 tonnes/year to 34,000 tonnes/year at peak, an increase of roughly 162%. The Hosur expansion will add around 21,000 tonnes/year of aluminum casting capacity and will serve two-wheelers, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, including EV and powertrain applications. The facility will also be capable of producing around 1 million high-pressure die-cast two-wheeler alloy wheels annually. Development will take place in phases over three years, with Phase I production targeted for Q4 FY2028 and existing Hosur operations expected to be consolidated at the new site by Q1 FY2029. Separately, Uno Minda will invest ₹1.55 billion in a 3.3 million-unit/year two-wheeler alloy wheel facility in Kharkhoda, Haryana, including relocation of 2 million units of existing capacity from Maharashtra. The expansion highlights growing Indian downstream aluminum demand from vehicle lightweighting, EVs and advanced powertrain applications, with Uno Minda saying the investments are supported by existing orders or firm demand visibility.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] The proposed US$4 billion EGA-Century aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma faces a further delay after the Inola Town Council unanimously extended its moratorium on primary aluminum smelting through April 7, 2027. On the same date, residents will vote in a town-wide referendum on whether to permanently ban primary aluminum smelting within Inola. The project, being developed by Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, a 60:40 venture between EGA and Century Aluminum, is planned to produce more than 750,000 tonnes/year, which would make it the largest US primary aluminum smelter. The extension adds another layer of uncertainty to the project, but does not mean the smelter has been cancelled. Oklahoma Primary Aluminum said it may pursue legal remedies against the town, arguing that tens of millions of dollars have already been invested under existing authorizations. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt also criticized the moratorium, while state Attorney General Gentner Drummond is separately seeking a preliminary injunction to block construction amid environmental concerns.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Taber Extrusions has opened an US$85 million expansion at its Russellville, Arkansas facility, adding what the company describes as the largest new direct aluminum extrusion press in North America. The 10,000-ton, 16-inch front-load direct press can produce profiles up to 600 mm wide and is designed for large, complex aluminum components used in aerospace, defense and heavy industrial applications. The expansion is expected to create 70 new jobs. The new press went online in June 2026, with limited production availability beginning in Q3. It can produce large single-piece aluminum profiles that replace more complex multi-part assemblies, while handling both hard and soft aluminum alloys. Taber first announced the project in July 2024, initially estimating investment at more than US$60 million, before breaking ground in April 2025.