Nonferrous

• ITA alters China aluminum extrusion subsidy rate Dec 13, 2012

  The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration has amended its final affirmative countervailing duty determination concerning aluminum extrusions from China.

• Reductions in Chinese ferroalloys export tariffs being mulled for 2013 Dec 13, 2012

  Speculation is mounting that China will cut export taxes on ferroalloys in 2013, not only to support local producers but also in response to a ruling that the tariffs broke World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

• Alcoa’s ABI halts 6063 billet production Dec 13, 2012

  Alcoa Inc.’s Aluminerie de Beacancour Inc. (ABI) smelter in Quebec has temporarily halted 6063 billet production, sources familiar with the facility told AMM.

• Nanshan delays extrusion presses installation Dec 13, 2012

  Nanshan America Co., a subsidiary of China’s Nanshan Group Co. Ltd., has delayed the installation and start-up of two extrusion presses in Lafayette, Ind.

• AMM website weekend outage notice Dec 13, 2012

  AMM’s website will not be accessible the evening of Friday, Dec. 14, through Sunday, Dec. 16, as we make essential updates to improve performance.

• Rio Tinto Alcan evaluating offers for its French smelter Dec 12, 2012

  Rio Tinto Alcan is evaluating several conditional offers for its Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne aluminum smelter in the French Alps as part of a process to find a buyer for the plant, the company said.

• Taseko receives strike notice from Gibraltar Mine workers Dec 12, 2012

  Taseko Mines Ltd. has received a 72-hour strike notice from the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union, which represents employees at the company’s majority-owned Gibraltar copper and molybdenum mine in British Columbia.

• US, global zinc usage down, lead output up: ILZSG Dec 12, 2012

  U.S. zinc usage from January to October fell 2.8 percent year on year, while lead output rose, according to preliminary figures from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG).

• Molycorp chief executive Mark Smith exits Dec 12, 2012

  Mark A. Smith, president and chief executive officer of Molycorp Inc., has resigned from the rare earths producer.

• Formation Metals delays cobalt project Dec 12, 2012

  Formation Metals Inc. has not yet secured funding to complete its Idaho cobalt project, potentially pushing back a projected third-quarter 2013 start-up date.

• Zinc alloy producers expect premiums to rise Dec 12, 2012

  Zinc alloy producers have forecast higher spot prices for 2013 due to higher contract premiums for special-high-grade (SHG) zinc, with the contract season largely drawing to a close.

• Alcoa produces first hot metal at Saudi complex Dec 12, 2012

  Alcoa Inc. has produced the first hot metal at its aluminum complex in Saudi Arabia, a project that allows the Pittsburgh-based company to significantly reduce production costs.

• Right-to-work bill passes in Michigan Dec 11, 2012

  Despite vociferous opposition from labor and the White House, unions apparently have lost a legislative battle in the blue-collar heartland of Michigan.

• Commodities demand to endure: BofA Dec 11, 2012

  Global demand for commodities likely will survive domestic and global threats such as the fiscal cliff and the euro crisis over the next two years, buoyed by global growth and a stronger Chinese economy, analysts said at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research 2013 Year Ahead news conference Tuesday.

• Junior miners will sell assets to raise funds in 2013: KPMG Dec 11, 2012

  Small mining companies will look at strategic divestitures of assets in an attempt to raise funds in 2013 and beyond, according to KPMG LLP partner and head of global metals and mining in corporate finance Rama Ayman.

• North American aluminum orders decline 10.3% in Nov. Dec 11, 2012

  North American aluminum orders last month fell 10.3 percent from October, with foil and can sheet experiencing the biggest declines, according to a research note from Davenport & Co. LLC based on seasonally adjusted figures from the Aluminum Association.

• Aluminum defies trend as most metallics log output gains in November Dec 11, 2012

  Aluminum bucked the rising trend in Chinese metals production in November, with the light metal registering a seven-month low as other metallics reached new heights.

• Sherritt names new finance chief Dec 11, 2012

  Sherritt International Corp. has named Dean Chambers as executive vice president and chief financial officer, replacing Michael Robins in the roles.

• USTR seeks comments on Chinese trade complaint Dec 11, 2012

  The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) is seeking comment on China’s request for a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization over alleged illegal subsidy duties on nonmarket economies.

• Commerce issues final duty on Russian magnesium Dec 11, 2012

  The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a final anti-dumping duty margin of 15.77 percent for VSMPO-Avisma Corp. in the reinstated final results of its administrative review of magnesium metal from Russia from April 1, 2006, to March 31, 2007.

• ETF impact on copper queues key: consumers Dec 11, 2012

  Copper consumers opposed to the launch of physical exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have called on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate the queues at London Metal Exchange-registered warehouses.

• Oaktree Capital exec. appointed to Aleris board Dec 10, 2012

  Raghav Khanna has been appointed to Aleris International Inc.’s board by the aluminum company’s parent following the resignation of Kenneth Liang last week.

• Metals employment falls in November Dec 10, 2012

  Employment at U.S. metal producers and metal fabrication shops declined last month, although the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows employment within the two sectors has grown incrementally since last year.

• DLA makes first ferrochrome sale of 2012 Dec 10, 2012

  DLA Strategic Materials sold 1,000 tons of high-carbon ferrochrome (65.03-percent chrome contained) from its depot in Point Pleasant, W.Va., last month, its first sale of the material since May last year.