DOWNSTREAM DISPATCH: Flat-rolled aluminium business strong, but outlook uncertain, Novelis says

The market for flat-rolled aluminium is robust at present, but uncertainty surrounding the direction of the volatile US Midwest premium, and the potential for more disruptions from the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, have made it difficult for Novelis to plan and navigate the markets.

United States-based Novelis is a world leader in the rolling and recycling of aluminium. Its senior vice president and chief procurement officer, Roxana Molina, spoke to Fastmarkets in a recent interview to share the current state of the flat-rolled aluminium market, the challenges that Covid-19 has brought this year, and the many uncertainties that lie ahead.
Flat-rolled product business healthy
"I can tell you that what we have right now is very, very strong demand for [flat-rolled] aluminium," Molina said.
Novelis' plants are all now producing at levels similar to those before the Covid-19 pandemic appeared. "All of our plants are right now actually humming after Covid-19. We're at pre-Covid levels," Molina said.
But this did not include the company's aerospace plants in Koblenz, Germany, and Zhenjiang, China. "The only exception is aerospace. However, that capacity was already under-utilized because of the [Boeing] 737MAX grounding," Molina said.

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