VW autoplant closure in Slovakia likely to put brakes on demand for secondary aluminium

Demand for secondary aluminium is likely to be adversely affected after German automaker Volkswagen announced, on Sunday March 15, that it will suspend output at its European production hub in Bratislava, Slovakia on March 23.

VW's move came after the Slovakian government declared a state of emergency earlier on Sunday due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-CoV).
There were reports of a suspected case of the virus at the plant, but that has not yet been confirmed by the company.
Secondary aluminium alloys, such as DIN226 in Europe, are used in diesel-engined cars, and production cutbacks will weaken demand for the material, according to some market participants, especially if other automakers follow suit.

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