Key transactions & industry news Weekly Update 08/15/2025

Metals & Mining

Rusal posts $87M loss in H1 2025 despite 32% revenue surge — what went wrong? Rusal reported that its operational and financial performance came under pressure as domestic lending conditions tightened and the ruble strengthened by nearly 23 percent, driving up profit tax expenses. A 2.4-fold increase in interest expenses also weighed on results. The impact of these factors was partially offset by a slight increase in global aluminum demand and generally positive price trends.

Kaiser Aluminum ramps up aerospace aluminum part with new facility. Kaiser Aluminum, a North American manufacturer of semi-fabricated specialty aluminum products delivering highly engineered, value-added solutions for aerospace, defense, automotive and general industrial sectors, is set to launch a new industrial facility dedicated to aerospace parts by the end of this year.

EGA to deliver its first CelestiAL-R low-carbon aluminum billets to Sankyo Tateyama. Emirates Global Aluminum, has recently signed an agreement to supply CelestiAL-R billets to Sankyo Tateyama through its strategic partner ITOCHU Corporation. Sankyo Tateyama is a leading Japanese manufacturing company that produces various construction materials for buildings, architectural and industrial applications and housing.

South32 to take $372M impairment on Mozal; mulls smelter’s closure on power cost concerns. The Australia, Johannesburg, and London-listed group has been in negotiations with the government of Mozambique, hydropower producer Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) and South Africa’s power utility Eskom to secure the necessary electricity supply to enable Mozal, in which South32 holds a 63.7% stake, to operate beyond March 2026, when the current power supply agreement expires.

Lotus Resources relaunches Malawi uranium mine. Chakwera, accompanied by Mining Minister Kenneth Ng’oma, and traditional and regional leaders, attended the official inauguration of the restart of the mine. The ceremony coincided with the processing of the first uranium inventory, about 1500 kg of eluted uranium, ready for precipitation, calcining, and packaging.

US proposes nearly $1B in funds for critical minerals, materials. The Trump administration is proposing nearly $1B in funding to speed the development of U.S. critical minerals and materials, used in everything from electric vehicle batteries to semiconductors.

Antofagasta half-year earnings surge 60% on higher copper demand, prices. Chilean miner Antofagasta (ANTO.L), posted a nearly 60% jump in half-year core earnings, on higher production and prices its customers paid for energy transition material copper.

Rio Tinto to invest $180M in Norman Creek to extend Amrun bauxite mine life. Diversified miner Rio Tinto has approved a $180M investment and begun work on its Norman Creek access project at the Amrun bauxite mine on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula.

Hudbay sells 30% of Arizona copper project to Mitsubishi for $600M. Canada-based Hudbay Minerals has struck a $600M deal with Mitsubishi, giving the Japanese conglomerate a 30% stake in its fully permitted Copper World project in Arizona, in a move that secures a long-term partner and significantly reduces Hudbay’s upfront funding needs.

Transportation & Logistics

DOT moves to clear the road for self-driving trucks. The Trump administration is beginning work to iron out challenges to an eventual nation-wide rollout of automated vehicles (AVs), including commercial trucks.

US tariffs impacting Mexican trucking industry, exports drop over 50%. Exports, production and domestic sales of Mexican-built heavy-duty trucks saw steep year over year declines in July. Mexican trucking industry officials attributed U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and copper for the sharp contractions, along with the uncertainty in the market created by increased duties on goods from Mexico to the U.S.

Freight shipment decline streak extends to 30 months. Freight volumes fell faster in July while expenditures stepped slightly higher on a year-over-year comparison. Choppiness in demand created by an uncertain trade landscape continues to overhang the industry, according to a report from Cass Information Systems.

South Korea goes big in Georgia: $287M fund fuels global supply chain play. Korea Ocean Business Corp. (KOBC) recently completed the purchase of a $120M logistics center in Dalton, Georgia, according to a news release. The South Korean state-backed maritime financial firm has created a public-private fund, known as the Global Logistics Supply Chain Investment Fund, that could reach up to $287M, and is aimed at snapping up logistics warehouses across Georgia.

Americold opens $100M food hub in Kansas City. Cold storage provider Americold has opened a 335,000-square-foot import-export hub in Kansas City, Missouri. The company partnered with Class I railroad Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) to develop the $100M-plus facility.

Energy

China’s Tsingshan to invest $800M in its Zimbabwe steel plant. Chinese nickel producer Tsingshan Holding Group plans to invest $800M in its steel plant in central Zimbabwe through its unit Dinson Iron and Steel Company.

Seaway crude oil pipeline system resumes full operations after leak. Enterprise Products Partners (EPD.N), said the Seaway crude oil pipeline system resumed full operations after a crude oil leak from the company’s oil terminal in southeast Houston.

Ukraine reports strikes on Russian oil refinery, Caspian port hub. Ukraine struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region in an overnight attack and also hit a Caspian Sea port and cargo vessel used to transport military supplies from Iran to Russia the previous day.

First two Venezuelan oil cargoes by Chevron after license depart to US. The first two cargoes of Venezuelan oil exported by energy major Chevron (CVX.N), after it received a fresh U.S. authorization to operate in the country last month, have set sail for the United States.

China’s solar power capacity growth to slow in H2 after pricing reforms. China’s new solar power capacity will slow in the second half of 2025 as reforms removing guaranteed pricing create uncertainty for new projects, though full-year additions will still likely reach a record high because of frontloading, analysts say.

Trinidad awards deepwater blocks to Exxon, could see $21.7B investment, minister says. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), could invest as much as $21.7B in Trinidad and Tobago if the U.S. energy major finds reserves in a large deepwater area it was awarded to explore for oil and gas in the Caribbean country, Energy Minister Roodal Moonilal said.

Others

Novelis and DRT Collaborate to Advance Sustainability of Aluminum Beverage Can Ends. Novelis, a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, has entered into a joint development agreement with DRT Holdings, LLC to accelerate the adoption of high-recycled-content alloys in aluminum beverage can ends. This collaboration aims to improve the manufacturing process for sustainable can ends, ensuring seamless adoption across the global metal packaging industry.

Explosions at U.S. Steel Clairton plant kill 2 and injure at least 10, officials say. Two people died and at least 10 people were injured after the last missing individual was found dead following multiple explosions at the U.S. Steel Clairton plant. At a press conference, officials said they pulled the body of the lone unaccounted-for employee from the rubble.

China Creates World’s No. 1 Shipbuilder, Driven by Rivalry With U.S. A $16B merger of two state-controlled shipbuilders in China is set for completion soon, creating the world’s biggest shipbuilder while the U.S. searches for a path back into the business.

American shipbuilders are playing catch-up after decades of maritime-industry decline, though President Trump’s ambitious plans to revive American shipbuilding have hit snags recently.

Rare-Earth Magnet Maker Raises $65M in Push to Counter China. Startup Vulcan Elements said it raised $65M in a new funding round to increase production of the rare-earth magnets crucial to everything from drones to electric vehicles. The funding signals the growing push to build up an industry in the U.S. and reduce dependence on China.