Copper price spike stirs alarm over another rush to find substitutes

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) reported today its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011. For the 2011 first quarter, Reliance reported net income of $92.3 million, up 107% from 2010 first quarter net income of $44.7 million, and up 134% from $39.5 million in the 2010 fourth quarter. Earnings per diluted share were $1.23 in the 2011 first quarter, up 105% from 2010 first quarter earnings per diluted share of $.60 and up 132% from $.53 for the 2010 fourth quarter. Sales for the 2011 first quarter were $1.91 billion, up 32% from 2010 first quarter sales of $1.45 billion, and up 21% from 2010 fourth quarter sales of $1.58 billion.

China has called on central and provincial authorities to stop approving the construction of new aluminium smelting capacity as over-capacity in the industry is expanding. Nine ministries and departments jointly issued an urgent circular reinforcing Beijing's policy to restrict aluminium capacity expansion. The circular was published on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Wednesday. (www.miit.gov.cn). Picture, a German aluminium coin from the time of the hyperinflation, is from Images of Elements.

Exploration Orbite (TSX VENTURE:ORT.A) is pleased to announce the presence of high-value by-products such as scandium, gallium and other important rare earth elements in its Grande-Vallée deposit, all of which offer strong economic potential for the company and for Canada. The Company is also pleased to announce its filing of a provisional U.S. patent application that extends protection for its existing patented technology to the extraction of scandium, gallium and other rare earth elements from aluminous clay.

Indian-focused miner Vedanta Plc (VED.L: Quote) saw record aluminium production in its fourth quarter and a 29 percent jump in refined zinc from its Indian operations, helping it take advantage of rising metal prices.

As copper prices reach greater highs, Forbes says that manufacturers are looking at substitutes and choosing aluminum. After the financial crisis in […]

In its latest Commodity Companion publication, RBS explains why it prefers aluminium, copper, platinum and palladium to bulk commodities and silver on […]

Kazakh mining group ENRC (ENRC.L) said underlying profit more than doubled, on record production and demand recovery for its products, and that the global economic outlook is still improving. Underlying EBITDA jumped 118 percent to $3.19 billion, in line with the consensus, as revenue rose 72 percent to $6.60 billion.

Reuters reported that China’s aluminum alloy exports may fall in the coming two to three months as top buyer Japan cuts imports […]

Exploration Orbite (TSX VENTURE:ORT.A) is pleased to announce that it has successfully produced its first ton of high purity alumina and has done so ahead of schedule and on budget. This first ton was produced at the company's pilot facility in Cap-Chat, QC, using the company's patented process that marks an important technological quantum step forward. "Producing our first ton of high purity alumina is a major breakthrough for Orbite because it proves definitely that the innovative process we have developed is viable and suited to large scale production. It brings us that much closer to a new metallurgical alumina production facility and a high purity alumina production facility with very high added value"