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Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
How to Offset Trump's Aluminum Tariffs: Recycle Your Beer Can
CASSOPOLIS, Mich.—The way around President Trump's 50% tariff on imported aluminum might be sitting in your garbage. But Americans will have to do a lot more recycling, metals executives and analysts say, for the U.S. to break its reliance on imported aluminum. Even with such a high trade barrier, they give long odds to a domestic smelting revival. 'Recycling is the answer,' said Duncan Pitchford, who leads Norsk Hydro's upstream aluminum business in the U.S. 'The metal is already here.' Duncan Pitchford leads Norsk Hydro's upstream aluminum business in the U.S., which includes three recycling plants. U.S. primary aluminum production has dwindled over the past 25 years. Yet facilities like Hydro's two-year-old plant in southwest Michigan have made the country a leading producer of secondary aluminum from scrap, feeding metal to brewers, builders and automakers that are now burdened by the 50% import tax. Building an aluminum smelter to make primary aluminum from refined bauxite would take several years and billions of dollars, never mind continuing electricity consumption that can rival that of a major U.S. city. Aluminum-recycling plants can be built faster and cheaper—roughly two years and $150 million in the case of the Cassopolis plant. And since recycling facilities melt aluminum rather than cause a chemical reaction to create it, they consume about 5% of the energy needed for primary production, Pitchford said. If the 14 remelt projects announced since 2022 are built and Americans significantly improve their recycling habits, the U.S. could reduce aluminum imports by as much as half, according to the Aluminum Association. More than $1 billion worth of beverage cans were dumped in U.S. landfills just last year, the trade group estimates. By weight, that was similar to all the primary aluminum produced by U.S. smelters. A lack of sorting operations means that a lot of the aluminum in junked cars, demolition debris and old electronics winds up in landfills as well. 'If we get that back, it will be recycled,' said the Aluminum Association's Matt Meenan. The U.S. also sends scrap abroad, exporting about 2.4 million metric tons of mostly lower-grade post-consumer aluminum last year. Recycling more of it stateside would be less expensive than continuing to fill the supply gap with imports now that there is a 50% tariff. The import tax has lifted U.S. aluminum prices to a record relative to the global price set in London's trading pits. The benchmark Midwest premium has about tripled this year, reaching 72 cents a pound in August, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. U.S. buyers pay that on top of the London Metal Exchange price, which was recently $1.18 a pound. The added cost is walloping beverage companies and manufacturers. Brewer Molson Coors told investors earlier this month that it expected the greater premium to add $40 million to $55 million to its expenses this year. Ford Motor said $800 million of tariffs on imported parts, steel and aluminum helped wipe out its profit last quarter and that it expects a $2 billion hit to its annual earnings. Automakers and other big aluminum users have yet to raise prices much in response. Analysts say it is a matter of time before the stockpiles of metal that arrived in the U.S. ahead of the June increase are depleted and companies start passing on higher aluminum costs. 'Without any relaxation of the tariffs, the situation for U.S. consumers may deteriorate in the second half of the year,' said Karen Norton, principal analyst at S&P Global. In his first term, Trump set a 10% tariff on aluminum imports. His aim was to block cheap foreign aluminum so that domestic producers could take back market share and be available to meet demand from the military and infrastructure projects. Upon returning to the White House this year, he raised the tariff to 25% and eliminated exemptions that had been given to big suppliers, including Mexico and Canada. Trump doubled the levy in June. 'At 25%, they can sort of get over that fence,' he said at a rally near Pittsburgh when he unveiled the higher tariff. 'At 50%, they can no longer get over the fence.' The U.S. once dominated the aluminum business. The first commercial batch was made in Pittsburgh in 1888 by the company that became Alcoa. The U.S. remained the world's top producer through 2000. Smelters started closing around then, squeezed by cheaper Chinese and Russian exports and rising energy costs. Electricity accounts for about 40% of the cost of making primary aluminum. Domestic smelters for decades were provided low-price hydropower from federal utilities, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Northwest's Bonneville Power Administration. When those arrangements ended, smelters had to start paying market rates. Only four of the 24 smelters operating in 2000 are still running. U.S. manufacturers came to rely on aluminum from Canada, where Quebec's cheap hydropower fuels smelters owned by Alcoa, Hydro and others. The tariff has Canadian smelters rerouting their output, while scrap, which isn't subject to Trump's tariff, is being shipped from Europe and piling up in the U.S. About 15 million pounds of scrap arrive each month at Hydro's Michigan plant, mostly by truck. The Norwegian aluminum producer built its third U.S. recycling plant between big scrap markets in Chicago and Detroit. Cassopolis is also in the middle of the largest concentration of aluminum extruders in the U.S., Pitchford said. The extruders that make parts for Michigan's automakers and Indiana's RV manufacturers are the plant's main customers as well as diligent recyclers, returning their scrap to be melted into the next batch of malleable billets. Other trucks arrive in Cassopolis full of shredded cars, old window and door frames and overhead electrical wire. The plant doesn't recycle cans, which go to facilities that specialize in turning the two alloys in beverage containers into new cans. Cassopolis specializes in producing automotive-crash alloys. Among its state-of-the-art features is a delacquering furnace, which burns off impurities like paint, labels and dirt and enables the plant to recycle lower-grade scrap than most. The Cassopolis plant specializes in producing automotive-crash alloys for car-part makers in Michigan and Indiana's RV manufacturers. A lot of material comes through a sorting hub near Grand Rapids, where Hydro uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technology to mechanically separate scrap by alloy. In Southeast Asia, where a lot of exported scrap is sent, different types of aluminum are separated by hand. 'We can't do that in the U.S.,' Pitchford said. 'We need hundreds of these machines around the country if we're going to meaningfully reduce scrap exports.' Write to Ryan Dezember at How to Offset Trump's Aluminum Tariffs: Recycle Your Beer Can How to Offset Trump's Aluminum Tariffs: Recycle Your Beer Can How to Offset Trump's Aluminum Tariffs: Recycle Your Beer Can
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Letters, Aug. 11
Opinion Budgets and belt-tightening Re: NDP's balanced-budget dreams hit by fiscal reality, June 27 and NDP, living in fiscal fantasy world, must face reality, Aug. 6 After laying out the challenges of balancing the budget anytime soon, the first opinion piece ends with the following advice: 'Being honest with Manitobans about the province's fiscal challenges is the best policy right now.' After noting that the current and projected deficits are a result of a structural imbalance, the second opinion piece states: 'You don't close a gap of that size in two years without serious belt-tightening or significant tax increases.' I couldn't agree more, we should expect the government to be honest and forthright about the fiscal challenges we are facing. And yes, let's have a discussion about how much of each — belt-tightening and tax increases — should be done to address the problem rather than kicking the can down the road and saddling future generations with excessive debt and interest payments. As a starting point, I suggest we begin with a discussion regarding the following propositions. First, the least well-off among us should not be subject to any further belt-tightening. Second, the tax decreases brought in by the former government were ill-advised, as was the decision to retain them by the current government. And as we are doing this, let's remind ourselves of the extent of child poverty and homelessness in this province, and that both the personal income tax top rate and the retail sales tax rate in Manitoba are the third-owest in the country. So yes, let us all be as honest as possible, have the discussion, and then do what needs to be and should be done. Gerald Farthing Winnipeg Emissions and disagreement There are many points to disagree with in Robert Parsons' article What do we do now regarding emissions, Aug. 7, but I will only deal with two of his statements. Parsons dismisses ground source heat pumps as an alternative to natural gas as unaffordable. He mentions community loops and neighbourhood systems as a way to implement them but quickly dismisses the idea. Not so fast, Mr. Parsons. Natural gas is primarily methane and is a potent source of greenhouse gas emissions both in its extraction and in its consumption. Heat pumps are largely benign as far as greenhouse gas production. District heating is in widespread use in European countries. What we need in Manitoba is a mandate for Manitoba Hydro to install ground source heat pumps and district heating in all new developments and to have homeowners pay it off gradually on their Hydro bills. It can be sold as a positive as it will save them money over time while benefiting the planet. Parsons likewise dismisses solar energy as a source of electricity for the province in favour of gas turbines. This argument is even more unconvincing, as it is widely known that solar energy production is now the least expensive alternative for electricity generation. Some 600 gw of solar were installed worldwide last year (Manitoba's entire capacity is about 6 gw). When combined with large scale battery storage, solar has gas beaten on all counts, particularly in friendliness to the planet. Parsons ends his opinion piece by saying that we need to be realistic and think things through. Doing what is good for our children and grandchildren is the height of thinking things through. Joe Leven Winnipeg Nuclear nightmares Re: The little-known dangers we live with, Think Tank, July 30 To accompany this very timely article and the mentioned Annie Jacobsen book Nuclear War: A Scenario would be the Eric Schlosser non-fiction book and PBS documentary of the same name Command – and Control about the real accidental explosive self-destruction in September 1980 of a Titan 2 missile and its silo in Arkansas and the subsequent search for the nuclear warhead (found in a ditch unexploded), and the 700-1,000 known accidents since. And the 1957 fiction book On the Beach by Nevil Shute about MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) by accident (made into a movie of the same name starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner) foretelling the possible self-annihilation of the human race well before the real 16-28 Oct. 1962 Kennedy/ Kruschev Cuban Missile Crisis nuclear standoff. Only a matter of time before hubris gets us all, and remember that the Orange Menace now has the nuclear codes, as do Netanyahu and Putin (with International Criminal Court warrants out for their arrest), and North Korea, Pakistan and India; all involved in wars and standoffs as we speak. The Sword of Damocles. Andy Maxwell Winnipeg Respecting elders The editorial Seniors deserve decent care home food, Aug. 7, builds on John Longhurst's article Driven by faith, frustrated by funding, which was on the front page on Aug. 5. Both articles have a common theme. In the world of 'trickle down funding,' not much money is trickling down from the regional health authorities to the folks who are trying to make ends meet operating personal care homes (PCHs). Our provincial government was elected to fix health care. There have been no notable improvements and some areas are likely worse than before. Meanwhile, the health authorities are shorting the funding of elder care to fund other areas, meaning that they are driving the one area of health care that was sort of functioning into a desperate situation. In John Longhurst's article, there is much discussion on the trade-offs that faith-based PCH's make in providing decent food to those in their care. Just imagine the choices that are being made in the for-profit PCH's, where return on investment is the guiding principle! Many families visit loved ones regularly to help in feeding, to provide companionship and in some cases help with care. This is laudable but it shouldn't be the de facto fallback to adequate funding. Some families due to geography or other limitations cannot do this. Who feeds them? Who makes sure they get their meds? Who makes sure that their undergarments are clean? Wab Kinew comes from a culture with a tradition of respecting its elders. It's time to walk the walk, Premier Kinew. Tom Pearson Winnipeg Doing something Another article in the Free Press again chronicles choking smoke in Manitoba and across Canada. Given that, according to the current U.S. administration, climate change is a hoax, we're not likely to see the reduction of vehicle speed limits on their highways as we did during the oil 'crisis' of the 1997's. Canada and much of the rest of the world are on board with the idea that something needs to be done about climate change. The lack of infrastructure for electric vehicles and the high cost of their purchase makes the shift to electric cars a challenge and yes, there are some issues related to the batteries that power them. That said, every driver on every highway is capable of reducing their speed to the 90 km/h that we maintained when we were so concerned about running out of oil. Running out of oil is one thing. Running out of time is a much bigger problem. George Bednarczyk Winnipeg
Business News Wales
3 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Welsh Green Tech Firm Secures Long Term Contracts in South America
A West Wales green tech company has secured three major projects in the Republic of Ecuador. Llangennech-based water technology company Hydro Industries was assisted by the outgoing British Ambassador to Ecuador, Chris Campbell and his team. The schemes collectively represent the largest transaction carried out by a British company in Ecuador. The projects are spread over three municipalities and will see the clean up of contaminated wastewater or the provision of safe, clean drinking water. Hydro has signed a contract with EMGIRS, a public company that manages solid waste for the Metropolitan District of Quito, to treat landfill leachate. In 2024, driven by the Mayor of Quito, Pabel Muñoz López, Hydro installed a leachate treatment plant to prevent toxic waste entering the Inga River. Since then, under a contract to design, build and operate the treatment plant, Hydro has produced a total of 208 million litres of clean water. Under the new contract, Hydro is working with the General Manager of EMGIRS, Santiago Andrada Piedra, and his team, to increase the recovery of clean water at the El Inga treatment plant with the aim of both preserving the delicate ecosystem of the Inga River basin and the creation of additional clean water that can be used to the benefit of the citizens of Quito. This project will see Hydro making further investments in the region that provide technology upgrades to meet EMGIRS targets. Hydro has also signed a confidentiality agreement with the Municipality of Manta to immediately begin the process to establish a long term public-private partnership to deliver its water treatment technologies to meet the needs of the region. The legal process has already began, and building work will be expected to start in the in the City of Manta in the second quarter of 2026. Hydro said the partnership reflects the shared commitment of both parties to address critical water challenges in a sustainable, efficient, and socially responsible manner. The announcement reflects the conclusion of a process to increase the availability of safe, clean drinking water to citizens of Manta, the firm said. The plan envisages the phased roll out of water treatment technologies at strategic locations across the Manta Municipality. Hydro has been instructed by the Mayor of Rocafuerte to enter into a 10-year strategic partnership to provide drinking water to the citizens of Rocafuerte and clean water to its industrial and agricultural sectors. The legal process will start immediately to ensure that Hydro can deploy its water treatment plants across Rocafuerte as efficiently and swiftly as possible. This initial contract is valued at more than $75 million. Both the Mayor and Hydro Industries are committed to prioritising the use of the local workforce wherever possible to deliver state-of-the-art treatment facilities and the pipeline infrastructure required to serve the region. The Mayor of Quito, Pabel Muñoz López, said: 'The protection of the environment and the provision of safe, clean drinking water to our people is a mission that drives us. It touches all of us, from young to old, from rich to poor. It is our responsibility and our legacy.' Wayne Preece, Chief Executive of Hydro Industries, said: 'Hydro is a water technology company based in the United Kingdom, but with global ambitions. In Ecuador we have found, through the leadership of the Mayor of Quito, and other regional Mayors, an ambition that matches our own. We will work together, at pace, to create a cleaner and safer Ecaudor, one drop at a time.' British Ambassador to Ecuador, Chris Campbell, said: 'I have been proud to serve my country as its Ambassador to Ecuador. It is now time for me to move on – and make way for Libby Green – who will now take up the torch. I hope, in my time here in Ecuador, that I have done some good. I am delighted that my final announcement is to highlight ever increasing ties between Great Britain and Ecuador – ties that will result in better health and a cleaner environment for generations to come.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Best teams for Stygian Onslaught in Genshin Impact 5.8
(Image via miHoYo) Stygian Onslaught is back in Version 5.8, and this time, it's stronger. With a revamped boss lineup and unique elemental mechanics for each fight, you'll need three sharply tailored teams to clear all stages efficiently. Whether you're chasing high scores or just want to survive the chaos, here's a complete guide to the best teams for each battlefield in Genshin 5.8 Stygian Onslaught. Best Teams for Stygian Onslaught in Battlefield 1: Tenebrous Papilla This boss demands high-frequency elemental damage and Nightsoul-aligned hits. Think rapid attackers, Natlan-born units, and coordinated rotations. Burn through its Void Ward before it floods the stage. Team 1: Mavuika + Xilonen + Citlali + Bennett Why it works: Mavuika shreds with Nightsoul DMG, Xilonen offers quick elemental ticks, and Bennett buffs everyone into overdrive. Run rotations tight to erase the Void Ward the moment it appears. Team 2: Chasca + Emilie + Citlali + Bennett Why it works: Chasca brings multi-hit burst potential, perfect for breaking shields. Citlali and Emilie bring support + utility while Bennett ensures uptime and healing. Team 3: Kinich + Iansan + Xianyun + Bennett Why it works: Kinich's Burning mechanics scale hard with Iansan and Xianyun. This is your go-to for style points and boss obliteration. 5.8 Stygian Onslaught Guide! Mechanics, BEST Teams, and MORE! Genshin Impact Best Teams for Stygian Onslaught in Battlefield 2: Battle-Hardened Tent Tortoise Cocijo punishes high-frequency attacks and rewards chill plays—literally. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like See Results for Car Selling Websites Search Now Undo Freeze comps are king here, or you can opt for carefully-timed, low-frequency bursts. Team 1: Skirk + Escoffier + Shenhe + Furina Why it works: Escoffier + Skirk create a stable Freeze loop. Shenhe buffs Cryo DMG. Furina adds AoE + support value. Keep the tortoise permanently frozen and it'll never get to charge. Team 2: Ayaka + Rosaria + Kokomi + Diona Why it works: Classic Freeze setup with safety. Ayaka nukes, Rosaria batteries, Kokomi heals and applies Hydro nonstop. Diona keeps your team alive and shields you through mistakes. Team 3: Mualani + Thoma + Xinyan + Layla Why it works: Want to try it without Freeze cheese? Mualani deals slow but heavy hits, while Thoma and Xinyan tank the frontlines. Layla gives shields to survive the Electro buildup. Best F2P Teams That Clapped Stygian Onslaught 💥 (No Skirk, No Ineffa) | Genshin Impact Best Teams for Stygian Onslaught in Battlefield 3: Pipilpan Idol (Last Survivor of Tenochtzitoc) This boss loves hats and hates Lunar-Charged or Electro-Charged reactions. Clear those gimmicks fast or get swarmed. Team 1: Ineffa + Neuvillette + Fischl + Kazuha Why it works: Ineffa's Lunar-Charged reactions delete the minion hats. Neuvillette is a high-DPS Hydro driver. Fischl triggers reactions, and Kazuha swirls + buffs everything. Team 2: Clorinde + Fischl + Yelan + Xingqiu Why it works: Electro-Charged comp that melts the boss. Clorinde leads as hypercarry, while Yelan/XQ double Hydro support + Fischl handles off-field Electro. High burst, fast clear. Team 3: Neuvillette + Furina + Beidou + Lisa Why it works: Neuvillette and Furina's synergy is unmatched. Beidou brings AoE Electro. Lisa adds DEF shred. This one's smooth, satisfying, and wipes out the boss in style. Stygian Onslaught 5.8 isn't just about raw DPS—it's about playing smart with elemental reactions and rhythm. Adapt your playstyle to each battlefield, rotate your team efficiently, and use the right support units. Whether you're a meta chaser or just love breaking bosses with your faves, these team comps will get you through clean and fast. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Edmonton Journal
5 days ago
- General
- Edmonton Journal
How a fish fell from the sky and sparked a fire in this B.C. village
Article content Ashcroft Fire Rescue responded to a fire located six kilometres south of town last Wednesday, just before noon. With support from BC Hydro staff and local ranchers, firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading and fully extinguish it. Article content Article content Article content The fire department said firefighters and ranchers used about 4,800 gallons of water to put out the fire. Article content Article content 'The only possible source of ignition out in this field was a Hydro pole, and so we went over to the pole, and there at the pole was a fish that had been charred,' said Josh White, Fire chief of Ashcroft Fire Rescue. Article content According to White, about half a kilometre south of the pole, there was an osprey nest, and inside the nest there was 'an unhappy camper' looking at what was going to be his dinner. Article content It was determined that the fish was dropped by the osprey, a fish-eating bird of prey common in the area, who was bringing back its catch from the nearby river, which runs about three kilometres from the fire site. Article content When it fell, the fish hit the hydro line, causing embers to fall onto the dry grass below, and sparking a fire. Article content Article content 'We do suspect the size of the fish and the heat of the day probably caused the rather tired bird to drop its catch. Or another suspicion could be that it's tired of raw fish and wanted to give cooked a try,' Ashcroft Fire Rescue joked in a colourful Facebook post that has more than a thousand likes, leading to stories by The New York Times, The New York Post, the U.K.'s The Independent and others. Article content Article content White said that upon discovering what caused the fire, he was in disbelief. 'It was kind of just like, 'Oh my goodness, I can't believe this just happened.' So I went and wrote a funny story about it on Facebook thinking, you know, my typical 10 to 20 people give it the old thumbs up. I didn't expect this to really go as far as it did.' Article content The fire temporarily knocked out power for Ashcroft and, according to White, it could have been really serious if they had winds that afternoon or if the people in the area hadn't stepped up. Article content 'The quick actions of the Hydros, through the Ashcroft ranch and the highways department, really helped big time in keeping that fire contained,' said White. Article content 'I just wholeheartedly can't say enough about the people that stopped, along with my fire department crew and our dispatching team, all these people made this work and we were able to have a successful win here.' Article content As for the culprit, on Aug.1, Ashcroft Fire Rescue released an update via their Facebook saying, 'The suspect osprey has been caught and is being held in custody for questioning. The judge has not granted bail as the suspect poses an extreme….flight risk!'
