PRESS RELEASE – for immediate release
Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe – FACE
Thursday 15 october 2026, Brussels
PRESS RELEASE
Aluminium: FACE welcomes Porto Marghera stockpiling plan and scrap export monitoring, but calls for more coherent supply strategy
Brussels, 15 October 2026 – Security of aluminium supply is once again at the centre of Italy’s institutional debate. In response to a parliamentary question submitted in the Chamber of Deputies by MPs Squeri, Lovecchio and Casasco, Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso referred to the measures introduced to monitor aluminium scrap exports to non-EU countries and to Porto Marghera’s bid to host Europe’s first strategic stockpiling site for critical raw materials.
FACE welcomes the political attention being given to an issue that has been a priority for the aluminium value chain for decades: ensuring that European and Italian downstream industries have adequate access to raw materials at competitive prices.
“Recognising aluminium as a strategic material is an important step, and FACE has been drawing the attention of policymakers to this issue for thirty years. The availability of metal in stable, sufficient and competitive quantities is essential to safeguarding production, employment and companies’ investment capacity,” says Mario Conserva, Secretary General of FACE.
Aluminium scrap is a strategic industrial resource. Its collection and recovery support recycling, help maintain existing remelting capacity and reduce the value chain’s energy requirements. Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and growing supply risks, ensuring its availability in Europe is therefore essential to the competitiveness of the entire industrial system.
The requirement for advance notification of exports of certain quantities of scrap to non-EU countries represents an initial monitoring tool. Its effectiveness, however, must be assessed on the basis of tangible results: the actual availability of material on the European market and the supply conditions faced by businesses.
“Monitoring is a first step, but we cannot consider the issue resolved. We need to establish whether the measures adopted deliver tangible benefits for aluminium-using companies and ensure that raw materials are available in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices. At the same time, collection, recycling and Europe’s industrial capacity must be strengthened,” Conserva adds.
FACE also welcomes the prospect of Porto Marghera hosting a European strategic stockpiling site for critical raw materials. This initiative deserves attention and support as part of a broader strategy to strengthen security of supply.
For FACE, the next step is to translate the political recognition of aluminium’s strategic importance into a coherent trade and industrial policy at both national and European level. Such a policy must combine security of supply, competitive access to raw materials—including through the removal of import tariffs—, the development of recycling, a review of supply restrictions and the protection of the value chain’s competitiveness. This is essential to recognising the contribution of the Italian and European aluminium industries and strengthening their long-term resilience.
The press release is available here.
