Europe held hostage by the Strait of Hormuz: FACE’s prophetic vision on the vulnerability of aluminium supplies
Europe currently stands at a decisive crossroads for its industrial survival, and the events of recent months have unfortunately confirmed just how far-sighted FACE’s position has been. Since the first attack in Iran in July 2025, we have issued prophetic warnings regarding the geopolitical risks tied to aluminium supply—a crisis that is now manifesting in all its severity. Our economic sovereignty is threatened by an unsustainable structural dependency that forces us to import over 87% of the primary aluminium required to fuel our supply chains.
The paradox of this condition is evident in the figures for 2025, which show the European Union importing approximately 900,000 tonnes of metal from the Gulf, a quantity that equals the EU’s entire total domestic production of primary aluminium. We have essentially outsourced our industrial security to fragile maritime routes and high-risk geopolitical zones, such as the Strait of Hormuz. With an annual requirement of 7 million tonnes to be attracted from global markets, Europe is now vulnerable to logistical shocks, record-breaking physical premiums, and volatile energy costs.
War-time tensions and the blockade of southern maritime routes are not merely logistical headaches, but direct assaults on the competitiveness of European downstream companies. When war-risk insurers begin to withdraw, supply ceases to be a matter of price and becomes a matter of physical availability. To safeguard the sector, FACE reiterates the urgent need to keep all supply options open by eliminating restrictions and duties that penalise internal consumption, protecting scrap from fleeing to third markets, and treating aluminium as a national security priority. Only by guaranteeing freedom of supply can we ensure a future for the green transition and European manufacturing.
The article by FACE Secretary General Mario Conserva published by the A&L Alluminio e Leghe Magazine in August 2025 is available here.
The article “Trump’s war with Iran a major risk for US, European aluminium consumers” published by Reuters is available here.
The article “Aluminium rises as Middle East war threatens supply disruptions” published by The Edge Malaysia is available here.
