The Novelis Fire: A challenge for Automakers

The major fire that broke out at Novelis on September 16 in Oswego, N.Y., is expected to cause significant challenges for the automotive industry — particularly for Ford. Novelis is the world’s largest recycler of aluminium and counts several major automakers among its clients, including — unsurprisingly — Ford.

Ford, which uses large amounts of aluminium, particularly for the bodies of its pickups, is a key customer of Novelis, a company owned by India’s Hindalco Industries. The latter does not anticipate a full return to operations until early 2026.

Ford is not Novelis’s only client affected. Stellantis, Toyota Motor Corp., and Volkswagen Group are also on the list, though none have yet issued a public statement.

(Photo: Novelis)

Éric Descarries

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