Yehlisa ukubamba ngo-10%! Ingabe i-Glencore ingakwazi ukukhipha i-Century Aluminium kanye nentela ye-aluminium engu-50% e-United States ibe “iphasiwedi yokuhoxa”?

Ngomhla ziyi-18 kuLwezi, isikhondlakhondla sempahla yomhlaba i-Glencore saphothula ukwehliswa kwesiteki saso ku-Century Aluminium, umkhiqizi omkhulu we-aluminium oyinhloko e-United States, kusukela ku-43% kuya ku-33%. Lokhu kwehliswa kwempahla ebanjwayo kuhambisana newindi lenzuzo enkulu kanye nokwenyuka kwentengo yesitoko kwabancibiliki be-aluminium basendaweni ngemva kokwenyuka kwentela yase-US yokungeniswa kwe-aluminium, okuvumela i-Glencore ukuthi izuze izigidi zamadola ezimbuyiselweni zokutshalwa kwezimali.

Isizinda esiyinhloko salolu shintsho lokulingana ukulungiswa kwezinqubomgomo zentela zase-US. Ngomhla zizi-4 kuJuni walo nyaka, abaphathi bakaTrump e-United States bamemezele ukuthi bazophinda kabili intela ye-aluminium yokungenisa ku-50%, ngenhloso ecacile yenqubomgomo yokukhuthaza ukutshalwa kwezimali kwemboni ye-aluminium yendawo kanye nokukhiqizwa ukuze kuncishiswe ukuthembela ku-aluminium engenisiwe. Uma le nqubomgomo isisetshenziswa, yashintsha ngokushesha iphethini yokuhlinzeka nesidingo yase-USimakethe ye-aluminium- izindleko ze-aluminiyamu engenisiwe zenyuka kakhulu ngenxa yezindleko, futhi abancibilikisi be-aluminium basendaweni bathola isabelo semakethe ngezinzuzo zamanani, okuzuzisa ngokuqondile i-Century Aluminium njengomholi wemboni.

Njengomnikazi wamasheya omkhulu wesikhathi eside we-Century Aluminium, iGlencore inoxhaxha lwezimboni olujulile nenkampani. Ulwazi lomphakathi lubonisa ukuthi i-Glencore ayigcini nje ngokubamba ukulingana ku-Century Aluminium, kodwa futhi idlala indima ebalulekile embaxambili: ngakolunye uhlangothi, inikeza i-alumina eyinhloko ye-alumina ye-Century Aluminium ukuqinisekisa ukuzinza kwayo kokukhiqiza; Ngakolunye uhlangothi, inesibopho sokubhala phansi cishe yonke imikhiqizo ye-aluminium ye-Century Aluminium eNyakatho Melika futhi inikeze amakhasimende asekhaya e-United States. Le modeli yokubambisana ekabili “yechungechunge+lomkhakha” yenza i-Glencore ikwazi ukuthwebula ngokunembile ukuguquguquka kokusebenza nokusebenza nezinguquko zokulinganisa ze-Century Aluminium.

Izabelo ze-tariff zinomphumela okhuphulayo omkhulu ekusebenzeni kwe-Century Aluminium. Idatha ibonisa ukuthi ukukhiqizwa kwe-aluminium okuyinhloko kwe-Century Aluminium kufinyelele amathani angu-690000 ngo-2024, kukleliswe kuqala phakathi kwezinkampani eziyinhloko ezikhiqiza i-aluminium e-United States. Ngokusho kwe-Trade Data Monitor, ivolumu yokungenisa kwe-aluminium yase-US ka-2024 ingamathani ayizigidi ezingu-3.94, okubonisa ukuthi i-aluminium engenisiwe isenesabelo esikhulu semakethe e-US. Ngemva kokwenyuka kwentela, abakhiqizi be-aluminium abavela kwamanye amazwe kudingeka bafake u-50% wezindleko zentela kumakhotheshini abo, okuholela ekwehleni okukhulu kokuncintisana kwentengo yabo. Imali ekhokhwayo yemakethe yomthamo wokukhiqiza wasekhaya iyagqanyiswa, ikhuthaza ngokuqondile ukukhula kwenzuzo kanye nokwenyuka kwamanani amasheya e-Century Aluminium, okudala izimo ezivumayo zokunciphisa inzuzo ye-Glencore.

Nakuba i-Glencore yehlise isiteki sayo ngo-10%, isasigcinile isikhundla sayo sokuba ngumnikazi wamasheya omkhulu we-Century Aluminium enamasheya angu-33%, futhi ukubambisana kwayo kochungechunge lwezimboni ne-Century Aluminium akukashintshi. Abahlaziyi bezimakethe baveze ukuthi lokhu kwehliswa kwempahla ebambekayo kungase kube umsebenzi wezigaba weGlencore wokuthuthukisa ukwabiwa kwempahla. Ngemva kokujabulela izinzuzo zezabelo zenqubomgomo yentela, isazokwabelana ngezabelo zesikhathi eside zokuthuthukiswa kwemboni yasekhaya ye-aluminium e-United States ngokusebenzisa isikhundla sayo sokulawula.