Ngomhla wama-20 ku-Agasti, uthotho lwe-aluminium lwehlabathi lufumene esinye isilumkiso esibalulekileyo. I-Marubeni Corporation, inkampani enkulu yaseJapan edumileyo, ikhuphe idatha yamva nje yesitokhwe sezibuko, igxininisa imeko enzima yokunikezelwa kwe-aluminium phesheya kwezilwandle. Isiphumo sokuqina kokunikezelwa okubangelwa ziingxabano zezopolitiko siyaqhubeka nokubila, sibeka isiseko sokulinganisela okuqinileyo kwimarike ye-aluminium yehlabathi kunye nepateni yemfuno kwisiqingatha sesibini sonyaka.

Idatha ibonisa ukuba ekupheleni kukaJulayi 2026, isixa esipheleleyo se-aluminium kwizibuko ezintathu eziphambili zaseYokohama, eNagoya, nase-Osaka eJapan sehle saya kwiitoni ezingama-201000, ukwehla kwe-8.8% xa kuthelekiswa nenyanga edlulileyo. Isikali sempahla sifikelele kwinqanaba eliphantsi leminyaka eli-16 ukusukela ngo-Epreli 2010, siphezulu kancinci kunexabiso eliphantsi leetoni ezili-190500 ngo-Epreli 2010. Njengesiseko esiphambili sokungenisa, ukuguquka, kunye nokusasazwa kwee-ingots ze-aluminium eJapan, isixa esiphambili sezibuko ezintathu siyaqhubeka nokwehla, nto leyo ebonisa ngokucacileyo ukuqina okuqhubekayo kokunikezelwa kwee-ingot ze-aluminium kwimarike yaseJapan.

Abaphathi abaphezulu beMarubeni Corporation bachaze unobangela oyintloko wotshintsho lwezinto ezisetyenzisiweyo, besithi izinto ezisetyenzisiweyo ze-aluminium zaseJapan zehle kakhulu kule meko, ikakhulu ngenxa yeengxabano zezopolitiko eziqhubekayo kuMbindi Mpuma. Kwiinyanga zakutshanje, ngenxa yezinto ezininzi ezifana nemeko enzima, ukuphazamiseka kokuthunyelwa kweenqanawa, kunye nemveliso yokunyibilikisa ethintelweyo, ubungakanani bee-ingots ze-aluminium ezingeniswe yiJapan zivela kuMbindi Mpuma buqhubeke nokwehla kakhulu, kwaye umthamo wokufika kwizibuko uye wehla kakhulu, nto leyo ekhokelela ngokuthe ngqo ekunciphiseni okuqhubekayo kwezinto ezisetyenzisiweyo kwaye ibeka umgangatho ophantsi omtsha kwinqanaba.

Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuba uMbindi Mpuma yindawo ephambili yemveliso ye-aluminium ye-electrolytic kwihlabathi, apho amandla okunyibilikisa i-aluminium ebalelwa kwi-9% yamandla ehlabathi liphela, ethatha indawo ebalulekileyo kwinkqubo yokubonelela nge-aluminium yehlabathi. Imiqobo emininzi ekuthunyelweni kwamanye amazwe, ukuveliswa, kunye nokuthuthwa kwee-ingots ze-aluminium ezibangelwa yingxabano yangoku yezopolitiko kuMbindi Mpuma ayizizo iingxaki zexesha elifutshane zengingqi, kodwa ziingxaki zokubonelela ngeziphumo zothumelo lwehlabathi. Abantu abangaphakathi kushishino baqikelela ukuba ukuphazamiseka okuqhubekayo kobonelelo lwe-aluminium kuMbindi Mpuma kuya kukhokelela ngokuthe ngqo ekunqongophaleni okukhulu kobonelelo kwimarike ye-aluminium yehlabathi ngo-2026, kuphule iphethini yokubonelela-imfuno elinganayo kwinqanaba lokuqala.

Ngokwembono yemarike, iJapan ixhomekeke kakhulu kwizixhobo ze-aluminium ezingeniswa kwamanye amazwe ezivela phesheya, kwaye iMpuma Ephakathi ngumthombo obalulekileyo wokungeniswa kwayo. Ukuncipha kokunikezelwa kukhokelela ngokuthe ngqo ekuncipheni okuqhubekayo kweephedi zokhuseleko lwempahla zasekhaya. Phantsi kwenqanaba lempahla eliphantsi kakhulu, amandla okumelana nomngcipheko kwimarike ye-aluminium yaseJapan anciphile kakhulu. Xa ukunikezelwa okuvela kuMbindi Mpuma kunzima ukukulungisa ngokukhawuleza kwixesha elizayo, kunokubangela ukunqongophala kweindawo yealuminiyamamaxabiso kunye nokuqinisa iikowuteshini kulo mmandla, eziya kuthi emva koko zidluliselwe kwimarike yehlabathi ngeendlela zorhwebo lwamazwe ngamazwe.

Lilonke, iingozi zokubonelela ngempahla kwimarike yehlabathi ye-aluminium ziyaqhubeka nokunyuka, kunye nemiqondiso emibini yokuphazamiseka komthamo wemveliso yaseMbindi Mpuma kunye noluhlu olutsha lwezixhobo ezisezantsi eJapan, nto leyo egxininisa ukunqongophala kwezixhobo ze-aluminium zaphesheya. Imarike elandelayo kufuneka igxile ekulandeleleni inkqubela phambili yokulungiswa kwemeko yezopolitiko yaseMbindi Mpuma, ukuqaliswa kwakhona komthamo wokunyibilikisa i-aluminium, kunye nesantya sokujikeleziswa kweengot ze-aluminium zamazwe ngamazwe. Amaxabiso e-aluminium kwihlabathi jikelele nawo aya kuqhubeka nokuxhaswa kulindelo lokunqongophala konikezelo, kwaye ukuguquguquka kulindeleke ukuba kunyuke ngakumbi.