William Oplinger on US manufacturing
From Alcoa CEO on Aluminum Prices Hitting New Highs · · Stockology Insider
“Building capacity in the United States is really going to be based on low cost energy. Uh and uh at this point we don't see opportunities to build in the US green field capacity because we can't get energy at the level that that we want to get it at. With the tariffs that are in place today, we're paying over a billion dollars of tariff costs. But that is getting picked up on the revenue line because that is getting that price is getting transitioned to our customers.”
On , William Oplinger, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at ALCOA CORP, spoke about US manufacturing during Alcoa CEO on Aluminum Prices Hitting New Highs on Stockology Insider.
About William Oplinger
In April 2026, Oplinger stated that Alcoa met its internal expectations for the first quarter, reporting $600 million in EBITDA and guiding to a stronger second quarter. He described the aluminum market as "very tight" and "getting tighter," attributing this to conflict in the Middle East that has taken approximately 2.5 million metric tons of production offline. Oplinger said that even if the conflict were resolved immediately, it would take up to a year to restart some capacity, and he expressed a belief that "many people are underestimating the tightness in the US markets in the May-June time frame." Regarding US production, Oplinger said Alcoa does not see opportunities to build greenfield capacity in the United States because it cannot obtain low-cost energy at the level it requires. He noted that the company is paying over a billion dollars in tariff costs on imports from Canada but that those costs are passed on to customers through pricing. Oplinger also mentioned that Alcoa issued a notice to redeem $219 million of its 2028 notes and outlined a capital allocation framework prioritizing sustaining operations, maintaining a strong balance sheet, and balancing shareholder returns with growth.