The Italian Aluminium Industry. Cartels, Multinationals, and the Autharkic phase, 1925-1943

This article offers an analysis of the history of the Italian aluminium industry in the context of its international relations. This industry was created by foreign investments from an international oligopoly of producers and, in spite of this fact, Italy became a ‘semi-outsider’ in international aluminium cartels of the period until its « emancipation » in 1935. During 1931-1934, when the cartel reduced world production in response to the great depression, Italian production was not restrained following the cartel policy. The cartel granted growing quotas to the Italian companies, and placed the resulting excess production on the international market. In 1936-1937 a new impetus was given to production with the fascist government’s autarky plan for aluminium self-sufficiency. The expansion of Italian production occurred outside of the cartel’s control but with the participation of certain of its members: AIAG and Alted for example. This article aims to consider the relationship between international cartels and new participants, underlining the particularity of Italy, where the fascist regime influenced that relationship.