Alkagesta and Navex Launch Malta-Based Metals Trading Venture

Malta-based commodity trading group Alkagesta has formed a new joint venture with French steel trading firm Navex SAS to enter the physical metals market. Named Alkanavex, the entity will be based in Malta and will initially focus on trading steel for international construction and industrial manufacturing sectors. Alkagesta will control a majority stake in the newly created enterprise as both firms advance through operational integration and legal completion.

The transaction follows a two-year preparatory phase during which the two companies worked to coordinate their commercial operations, regulatory compliance frameworks, and internal governance standards. Alkanavex intends to combine Alkagesta's worldwide trading network and logistical capabilities with Navex's specialized industry knowledge and operational track record. The venture aims to establish structured supply routes to serve customers across international industrial hubs.

Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Jean-Pierre Artigala, Navex brings over 25 years of average leadership experience in global steel merchandising and procurement. Artigala has spent more than five decades in the steel sector, holding past executive positions at major international steelmakers and distribution firms such as Usinor/Sacilor, Fercometal, and Descours & Cabaud. Navex's existing operational footprint includes key sourcing links within China and an established client base across East and West Africa.

The new platform will facilitate the movement of steel products from Asian production hubs to emerging African markets experiencing rapid industrial expansion. Navex plans to leverage Alkagesta's financial scale, risk management structure, and logistics network while retaining its core operational methods. According to leadership from both companies, the venture provides an avenue to develop new product flows and broaden market penetration across target developing economies.

Founded in 2018, privately held Alkagesta trades roughly 9 million metric tons of physical commodities per year across 48 countries, with operations covering petroleum products, biofuels, and fertilizers. The group operates 17 international representations and maintains access to over 700,000 cubic meters of dedicated storage infrastructure across European and Asian supply corridors. Metals trading forms part of the merchant's stated strategy to broaden its portfolio across essential industrial supply chains.