Malaysia’s bauxite shipment to China inch up despite mining ban

According to a report published by Reuters, Malaysia’s bauxite export is growing in spite of bauxite mining ban in Pahang. Malaysia is exporting bauxite to China’s aluminium industry, the biggest customer of country’s bauxite.

Industry figures and analysts project that the exports and mining are expected to be continued in the future as long as there is demand from China.

The government first banned the bauxite mining on January 15, 2016 after the residents protested over contamination of water due to unregulated bauxite mining. The government had allowed exports to continue so that the vast stockpiles at ports can be cleared off.

Recently, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said that 5.8 million tonnes of bauxite has been exported from Malaysia as of June 8.

The country exported 165,587 tonnes of bauxite to China in December 2016. The exports have been growing steadily hitting 719,614 tonnes in May 2017. 

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The stockpiles remained the same size as they were at the start of the ban. The country shipped more than nine million tonnes of bauxite to China, Reuters said.

"China imports 60-70 million tonnes of bauxite a year to meet domestic demand. Mining margins are still there so people will continue to mine illegally," said a manager at a bauxite mining company.

The Malaysian government has extended the moratorium on bauxite mining in Pahang for six months more until December 31, 2017.