Alumina export volumes by Jamaica expected to remain stagnant in 2018

Alumina sector makes an important contribution to GDP in Jamaica. Jamaica’s alumina exports accounts for 38.3% of the total exports of the country. It is estimated that country’s exports of alumina will remain unchanged to last year.

China, one of the leading importers of Jamaican alumina, imported 68,984 tonnes of alumina in 2017, an increase of 60 per cent year on year.

According to recent estimates, Jamaica earned US$278 million from exporting 1.07 million tonnes of alumina in 2016. The country exported 1.07 million tonnes of alumina in 2017. Total alumina export was valued at US$2.3 billion.

Jamaica is estimated to ship 1.01 million tonnes of alumina in 2018. The Caribbean country is estimated to export alumina worth US$2.4 billion.

Jamaica's largest alumina refinery, Alumina Partners of Jamaica (Alpart), now owned by JISCO, exported 35,000 tonnes of alumina in November, 2017.JISCO will spend around US$3 billion over a period of three years for upgrading the 1.65-million tonnes per annum plant.