Bahrain's aluminium exports tumble 14% in Jan-May 2026

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Within the January-May 2026 timeline, a considerable year-on-year dip can be noted in Bahrain’s export of all the aluminium product categories, viz., unwrought, bars, rods and profiles, foil, pipes and tubes, plates, sheets and strip, tube or pipe fittings, and wire.

January-May export comparison: 2026 vs 2025 vs 2024

As of year-to-date (January to May) 2026, Bahrain’s aluminium export trend has been like this:  

YTD 2026 – 454,329.83 tonnes, down 14.21 per cent Y-o-Y from the 529,558.27 tonnes in 2025

YTD 2025 – 529,558.27 tonnes, down 1.34 per cent Y-o-Y from the 536,744.35 tonnes in 2024

While the Y-o-Y difference between YTD 2024 and 2025 represents a minor dip, the YTD 2025-2026 depicts a staggering decline.

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Why the export dip?

Owing to the ongoing Middle East conflict, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had already slowed down trade in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Compounding this issue, suspension of trade through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait may have impacted Bahrain’s trade with the global market. A key maritime corridor, a large share of Bahrain’s trade, including aluminium, passes through this strait. With the recent escalation of conflict between Iran and the US, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait might become a trade chokepoint, further hampering Bahrain’s aluminium export logistics.

Moreover, since the middle of March, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has been operating at a reduced capacity, with the controlled shutdown of its Potlines 1, 2, and 3. This has idled 19 per cent of Alba’s total production capacity of 1.62 million tonnes per annum.

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Top export destinations

As per the data accumulated by the International Trade Administration (ITA), as of 2025, the top five destinations for Australia’s aluminium exports are as follows:

• Saudi Arabia – 105,552.02 tonnes, valued at USD 421.81 million
• United States – 43,320.89 tonnes, valued at USD 295.72 million
• Greece – 42,928.48 tonnes, valued at USD 143.85 million
• Netherlands – 38,904.37 tonnes, valued at USD 141.77 million
• India – 26,482.88 tonnes, valued at USD 88.9 million

Products exported

Among the exported products, the following 3 categories are in the greatest demand in the total shipment volume of 454,329.83 tonnes:

• Unwrought aluminium – 392,476.38 tonnes or 86.39 per cent
• Plates, sheets and strip – 54,438.63 tonnes or 11.98 per cent
• Bars, rods and profiles – 6,317.84 tonnes or 1.39 per cent

Out of this total figure, 257,188.64 tonnes or 56.6 per cent were exported to the top 5 buyers as mentioned above.

Products in demand with these buyers are

• Saudi Arabia – a) Aluminium bars, rods and profiles; b) Foil; c) Pipes and tubes; d) Plates, sheets and strip; e) Unwrought aluminium
• United States – a) Aluminium bars, rods and profiles; b) Foil; c) Plates, sheets and strip; d) Unwrought aluminium
• Greece – Unwrought aluminium
• Netherlands – a) Plates, sheets and strip; b) Unwrought aluminium
• India – a) Aluminium bars, rods and profiles; b) Plates, sheets and strip; c) Unwrought aluminium

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Note: All the data have been accumulated from the Global Trade Data Monitor as per Bahrain's export to the world.