Bauxite export by Brazil to increase 10.4% YoY at 9.5 MT in 2017

Brazil ranks third in the list of the world's top bauxite producing countries. With bauxite reserves totalling 2,600,000 tonnes (2.6 billion tonnes), the country accounts for 9.28 per cent of the global total reserve of 28 billion tonnes, as estimated by The United States Geological Survey in January 2016.

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Brazil's bauxite exports have been on a rising trajectory over the last three years. In 2015, the South American country exported 9.22 million tonnes of the aluminium ore which surged 13.77 per cent to total 10.49 million tonnes in 2016. In 2017, till October, Brazil is estimated to export around 9.5 million tonnes of bauxite, up 10.46 per cent from the corresponding period previous year.


Revenue earned by Brazil from its export of bauxite has declined in 2016. In 2015, the country's total bauxite export was valued at US$452.7 million. In 2016, the figure dropped by 30.7 per cent to total at US$313.6 million. In 2017, till October, Brazil is estimated to ship bauxite worth US$274.4 million, up 6.39 per cent from the corresponding period previous year.


The top destinatons where Brazil shipped its aluminium ore to in 2016 are: Argentina (28039.27 tonnes), Canada (2332539.09 tonnes), China (4990032.82 tonnes), Ireland (1097025.78 tonnes) and USA (1500256.46 tonnes).

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Trombetas and Paragominas bauxite mine are the two largest bauxite mines in Brazil. The Paragominas, located in the east of the state of Pará in Northern Brazil, is one of the richest sources of bauxite in the world. Fully owned by Brazil's Vale (CVRD), the mine currently boasts an annual capacity of 5.4 Mt of bauxite a year. The mining company Mineração Rio do Norte (MRN) in Trombetas has an annual production capacity of 18 million metric tonnes of bauxite and has nearly 1,300 permanent employees. The bauxite is transported by barge to the Alunorte refinery in Barcarena.