China’s bauxite imports surged 52.4% YoY during Jan-Feb 2016

China, the largest aluminium consuming country in the world, imported 8,524,531 mt of bauxite during January to February, marking a whopping 52.4 per cent increase from the corresponding period previous year. In February alone, the country imported 3,221,722 mt of bauxite, an increase of 7.11 per cent year-on-year, as per data released by the General Administration of Customs, China, on March 21.

Australia ranked first among the countries supplying bauxite to China. Australia shipped 1,057,321 mt of the aluminium ore in February and 2,255,857 mt during January - February. However, the figures indicated decline in exports during both the periods under review year-on-year.

Shipment of bauxite from Malaysia to China, on the other hand, grew 45 per cent year-on-year in February and 208 per cent year-on-year during January – February, revealed data published by the Customs.

Bauxite imports from India to China in February slumped 18.8 per cent year-on-year, while it surged 31.6 per cent year-on-year during January – February, standing at 1,686,374 mt for the same period.

Other major countries supplying bauxite to China during the period under review were Guinea, Brazil, Republic of Ghana, and Turkey.