Ghana’s import of Alumina during 2019-20 reveals a positive trend for Aluminium production

Ghana is the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve the Millenium Development Goal 1, which is the target of halving extreme poverty. Ghana has recently become a middle-income country. Ghana's economic freedom score is 59.4, making its economy the 104th freest in the 2020 Index. Ghana is ranked 11th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its overall score is well above the regional average and slightly below the world average.

The West African nation’s alumina import during 2019 has been recorded at 84,710 and the expenditure occurred for the import remained at $28.87 million.

The alumina import for 2020 has been evaluated at 135,153 tonnes, growth by 59.54%, Y-o-Y surplus volume of 50,443 tonnes and foreign revenue to be expended is expected at $42.39 million, a rise in the expenditure by 46.83%.

When the 2019 and 2020’s alumina import volume and expenditure get assorted it reveals 219,863 tonnes and $71.26 million respectively.

VALCO, the Volta Aluminium Company Ghana, continues to play a key role in the efforts of the Ghana Government to develop an Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI) in Ghana. Using VALCO as the anchor of the IAI Project, Ghana is set to add value to its over 700 million metric tonnes of bauxite deposits in the country at Kibi and Nyinahin to generate over USD1.05 trillion and create about 2.3 million good and sustainable jobs.

VALCO is currently the live wire of the downstream aluminium industry in Ghana through metal supplies, with its associated employment benefits. Besides, VALCO is being positioned to host an expected growth of the aluminium downstream industry in Ghana.

Ghana’s major trading destination for Alumina importations are Jamaica, China, Netherlands, etc. Jamaica stands as the rank one for Ghana’s alumina import but now the Chinese import has also started flowing due to the better trade relationship.