Guinea bauxite shipment reaches China through new sea-rail route
The image used in this article is generated with an AI tool and does not depict any real-time moment
A shipment of 168,000 tonnes of bauxite from Guinea has arrived at Fangchenggang Port in Guangxi, southern China. The first batch of cargo was transported by rail to Wanzhou in Chongqing on October 3, supplying raw materials to a mineral production base in the city.
The new route connects overseas bauxite supplies with inland industries through Beibu Gulf Port. According to Beibu Gulf Port Group, it offers a direct sea-rail transport link from the port to Chongqing.
The route cuts transit time by about 25 days compared with the traditional river-sea route via the Yangtze River. It is expected to improve the movement of bulk raw materials to industrial businesses in southwest China.
Explore the production, demand and consumption forecasts of bauxite and alumina in our report: "Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook"
Beibu Gulf Port Group said the route would strengthen the port's role in supplying the Chengdu-Chongqing manufacturing base. It also provides an alternative to the Yangtze River for transporting bulk goods into southwest China.
Bian Yongzu, executive deputy editor-in-chief of Modernization of Management magazine, said, “The new route provides a parallel and complementary logistics pathway beyond the Yangtze,"
Beibu Gulf Port comprises three ports in Beihai, Qinzhou and Fangchenggang, Guangxi. It serves as a key link between western China and Southeast Asia.
Looking for alumina refinery raw materials? Compare grades, explore sourcing options, and connect with global suppliers on AL Biz.
The port group plans to improve its multimodal transport services for industrial raw materials as the Pinglu Canal comes into operation. The aim is to help inland businesses reduce transport costs, improve efficiency and maintain stable supplies.
The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has also recorded growth in other freight movements. According to Xinhua News Agency, its sea-rail intermodal service moved more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container cargo this year as of October 6.
Unlock key insights from leading companies and experts across the aluminium ecosystem with our e-Magazine - Mine to Market: Aluminium Producers & Manufacturers 2026
Rail freight from Chongqing to Qinzhou Port totalled 120,000 TEUs, up 32 per cent year-on-year. Exports of auto parts, construction machinery and tyres surged 95 per cent.
In the reverse direction, 53,000 TEUs of industrial raw materials moved from Qinzhou to Chongqing, a 29 per cent increase. Volumes of industrial minerals, including quartz sand, spodumene and zinc concentrate, nearly tripled.
Grow with
AL Circle
