U.S. import of bauxite drops 14% QoQ in the first quarter of 2019; Jamaica remains the top bauxite exporter

According to the latest USGS release on Bauxite and Alumina in the First Quarter of 2019, imports of crude and dried bauxite by the U.S. in Q1 2019 were 748,000 tonnes, 14% less than the revised total of 873,000 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2018. However the volume 7% more than the revised total of 698,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2018.

According to the revised US Geological Survey report, the US imported about 3.5 million tonnes of bauxite in 2018, slightly up from 2017. At this quarterly rate the total bauxite import for 2019 is likely to be around 3 million tonnes.

Jamaica continued to be the largest bauxite exporter to the US in Q1 2019 contributing 498,000 tonnes or 67%of the total import. Brazil followed with 157,000 tonnes or 21% of the total. Export from both the countries dropped YoY in Q1 2019.

On the export side, the U.S. exported 492 tonnes of bauxite in the first quarter of 2019, down 53% from 1,050 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2018. On a YoY basis, export of bauxite dropped 41% from 838 tonnes in the first quarter of 2018. The major part of bauxite is exported to Canada.

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