US alumina imports improve 32.48% Q-o-Q to 416,000 tonnes in 1Q2021, but exports shrink 7% to 46,800 tonnes

According to the latest data shown by the US Geological Survey, the United States imported 416,000 tonnes of alumina in the first quarter of 2021. This represented a quarter-on-quarter hike of 102,000 tonnes or 32.48 per cent from 314,000 tonnes of bauxite imported in Q4 2021. On a year-on-year calculation, alumina imports by the US in Q1 2021 stood 59,000 tonnes or 16.53 per cent higher than 357,000 tonnes.

Brazil remained the leading exporter of alumina to the US, supplying 220,000 tonnes in Q1 2021. The export volume from Brazil to the US in Q1 decreased quarter-on-quarter by 19,000 tonnes or 7.95 per cent from 239,000 tonnes and year-on-year by 13,000 tonnes or 5.58 per cent from 233,000 tonnes.

Jamaica was the second-largest exporter delivering 77,500 tonnes, up 101.82 per cent quarter-on-quarter from 38,400 tonnes and 129.29 per cent year-on-year from 33,800 tonnes. 

In the entire year of 2020, the United States imported 1.340 million tonnes of alumina compared to 1.940 million tonnes in 2019.

In Q1 2021, the United States alumina exports came in at 46,800 tonnes – 7.14 per cent less than 50,400 tonnes in Q4 2020 but up by 21.56 per cent from 38,500 tonnes in Q1 2020.

Mexico was the leading exporter, which supplied 15,900 tonnes of alumina to the US in Q1 2021. The export volume was down by 17.62 per cent quarter-on-quarter from 19,300 tonnes but up 48.60 per cent year-on-year from 10,700 tonnes.