US bauxite imports registered a rise of 1.5% in 2018; Jamaica remained top bauxite exporter

According to the latest US Geological Survey report, the US imported about 4.5 million tonnes of bauxite in 2018, up about 1.5% from 2017. When we look at the figures of last five years, we can observe the sharply declining trend.  From 11.8 million tonnes in 2014, the volume dropped to 4.5 million tonnes in five years. The continuous fall in bauxite imports were attributed to the 2016 shutdowns of the alumina refineries in Gregory, TX, by Sherwin Alumina Co. and in Point Comfort, TX, by Alcoa Corp.

{newsStudioGallery}

The sharp fall took place when Alcoa temporarily shut its 2.3 mtpy alumina refinery in Point Comfort, TX, in the second quarter of 2016. In August, Sherwin Alumina Co. LLC announced that it would temporarily shut down its 1.65-Mt/yr alumina refinery in Gregory, TX, in September when bauxite stocks are exhausted. Sherwin cited a dispute with its bauxite supplier, Noranda Aluminum for the shutdown of the refinery.  Both the plants remain closed till now.

The total quantity of bauxite consumed stood at 3.9 million tonnes in 2018, 11% more than that in 2017, with an estimated value of about $120 million. About 80% of the bauxite was refined by the Bayer process for alumina, and the remainder went to non-metallurgical usage. Three domestic Bayer-process refineries had a combined alumina production capacity of 4 million tons per year and total alumina production stood at an estimated 1.5 million tonnes in 2018, 5% more than that in 2017. The slight increase in alumina production caused a 1.5% rise in bauxite import to the US in 2018.

Jamaica remained the largest bauxite exporter to the US in 2018 contributing 46%of the total import. Brazil followed close with 25%. Guinea’s share came down after the closure of Alcoa’s Texas refinery.