The United States bauxite imports in the first quarter of 2025 recorded both annual and quarterly declines, highlighting the nation’s ongoing shift from primary aluminium production to a greater reliance on recycled materials. This strategic transition has reduced the demand for imported bauxite.
According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Q1 2025 bauxite imports totalled 480,000 tonnes, marking a year-on-year decline of 4.2 per cent from 501,000 tonnes and lower than 500,000 tonnes brought in during Q4 2024. This decrease occurred despite a notable rise in imports from Jamaica, the United States' largest bauxite supplier.
Imports from Jamaica surged to 429,000 tonnes in Q1 2025, up by 20.5 per cent from 356,000 tonnes in Q4 2024. However, this figure still marked an 8.7 per cent year-on-year drop from 470,000 tonnes in Q1 2024.
So, what factored in the quarterly fall then? It was a decreased import volume from Turkey, whose bauxite supplies had once reached 187,000 tonnes in Q3 2025 and 131,000 tonnes in Q4, contributing about 15 per cent to United States total 2024 bauxite imports. In Q1 2025, Turkey’s exports to the US plunged to 33,100 tonnes, although up by 65.5 per cent from 20,000 tonnes of exports in Q1 2024.
Beyond export, falling domestic demand
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