US bauxite imports up by 38% Q-o-Q in Q2 2019, but alumina imports down by 42%

As shown by the latest US Geological Survey data on bauxite and alumina imports in the second quarter of 2019, the United States imported 1.03 million tonnes of crude and dried bauxite, up 38 per cent from Q1 2019 and 13 per cent from the same period last year. With this, the US' total bauxite imports in the first half of 2019 came in at 1.77 million tonnes.

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According to the data, Jamaica accounted for 69 per cent of the imports by providing 713,000 tonnes, while Brazil accounted for 21 per cent by supplying 220,000 tonnes in Q2 2019.

The imports of alumina, on the other hand, decreased quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2019 by 42 per cent to 364,000 tonnes, but up by 3 per cent from the second quarter of 2018.  This brought the total alumina imports by the US to 987,000 tonnes in the first half of 2019.

Brazil, Australia, and Jamaica were the three leading sources accounted for 64 per cent, 13 per cent, and 8 per cent of the total imports by the United States. From Brazil, the US imported 234,000 tonnes of alumina in Q2 2019, down 21 per cent from 296,000 tonnes in Q1 2019; and from Australia and Jamaica, the US secured 47,000 tonnes and 29,000 tonnes, down 72 per cent and 66 per cent quarter-on-quarter.

Compared to the imports, the exports of alumina by the United States stood higher in Q2 2019 at 40,800 tonnes. However, the volume dropped by 37 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 61 per cent year-on-year. The leading destinations of exports were Mexico (30%) and Canada (23%).

To Mexico, the US exported 12,200 tonnes of alumina in Q2 2019 and to Canada 9,280 tonnes. The exports to Mexico stood 17 per cent down, but to Canada up by 2.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter.