US crude and dried bauxite imports grow quarterly by 13% in 4Q2022; imports from Jamaica hike to 593,000 tonnes

The United States crude and dried bauxite imports stood highest in the fourth quarter of 2022 than all the prior quarters, found the US Census Bureau in its latest survey. The country imported 757,000 tonnes of bauxite in Q4, significantly up by 13.15 per cent or 88,000 tonnes from 669,000 tonnes in Q3. In Q1 and Q2, the United States bauxite import volume was 736,000 tonnes and 644,000 tonnes, respectively.

However, despite the Q-o-Q hike, the US bauxite imports in Q4 edged an annual downfall of 3.44 per cent or 27,000 tonnes from 784,000 tonnes.

In the entire year of 2022, the United States imported 2.80 million tonnes of crude and dried bauxite – 9.39 per cent less than 3.09 million tonnes a year ago.

The year-on-year fall extended as the import volume in 2021 stood 2.83 per cent lower than 3.18 million tonnes in the earlier year.

Jamaica, continuing to be the top exporter of bauxite to the US in 4Q2022, supplied 593,000 tonnes, which was 17.89 per cent higher than 503,000 tonnes in Q3 but lower than 637,000 tonnes in Q2 and 622,000 tonnes in Q1.

In the full-year 2022, the US imported 2.36 million tonnes of bauxite compared to 2.60 million tonnes in 2021.

Turkey was the second-highest exporter of bauxite to the US in Q4, providing 158,000 tonnes. Compared to the year's third quarter, the export volume was up by 9,000 tonnes or 6.04 per cent from 149,000 tonnes.

The total volume of export from Turkey to the US in 2022 amounted to 403,000 tonnes, down by tonnes or 11.82 per cent from 457,000 tonnes in 2021.