The United States imports of crude and dried bauxite dropped drastically during the first quarter of 2023 both on a quarterly and annual basis, found the US Geological Survey. As per the data, the US imported 462,000 tonnes of bauxite in Q1 2023 ended March 31, which reflected a 38.97 per cent downfall from 757,000 tonnes in Q4 or December quarter of 2022. On a year-on-year calculation, the exports dwindled by 37.22 per cent from 736,000 tonnes.

Jamaica continued to be the primary exporter of crude and dried bauxite to the US in Q1 2023, supplying 445,000 tonnes. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, Jamaica’s bauxite exports to the US registered a fall of 24.96 per cent from 593,000 tonnes and, on a year-on-year calculation, contracted by 28.46 per cent from 622,000 tonnes.

Turkey,  the second-highest exporter of crude and dried bauxite to the United States until Q4 2022, supplied nothing in Q1 2023. Last year, Turkey’s crude and dried bauxite exports to the US totalled 403,000 tonnes versus 457,000 tonnes a year earlier.

On the contrary, bauxite exports from varied countries to the US increased in the first quarter of 2023 from 6,540 tonnes in Q4 2022 to 16,900 tonnes. That reflected a sharp growth of 10,360 tonnes or 158.41 per cent, found USGS survey. On an annual basis, the exports inched up by only 1,000 tonnes from 159,000 tonnes.

In the entire year of 2022, the United States imported 2.8 million tonnes of crude and dried bauxite, down by 9.39 per cent from 3.09 million tonnes in 2021. It indicates that the United States bauxite imports are on a downtrend over the year, which may continue in 2023.