US import of alumina drops 38% QoQ in Q4 2018; total import for 2018 up 28% from 2017

As shown by the latest US Geological Survey latest release on Bauxite and Alumina in the Fourth Quarter 2018, imports of alumina by the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2018 dropped to 273,000 tonnes from 441,000 tonnes in third quarter of 2018. The volume was 38% less than those in the third quarter of 2018, and 23% less than those in the fourth quarter of 2017.

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For the entire 2018, the import volume stood at 1.7 million tonnes, a 28% increase from 1.33 million tonnes in 2017. The full year data indicates growing consumption by the domestic aluminium smelters in the US. The growth was primarily driven by reopening of Alcoa and Century smelters. However, quarterly drop in the import volume was because of the increase in domestic alumina production that could help in import substitution to a certain extent. Another reason is a sharp drop in alumina import from Jamaica in Q4 2018. From 58,800 tonnes in Q3 2018, the import from Jamaica dropped to 5,990 tonnes.  Import from Australia and Brazil also registered a drop.

The leading sources of imported alumina in the fourth quarter of 2018 were Brazil (60%) and Australia (18%).  Brazil exported 164,000 tonnes of alumina to the US in Q4.

The US also exports a minimum volume of alumina. Exports of alumina during the fourth quarter of 2018 were 50,300 tonnes, 10% less than those in the third quarter of 2018 and 59% less than those in the fourth quarter of 2017. The leading destinations for alumina exported in the fourth quarter of 2018 were Mexico (22%), Norway, (20%) Canada (15%), and Venezuela (14%). For the full year 2018, alumina export dropped 38% to 297,000 tonnes from 481,000 tonnes in 2017.