According to the General Administration of Customs of China, in May 2025, China imported 17.514 million tonnes of bauxite, down 15.32 per cent MoM and up 29.43 per cent Y-o-Y. From January to May 2025, China's cumulative bauxite imports reached 85.2872 million tonnes, up 25.84 per cent Y-o-Y.
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Regarding the mainstream import sources of bauxite:
In May, China imported 13.2234 million tonnes of bauxite from Guinea, down 20.97 per cent M-o-M and up 40.65 per cent Y-o-Y. The impact of Guinea's rainy season gradually became evident, with port departures in May reaching approximately 16 million tonnes, a 3.67 per cent decrease from April. In terms of weekly average port departures, the average for the five weeks in May was 3.5977 million tonnes, compared to 3.8592 million tonnes for the four weeks in April and 3.8552 million tonnes for the four weeks in March. It is expected that the total volume of bauxite imported by China from Guinea in June-July will increase significantly.
In May, China imported 2.9598 million tonnes of bauxite from Australia, up 10.4 per cent M-o-M and down 17.18 per cent Y-o-Y. There were fewer spot transactions of Australian bauxite in bulk in May, with most transactions being executed under long-term contracts. As of June 20, transactions of Australian ore remained sluggish, but the prices of its high-temperature ore have pulled back somewhat from previous levels.
Regarding non-mainstream import sources of bauxite:
In May 2025, China imported bauxite from 14 countries, including Guyana, Malaysia, Brazil, Turkey, and Laos, totalling 1.3313 million tonnes, up 139.36 per cent Y-o-Y and accounting for 7.60 per cent of the total imports.
SMM commentary:
As of today, maintenance at some alumina refineries in June has concluded, and production has resumed. Meanwhile, considering the cost of ore, buyers' acceptance of high-priced bauxite remains moderate, with news of new production cuts emerging. The operating capacity of alumina refineries has both increased and decreased, and it is expected that demand for bauxite will fluctuate in the short term. As the impact of Guinea's rainy season gradually becomes evident, combined with the uncertainty surrounding Guinea's bauxite mining rights, weekly port departures may decline, and the bauxite supply may shift towards a tighter situation. However, in the short term, port arrivals of bauxite may remain high. It is necessary to continuously monitor the price trends and port departure changes of Guinea's bauxite, as well as the supply situation of bauxite from other sources.
Note: This article has been issued by SMM and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.
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