Where does China get its bauxite from? Ask most industry people; the answer will likely be Domestic, Guinea and Australia. Other sources, such as Malaysia, are tiny, and Indonesia has disappeared from the import data. But another country has started to appear in the industry.
The China team did a survey of alumina refineries in Shanxi and Henan the other day. The survey was about something else, but in the data, Ghana has become a bauxite supplier in at least 3 refineries. Other sources mentioned by the refineries included Sierra Leone and Brazil.
The survey was looking at the inventory situation and production plans. The plants reported holding anything from 15 days supply up to about 75 days. The refinery running the high inventory level was also one of the smallest. Almost all refineries are running at full speed, though they all reported ongoing challenges with sustaining their bauxite supply.
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