Bauxite Export
$9 separates China and India bauxite prices, but shipping changes everything
China recorded a bauxite price of USD 64 per dry metric tonne (DMT) on a CIF basis in August 2026, while India's quotation stood at USD 73 per DMT on an FOB basis, according to the supplied market assessment. The reported USD 9 difference highlights contrasting price levels across the two markets, although different shipping terms make a direct cost comparison difficult. China's CIF quotation includes freight and insurance, whereas India's FOB price covers the material up to loading at the port. Buyers sourcing bauxite from India therefore need to account for additional shipping costs to determine the final landed price. As a result, the USD 9 difference does not represent the actual gap between the two markets' delivered costs. Freight terms complicate regional bauxite price comparison...
RUSAL targets Ghana's massive bauxite reserves with a 5Mt mining plan
Russian aluminium producer Rusal has reached an agreement with Ghana's state-owned Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation (GIADEC) to jointly develop bauxite mining and alumina refining projects, marking a significant step towards expanding the country's domestic aluminium value chain. Under the agreement, the projects will be implemented through two joint ventures in which Rusal will hold majority stakes. The proposed developments include bauxite mining operations with annual production capacity of up to 5 million tonnes and an alumina refinery capable of producing 1.2 million tonnes annually. The projects will target the Nyinahin bauxite deposit in southwest Ghana, where estimated resources exceed 100 million tonnes, according to Rusal. The agreement was announced during a...
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China tops bauxite price rankings at $90/t, with the US trailing at $77
China recorded the highest reported bauxite price among five major markets in the third quarter of 2026, at USD 90 per tonne, while the USA had the lowest assessment at USD 77 per tonne. India, Australia and Germany recorded prices of USD 82, USD 80 and USD 79 per tonne, respectively, highlighting regional differences in bauxite procurement costs. The USD 13-per-tonne gap between China and the USA reflects differing regional price assessments. However, the available data does not establish the precise contribution of individual factors or indicate whether prices rose or fell compared with the previous quarter. China tops regional bauxite price rankings China's bauxite price of USD 90 per tonne placed it at the top of the five-market comparison. Its substantial alumina refining industry...
Guinea targets 8Mt of alumina capacity by 2030: Can its power grid deliver 5k–10k MW?
After introducing its annual bauxite export cap at 150 million tonnes in June 2026 , Guinea is now accelerating its alumina refining ambitions, with three refineries under construction and a target of five operating by 2030. However, the country’s electricity generation of around 1,000 MW falls well short of the estimated 5,000–10,000 MW needed to support industrialisation, putting energy infrastructure at the centre of its bauxite-to-alumina strategy. Daouda Diakite, Senior Adviser to Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology, Bouna Sylla, outlined the plans at African Mining Week in Cape Town. The government aims to establish annual alumina production capacity of approximately 7 million to 8 million tonnes, with aluminium smelters envisioned as a subsequent step. To know the future market...
Bauxite flows face a Q4 slowdown as Guinea’s 150Mt export cap tightens supply
Global bauxite flows are expected to weaken in the fourth quarter of 2026 as China’s front-loading eases and Guinea’s export restrictions begin to constrain shipments . Despite a 2.8 per cent year-on-year rise in global flows in September, softer import requirements in India and the Arabian Gulf could limit demand, leaving China as the principal destination for seaborne bauxite but with little room for further growth. September flows hint at diverging regional trends Global bauxite flows reached 20.4 million tonnes in September 2026, up 2.8 per cent year-on-year, backed by higher shipments from Guinea. Month-on-month flows declined, in line with seasonal wet-weather conditions that typically restrict port movements. Guinea’s shipments to the market were more than 20 per cent higher than...
WEEKLY: Guinea bauxite prices under pressure as freight slide revives supply
China's domestic bauxite prices held steady last week. Supply tightness at China's inland mines persisted, prompting some traders to blend and sell ores sourced from Turkey and Pakistan. Meanwhile, the sharp decline in ocean freight rates restored arbitrage margins for bauxite from non-mainstream origins; imports from origins compatible with domestic bauxite blending are likely to rise. In terms of imported bauxite, freight rates showed no sign of bottoming out. Rates on the Baltic Exchange C3 route fell to around US USD 30 per tonne, with November-loading vessel offers quoted near US USD 29 per tonne. The sustained freight drop revived shipment plans for small and mid-sized Guinean miners, pointing to potential supply ramp-up for Guinean bauxite. Guinean ore offers increased markedly...
Indonesian Aluminium: The shift from mining to smelting
Indonesia is pitched as the next big Asian aluminium hub as the country has released an expansive alumina and aluminium expansion plan, based on the abundant bauxite resource in the country. China has exhausted its aluminium capacity cap and is unlikely to raise installed capacity significantly in the coming years. Additionally, geopolitical conflicts, sanctions, and tariffs have made much of global aluminium capacity inaccessible and vulnerable. This includes Russian aluminium and the Gulf output, along with restricted and costly access to Canadian aluminium for the US smelters. The already tight supply conditions have been made worse after the Iran-Israel-US war that disrupted the Gulf aluminium capacity. Under current supply conditions, India and Indonesia will play a critical role in...
Australia's bauxite export value drops 29% in H1 2026 with modest volume decline
Australia's bauxite export value declined to USD 832.4 million in the first half of 2026, while shipments fell by 3.2 per cent year on year, with China maintaining its dominance as the leading destination. Australia's bauxite export value fell by 29.2 per cent Y-o-Y in the first half of 2026, even as export quantities recorded a more modest decline, according to data from ITC Trade Map. The country exported 19.22 million tonnes of bauxite and aluminium ores and concentrates worth USD 832.38 million in Q1-Q2 2026, compared with 19.85 million tonnes valued at USD 1.18 billion in the corresponding period of 2025. The figures point to a sharper fall in the reported value of exports than in shipment volumes. Australia's average export value per tonne, calculated by dividing reported export...
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