Jamaica
US bauxite imports fall 15.8% from Q3 2024 to Q1 2026
US imports of bauxite declined to 644,000 tonnes in Q1 2026, down 15.8 per cent from 765,000 tonnes in Q3 2024. The decline reflects longer-term pressure on the US primary aluminium and alumina industries, including reduced refining capacity and weaker demand for imported raw materials. Trade uncertainty and the increasing use of recycled aluminium have added to the changes reshaping the country’s bauxite supply chain. Despite remaining below the level recorded in Q3 2024, Q1 2026 imports increased 7.9 per cent from 597,000 tonnes in Q4 2025. On a year-on-year basis, however, imports were down 17.9 per cent from 784,000 tonnes in Q1 2025. The value of US bauxite imports stood at USD 38 million in Q1 2026, compared with USD 50 million in Q3 2024 and USD 46 million in Q1 2025. This...
Jamaica projects 24% rise in bauxite and alumina export earnings despite weak Q1 output
Jamaica’s bauxite and alumina export earnings are expected to improve in 2026, even though the first quarter was weak. The government expects production to rise as repairs continue after Hurricane Melissa, and the aluminium industry is watching closely because bauxite is the raw material used to make alumina for aluminium smelting. According to the Jamaican Government's annual Form 18-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), export earnings from bauxite and alumina are projected to rise 24 per cent to USD 760 million in 2026 from USD 612.3 million in 2025. Even if achieved, earnings would remain below the USD 803.4 million recorded in 2024. The recovery is coming after a tough 2025, when Jamaica’s bauxite and alumina earnings fell 23.8 per cent, or USD 191.1 million,...
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ALUMINIUM 2026
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
ALUMINIUM 2026
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
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A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
LEARN MOREEurope holds 10% of global aluminium extrusion demand, supported by Germany’s Constellium, France’s Hydro Extrusions & Italy’s Metra
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News
Jamaica's Alpart alumina refinery set for phased modernisation under JISCO plan
Jamaica's Minister of Agriculture, Floyd Green, has announced that the reopening and modernisation of the Alpart alumina refinery has moved a step forward following meetings with officials of JISCO and the Government of Gansu Province during his recent visit to China. Speaking in Parliament, Green said JISCO has confirmed its plans to carry out a two-phase modernisation programme to bring the refinery back into operation and upgrade it into a modern alumina production facility. The first phase of the project will involve an investment of about USD 490 million. Planned work includes upgrading major processing units, improving plant infrastructure, modernising the power generation system, introducing dry-stacking technology for bauxite residue management, and rehabilitating rail and port...
Can Jamaica seize the moment? JBI pushes bauxite growth amid Guinea uncertainty
The Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) has renewed its call for citizens to avoid occupying bauxite-bearing lands, highlighting growing concerns over unauthorised settlements on areas designated for mining, agriculture and future development projects. The statement may bear a twofold significance: The urgency to pick up production pace to mitigate the output decline post-Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 An opportunity to deepen Jamaica’s footprint in the bauxite industry just as speculations stir the market about Guinea’s updated bauxite export restriction cap tightened at 150 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) According to the Institute, bauxite lands play a crucial role in supporting agricultural activities before and after mining operations, requiring long-term planning and infrastructure...
From mines to markets: How geopolitics and raw material pressures are transforming aluminium supply chains
The global aluminium industry is entering a phase where the biggest concern is no longer just building more smelters or expanding downstream demand. Across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, the focus is increasingly shifting toward securing stable supplies of bauxite and alumina as geopolitical tensions, trade measures and energy disruptions continue reshaping global supply chains. Governments are accelerating mining investments, producers are expanding refining and smelting capacity, and buyers are searching for safer and more reliable trade routes. From Indonesia’s raw material ambitions to China’s export surge and Europe’s tariff safeguards, the aluminium value chain is being redrawn in real time. The raw material race Indonesia has become central to the global aluminium...
Red mud back in focus as Jamaica pursues mining expansion
Jamaica is once again turning its attention to an overlooked by-product of the bauxite industry that officials believe could hold substantial economic value. During his presentation in the House of Representatives for the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate on May 13, Floyd Green outlined fresh efforts to develop commercial opportunities linked to bauxite residue, more commonly referred to as Jamaican red mud. According to the minister, interest in the material is not new. More than ten years ago, Japanese company Nippon Light Metal collaborated with the Jamaica Bauxite Institute to investigate the composition of the residue. There was an unusual high concentration of rare earth elements in their findings, which is almost 25 times higher than those typically found within the upper continental crust....
US gallium strategy depends on Jamaica bauxite supply
The USD 450 million partnership involves Atlantic Alumina Company and aims to maintain operations at the Gramercy alumina refinery in Louisiana while also building the country’s first large-scale gallium production circuit. The United States currently has no domestic gallium production and only one operating alumina refinery, according to details released around a strategic partnership announced by the US Department of Defence in January 2026. To know the long-term bauxite market forecast, book our report: “ Global Bauxite & Alumina Market Forecast to 2036: Supply–Demand, Trade Flows & Price Outlook ” The agreement includes USD 150 million in preferred equity from the Pentagon and more than USD 300 million from Concord Resources, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Asset Management. The Gramercy...
Jamaica’s mining sector fuels economic growth with $612M earnings from bauxite, alumina exports
Jamaica’s government said the mining sector remains a major contributor to the national economy, accounting for around 2 per cent of GDP while generating roughly 85 per cent of the country’s traditional export earnings. Speaking during the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Floyd Green said export earnings from Jamaica’s bauxite and alumina sector reached USD 612 million in 2025. He added that investment in the mining sector increased from USD 251 million to USD 326 million last year. Green said the sector continues to attract investment despite operational disruptions caused by Hurricane Melissa, which affected mining infrastructure and production capacity in late 2025. According to the minister, Windalco completed a new haulage road project in St. Ann worth around USD 29 million,...
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