Mysteel
China Sept bauxite imports climb 18.7% M-o-M; elevated freight costs hit non-mainstream imports
According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC), China's total bauxite imports reached 18.33 million tonnes in September 2026, up 18.7 per cent month-on-month and 15.4 per cent year-on-year. Over January-September, cumulative bauxite imports totalled 173.9 million tonnes, up 10.3 per cent year-on-year, with overall imported ore supply remaining at elevated levels. According to Mysteel's data, Chinese alumina producers consumed approximately 128.79 million tonnes of imported ore on a cumulative basis from January to September 2026. Actual imported ore consumption significantly lagged total imports over the same period, indicating that the imported bauxite market remains surplus for now. Among China's bauxite imports in September,...
China Sept alumina imports plunge 80% M-o-M as arbitrage shuts; exports dip on freight costs
According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC), China imported 69,800 tonnes of alumina in September 2026, down 80.04 per cent month on month and up 16.26 per cent year on year. September alumina exports stood at 237,800 tonnes, down 44.05 per cent month on month and down 3.50 per cent year on year. The country recorded a net alumina export of 168,000 tonnes for the month, up 122.64 per cent month on month but down 9.85 per cent year on year. For January to September 2026, cumulative imports reached 3.06 million tonnes, up 458.365 per cent year on year, while exports totalled 2.58 million tonnes, up 28.85 per cent year on year. China was a net importer of 486,400 tonnes over the nine-month period, up 133.54 per cent year on...
Grow with
AL Circle
Price
→Events
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
SMM AICE 2026 Southeast Asia Aluminum Conference
15th International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium Conference & Exhibition - IBAAS–VFMSTA 2026
ICSOBA 2026 - 44th International Conference and Exhibition
SMM AICE 2026 Southeast Asia Aluminum Conference
Business Cards
A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
LEARN MORE
A report that reveals where the aluminium casting industry is heading and how businesses can act.
LEARN MOREGlobal EV sales to hit 35.4 million by 2030, with aluminium usage forecast to rise 38% in North America & 79% in China
AL Circle analysis: How do Germany’s 32.8% automotive aluminium share, 40% Diet Coke can price rise & 3.54Mt North American extrusion demand matter?
AL Circle Analysis: Guinea’s 150Mt bauxite cap, China’s import swings, US tariffs draw aluminium Q4’26
EU approves Germany’s power relief instrument: Could aluminium producers save €459m annually?
North America’s aluminum extrusion demand set to reach 3.54Mt by 2035: The end-use sectors behind the climb
News
WEEKLY: China alumina slips again as stocks rise; RMB 2,500-2,620/tonne seen near term
Domestic alumina spot prices edged lower last week, though trading activity picked up modestly. On the supply side, China's operating alumina capacity stood at around 98.9 million tonnes per year recently. One Guangxi refinery with a normal run rate of 2.3 million tonnes per year curtailed another production line, bringing current operating capacity down to 1 million tonnes per year. Separately, a newly commissioned alumina project in Guangxi has begun shipping finished product. The plant started feeding on September 21 and is now in a phase of quality optimisation and ramp-up, targeting full production next month at around 2 million tonnes per year. With industry margins compressing further, higher-cost operators face mounting pressure; coupled with recent weather-related disruptions in...
China prebaked anode exceeds RMB 6,000 on feedstock rally
Supported by strong gains in raw material prices within the settlement cycle, the prebaked anode prices have increased consecutively, breaking above the RMB 6,000 per tonne threshold for the first time in 44 months. In October 2026, a major Shandong-based aluminium smelter raised its benchmark purchase price for prebaked anodes by RMB 400 per tonne from September, settling at RMB 6,130 per tonne by cash and RMB 6,147 per tonne by acceptance. On the profitability front, using market prices in Shandong as the cost benchmark, the production cost of prebaked anodes during this settlement cycle stood at approximately RMB 6,167.5 per tonne. Compared with the benchmark purchase price in Shandong, the average industry profit was roughly RMB -37.5 per tonne. Although anode prices rose as expected,...
China aluminium extruders diverge as holiday lull deepens on price moves
On the eve of the National Day holiday, the order divergence among domestic aluminium extrusion enterprises further widened, highlighting an industry pattern of stable head enterprises versus pressured small and medium-sized ones. Relying on long-term major client resources, new energy, and key engineering projects, top-tier large factories maintained relatively full order books, with comprehensive operating rates roughly ranging between 68 per cent and 72 per cent. In contrast, a large number of small and medium-sized extrusion plants were struggling to survive. Reduced distributor orders and insufficient bargaining power left their operating rates mostly between 25 per cent and 45 per cent. Affected by aluminium price fluctuations, unclear market expectations, and heavy capital...
WEEKLY: Bauxite prices capped by high refinery stocks
During China's National Day holiday (October 2-8, 2026), domestic bauxite supply showed no major swings, with persistent bottlenecks continuing to cap output. Routine environmental inspections across several inland regions kept weighing on domestic ore production. Offsetting this tightness, however, alumina refineries are holding inventories at elevated levels, while relatively ample imported ore volumes are capping domestic bauxite prices. Mysteel anticipates that domestic ore prices will struggle to register any meaningful upside in the near term. In the imported ore segment, a large Guinean miner quoted relatively high ahead of the holiday, which met with limited acceptance from alumina refineries. Only a small number of refineries confirmed term deals and took deliveries, resulting in...
China aluminium spot prices extend decline on persistent oversupply, holiday lull
China's domestic aluminium spot prices edged lower last week, with trading sentiment remaining relatively subdued during the National Day holiday period. On supply side, China's domestic aluminium operating capacity currently stands at approximately 99.9 million tonnes per year. A coastal aluminium refinery in Guangxi commenced calciner maintenance around October 4, expected to last about one month, affecting capacity of roughly 1 million tonnes per year. However, newly commissioned and restarted capacity from earlier periods has gradually translated into stable incremental supply. Coupled with expectations of further new capacity releases in the fourth quarter, the impact of sporadic routine maintenance on market sentiment remains limited. Two new projects, one coastal and one inland in...
WEEKLY: Bauxite stays flat as shipping costs jump; China ports pile up stock, demand stays soft
Last week, domestic ore prices remained generally stable. The supply side of domestic ore showed a continuous tightening trend, driving some traders and alumina refineries to purchase Turkish ore for blending purposes. Factories in Shanxi and Henan regions hope to further increase the usage of imported ore to ensure production. Mysteel expects domestic ore prices to have a slight upside room in the short term. Regarding imported ore, according to Mysteel’s research, a large mine in Guinea significantly raised its October quotation. With FOB prices remaining stable, ocean freight increased by US USD 3.5 per tonne to US USD 36 per tonne. Combined with oil price adjustments, the CIF price to major northern Chinese ports may exceed US USD 78 per dry tonne. Currently, refineries have shown...
Blog
LATEST POSTS
Turn marketplace visibility into more relevant buyer enquiries.
View Priority Plans
Turn marketplace visibility into more relevant buyer enquiries.
View Priority Plans
