Chinese bauxite import volume in 2016 down by 7.24% YOY
2017-01-24 15:20:02 [Print]
BEIJING (Asian Metal) 24 Jan 17 - According to China Customs, China imported around 51.78 million tonnes of bauxite in 2016, down by 7.24% YOY. The volume in last December moved down by 9.8% MOM to around 4.66 million tonnes.
Unit: KT
Chinese bauxite import volume by month in 2016
In 2016, Australia remained the biggest bauxite supplier to China, with a volume of around 21.3 million tonnes, up by 8.81% YOY, accounting for 41.1% of China’s total imports, followed by Guinea with 11.9 million tonnes, up by 3,469% YOY, accounting for 23%. Because of bauxite mining ban in Malaysia, China increased imports from Australia and Guinea in 2016. According to reports from Rio Tinto, the group produced around 47.7 million tonnes of bauxite in 2016, up by 9% YOY. The aimed output in 2017 is 48-50 million tonnes. In the second half of 2017, Metro Mining plans to start bauxite operation in Australia. The supply from Australia will continue to increase in the following two years.
In 2016, Guinean bauxite was mainly imported by Weiqiao Aluminum, but in 2017, EGA plans to export less than 1 million tonnes of bauxite to China. Several other projects including Alufer and Eurasian Resources may start operation.
Chinese bauxite imports from Malaysia and India dropped by 68.96% and 41.9% YOY respectively to 7.45 million tonnes and 4.53 million tonnes in 2016. Because of continuous mining ban and strict policy on bauxite transportation in Malaysia, major Chinese buyers left the market last year. Weiqiao Aluminum was the major Indian bauxite consumer before, but stopped buying the material from last April due to rising supply from Guinea. Therefore, Indian bauxite supply dropped hugely, in spite of new buyers of Xinfa Group.
Unit: KT
Chinese bauxite import from major countries by month
The supply volume of Guinean bauxite is high, but the quality for the material is low, so Chinese buyers need to increase purchase of high-grade bauxite from Brazil and Ghana. In 2016, the import volume from the two countries climbed up by 171.79% and 44.69% YOY respectively to around 4.4 million tonnes and 1.1 million tonnes. Besides of Hydro, Alcoa became a major Brazilian bauxite supplier in 2016, and the volume in 2017 may rise to around 5 million tonnes. Bosai Minerals, bauxite owner in Ghana, also plans to increase production volume to around 1.8 million tonnes in 2017 from around 1.4 million tonnes in 2016.
According to the data, China imported around 238,000t of bauxite from the Solomon Islands in 2016, down by 11% YOY. From last September, China restarted bauxite import from the country. Currently, there are two bauxite owners in the Solomon Islands, but consumers in China have risen to three. Investors have enhanced development there and production volume may reach 3 million tonnes at least in 2017.
In early 2017, Indonesian declared to resume bauxite export, which becomes a bad news for other bauxite. However, many details still need to be decided, including export tax, quota and export list, etc. Therefore, the market may not see Indonesian bauxite soon. It is reported that Indonesia may issue a quota of 40 million tonnes.
Chinese bauxite import by countries in December 2016
Unit: KT
Chinese bauxite import volume by month in 2016
In 2016, Australia remained the biggest bauxite supplier to China, with a volume of around 21.3 million tonnes, up by 8.81% YOY, accounting for 41.1% of China’s total imports, followed by Guinea with 11.9 million tonnes, up by 3,469% YOY, accounting for 23%. Because of bauxite mining ban in Malaysia, China increased imports from Australia and Guinea in 2016. According to reports from Rio Tinto, the group produced around 47.7 million tonnes of bauxite in 2016, up by 9% YOY. The aimed output in 2017 is 48-50 million tonnes. In the second half of 2017, Metro Mining plans to start bauxite operation in Australia. The supply from Australia will continue to increase in the following two years.
In 2016, Guinean bauxite was mainly imported by Weiqiao Aluminum, but in 2017, EGA plans to export less than 1 million tonnes of bauxite to China. Several other projects including Alufer and Eurasian Resources may start operation.
Chinese bauxite imports from Malaysia and India dropped by 68.96% and 41.9% YOY respectively to 7.45 million tonnes and 4.53 million tonnes in 2016. Because of continuous mining ban and strict policy on bauxite transportation in Malaysia, major Chinese buyers left the market last year. Weiqiao Aluminum was the major Indian bauxite consumer before, but stopped buying the material from last April due to rising supply from Guinea. Therefore, Indian bauxite supply dropped hugely, in spite of new buyers of Xinfa Group.
Unit: KT
Chinese bauxite import from major countries by month
The supply volume of Guinean bauxite is high, but the quality for the material is low, so Chinese buyers need to increase purchase of high-grade bauxite from Brazil and Ghana. In 2016, the import volume from the two countries climbed up by 171.79% and 44.69% YOY respectively to around 4.4 million tonnes and 1.1 million tonnes. Besides of Hydro, Alcoa became a major Brazilian bauxite supplier in 2016, and the volume in 2017 may rise to around 5 million tonnes. Bosai Minerals, bauxite owner in Ghana, also plans to increase production volume to around 1.8 million tonnes in 2017 from around 1.4 million tonnes in 2016.
According to the data, China imported around 238,000t of bauxite from the Solomon Islands in 2016, down by 11% YOY. From last September, China restarted bauxite import from the country. Currently, there are two bauxite owners in the Solomon Islands, but consumers in China have risen to three. Investors have enhanced development there and production volume may reach 3 million tonnes at least in 2017.
In early 2017, Indonesian declared to resume bauxite export, which becomes a bad news for other bauxite. However, many details still need to be decided, including export tax, quota and export list, etc. Therefore, the market may not see Indonesian bauxite soon. It is reported that Indonesia may issue a quota of 40 million tonnes.
Chinese bauxite import by countries in December 2016
| December |
YOY% |
Jan-Dec |
YOY% |
|
| Total |
4,659,501 |
-34.44 |
51,779,251 |
-7.24 |
| Guinea |
1,818,749 |
1,508.43 |
11,907,690 |
3,469 |
| Australia |
1,676,458 |
-17.61 |
21,306,414 |
8.81 |
| Brazil |
492,084 |
28.39 |
4,399,163 |
171.79 |
| India |
218,873 |
-77.99 |
4,528,551 |
-41.9 |
| Malaysia |
165,587 |
-95.26 |
7,446,802 |
-68.96 |
| Ghana |
137,871 |
203.29 |
1,074,112 |
44.69 |
| Solomon Islands |
90,539 |
127.42 |
238,033 |
-11 |
| Montenegro |
59,237 |
- |
386,995 |
235.53 |
| Guyana |
61 |
203.8 |
2,709 |
-92.82 |
Bauxite Al2O3 60%min, Al/Si 5.0, Ex-VAT Delivered China
Unit:RMB/mt
China bauxite producers' output statistics by province by month
Unit: mt
