mineral · input
Refined aluminum oxide produced by the Bayer process from bauxite. Direct feedstock for Hall-Héroult electrolysis. Approximately 1.93 tonnes alumina required per tonne of primary aluminum. ~80 refineries globally, concentrated in Australia, China, and Brazil.
5
Source countries
8
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
1 essential American goods rely on alumina (aluminum oxide, al₂o₃) somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| CNChina | 60% |
| AUAustralia | 15% |
| BRBrazil | 8% |
| INIndia | 6% |
| RURussia | 4% |
Who makes it
8 companies produce alumina (aluminum oxide, al₂o₃).
State-owned Chinese aluminum company (subsidiary of Chinalco); China's largest alumina and primary aluminum producer; operates ~50 bauxite mines and 15+ alumina refineries across China and internationally; ~12% of global alumina production
China's largest aluminum producer (private); sources bauxite from Guinea and Indonesia; operates integrated bauxite mines (Guinea operations via Winning Consortium) through parent Shandong Weiqiao; ~10% of global aluminum output
World's 2nd-largest primary aluminum producer outside China; 3.7 Mt/year (~6-7% global supply). Operates primarily in Siberia with access to low-cost hydroelectric power. Subject to US OFAC sanctions in 2018 (lifted Jan 2019 after Deripaska ownership restructuring); UK/EU restrictions from 2022 Ukraine war. ~80% of capacity in Russia.
Rio Tinto bauxite and alumina subsidiary; operates Weipa (Queensland, ~34 Mt/yr) and Amrun (Queensland, ~23 Mt/yr) bauxite mines — among the world's largest; also holds Guinea bauxite concessions through CBG JV (Halco); supplies Yarwun and Queensland Alumina Ltd refineries
Largest industrial company in UAE outside oil and gas; 2.6 Mt/year primary aluminum (5-6% global). 100% natural gas powered using cheap byproduct fuel from local oil operations. Rapidly growing; researching 5.4 GW solar + wind + 65 GWh storage path to net-zero. Integrated with Guinea bauxite interests.
Norwegian state-controlled industrial company; operates Alunorte (Barcarena, Brazil) — the world's largest alumina refinery (6.3 Mt/yr capacity); also Paragominas bauxite mine (Brazil) and Norwegian aluminum smelters; 2018 Alunorte environmental shutdown caused global alumina price to spike 60%
US aluminum producer; operates Pinjarra (~4.7 Mt/yr) and Wagerup (~2.7 Mt/yr) alumina refineries in Western Australia; also Huntly bauxite mine; Australian refineries feed global export market; previously operated Point Comfort refinery (Texas, closed 2016)
Australian diversified mining company (demerged from BHP in 2015); operates Worsley Alumina (WA, ~4.7 Mt/yr), Brazil Alumina (MINERACAO RIO DO NORTE stake), and South Africa Manganese; Worsley is a major seaborne alumina exporter
