mineral · input
Hydrated aluminum oxide ore extracted by open-pit mining. Guinea has highest-quality reserves (88–91% alumina recovery) and is the world's largest exporter, supplying ~27% of global output and ~70% of China's bauxite imports. Australia and Brazil are secondary suppliers.
6
Source countries
7
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
1 essential American goods rely on bauxite ore (primary aluminum feedstock) somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| GNGuinea | 26% |
| AUAustralia | 25% |
| CNChina | 23% |
| BRBrazil | 8% |
| INIndia | 6% |
| IDIndonesia | 4% |
Who makes it
7 companies produce bauxite ore (primary aluminum feedstock).
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
Sino-Singaporean consortium (Winning International, Yantai Port Group, Shandong Weiqiao Aluminium, United Mining Suppliers UMS) operating in Guinea's Boke Region; Guinea's largest bauxite exporter (~38.5 Mt in 2024); operates Boffa deepwater terminal; ships almost exclusively to Chinese alumina refineries
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
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)
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.
Joint venture between Halco Mining (US/European consortium including Alcoa and Rio Tinto) and the Government of Guinea; operates Sangaredi mine, the highest-grade bauxite deposit in the world; ships via Kamsar port; one of the oldest continuous-operation bauxite mines globally
