en.Wedoany.com Reported - According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), China's bauxite imports reached 20.06 million tons in July this year, an increase of 34.2% compared to the same period last year and a month-on-month rise of 10.7% from June. From January to July this year, China's total bauxite imports reached 123.3 million tons, a significant year-on-year increase of 33.7%. Data shows that China's primary aluminum billet production in August 2025 exhibited a steady recovery trend. According to the latest SMM survey report, the total national output of primary aluminum billets reached 1.462 million tons in August, a month-on-month increase of 3.8%, with the operating rate rebounding to 55.2%, up 2.1 percentage points from July. This indicates that after the regional production cuts in July, the aluminum billet industry has entered a path of steady recovery.
Guinea is expected to introduce reform measures next month to restrict bauxite exports, following a surge in supply that has led to a significant drop in global prices.
Reports indicate that Guinea's bauxite shipments grew by approximately 25% in 2025, reaching 183 million tons, with export growth accelerating further in the first quarter of 2026. The country currently accounts for more than one-third of global bauxite production and remains one of the world's most important suppliers of this ore used to make aluminum.
Guinea's Minister of Mines and Geology, Bouna Sylla, stated that the sharp increase in exports has caused bauxite prices to fall by nearly 50% from their peak levels early last year. Sylla said the government wants to regulate export volumes to stabilize prices and prevent oversupply. The new export policy, first proposed for discussion earlier this year, is expected to be finalized in June.
Most of Guinea's bauxite exports are shipped to China, where it is first refined into alumina and then processed into aluminum.
The proposed reforms are part of a broader trend among resource-rich African nations seeking to capture greater value from their mineral exports, rather than relying primarily on raw material shipments. Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe have also imposed restrictions on the export of key minerals like cobalt and lithium.
Alongside the implementation of export controls, Guinea is also continuing to advance the construction of domestic refining and aluminum processing capacity. The government is encouraging mining companies to invest in building alumina refineries in Guinea, with several projects currently under development or construction involving entities such as State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), Aluminum Corporation of China (Chalco), and a consortium led by the SMB-Winning alliance. Sylla also stated that Guinea intends to attract investment to develop aluminum smelting, describing the move from alumina refining to aluminum metal production as the natural next step for the country's mining industry.
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