China’s bauxite loss spurs export boom in Australia

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

The loss of China’s largest bauxite supplier will mean big gains for Australian producers of the ore used to produce aluminum.

China, the biggest base-metals user, saw bauxite imports plummet after a January ban on shipments by Indonesia, which sought to limit ore sales to spark investment in higher-value domestic smelting. Indonesia supplied 68 percent of China’s purchases in 2013, so the race is on to fill the void as demand grows, said Levy, the chief executive officer of Australian Bauxite Ltd., which will open its first mine late this year.