Imported Indonesian bauxite increased most significantly in August

China Customs data show that in August China's total import of bauxite was 2.0438 million tons, an increase of 47.51% compared with the previous period and a decrease of 46.09% year-on-year. From January to August this year, a total of 28,877,400 tons of bauxite was imported, an increase of 2.03% year-on-year.

According to statistics, the most significant increase in imports of bauxite in August was Indonesian ore. In August, Indonesia imported 949,400 tons of bauxite, which was a decrease of 67.66% year-on-year, but an increase of 733,000 tons, an increase of 344.94%, compared with July. In June this year, China's bauxite imports fell sharply in the second consecutive month.

According to previous news, China Aluminum and Chongqing Bosai Mining have successively announced that they will invest in the construction of an alumina plant in Indonesia, which will allow them to obtain Indonesian bauxite export certificates, which in turn will boost the total domestic bauxite imports. It is understood that apart from these two companies, some traders, including Zhuhai Hongfan and Shandong Haiyuanda, are also actively seeking export licenses for bauxite in Indonesia.

Faced with the shrinking market demand since the ban on ore exports, the Indonesian government has realized that it may take longer to build an alumina plant. There was news that the Indonesian government intends to relax the construction time and more bauxite export permits. This may bring a first-line opportunity for domestic alumina companies that rely on imported bauxite.