Guinea bauxite output jumps 25% ahead of export curbs

Reuters | April 28, 2026 | 10:01 am Markets Africa China Aluminum Bauxite

A freight train carrying bauxite in railway carriages for shipment. Stock image.

Guinea’s bauxite output jumped by 25% in the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by Chinese demand, official data showed on Tuesday, as the government plans export curbs to lift prices and protect smaller producers.

Guinea, the world’s largest exporter of bauxite, a key feedstock for aluminum, has seen strong output growth, reaching about 183 million metric tons in 2025.

Mines Minister Bouna Sylla told Reuters in March that the government plans export curbs by April to lift prices as weak demand had squeezed margins, particularly for smaller miners, raising the risk of bankruptcy and threatening jobs, government revenue and host communities.

More than 70% of Guinea’s bauxite is shipped to China, making the West African nation critical to Beijing’s aluminum supply chain.

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Guinea’s bauxite exports reached about 60.9 million tons between January and March this year, up 25.3% from 48.6 million tons in the same period last year, according to the mines ministry data seen by Reuters.

Quarterly exports were driven mainly by Chinese-linked producers, according to the data, despite Beijing’s weak aluminum exports. Societe Miniere de Boke (SMB) led with 18 million tons while China’s state‑owned Chalco shipped 8 million tonnes, up 35%. Other major contributors included China’s Hongqiao‑controlled AGB2A/SDM, CBG and AMC, the data showed.

Guinea’s mines chamber did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prices at four-year low

Guinean free‑on‑board bauxite prices are at their lowest since March 2022, at about $32 to $38 per ton, said Anthony Everiss, analyst at consultancy CRU.

Shipments remain strong so far in April but CRU expects bauxite production growth to slow sharply later in 2026 as the government moves to curb exports, he said.

CRU also expects the government’s export curbs to slow production growth later in 2026 alongside seasonal disruptions, high fuel costs and cuts by some miners.

Guinea could also turn to tax changes, alongside export caps, to push miners to invest more in rail, ports and domestic refining capacity, Everiss added.

(By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila; Editing by Mark Porter)