GUINEA’S bauxite shipments soared 36% to a record 99.8 million tons in the first half of 2025, said Reuters citing official data.
The increase in exports comes as Chinese demand remained strong despite regulatory pressures affecting some mining operations, the newswire said in a report.
“Guinea’s first-half shipments represent 24% of 2024’s global supply – quite remarkable by all standards,” said Theo Acheampong at Critical Minerals Africa Group. “What would be interesting is Guinea building its own processing capacity to retain more in-country value.”
The West African nation’s exports jumped from 73.4Mt in the same period last year, with Chinese-controlled companies commanding over 60% of shipments. China’s aluminum production rose 4.0% to 18.59Mt in the first five months of 2025, driven by increased infrastructure spending and manufacturing recovery.
Market leader SMB, backed by Chinese investors, dominated exports with 31.2Mt, nearly one-third of total shipments. China’s state-owned Chalco exported 8.9 Mt, while CDM-CHINE shipped 4.1 Mt and SPIC contributed 1.8 Mt.
The surge occurred despite Guinea’s military government implementing stricter mining regulations that forced several companies to halt operations entirely. GAC, KIMBO, and SBG recorded zero exports during the period, said Reuters.
Port diversification supported growth, with nine active facilities handling exports. Dapilon/Katougouma led with 30% of shipments, followed by Kokaya at 25%, reducing bottlenecks at the traditional Kamsar hub.
Strong first-half performance positions Guinea, the world’s second-largest bauxite producer, for annual exports potentially exceeding 199Mt, cementing its status as the world’s largest bauxite supplier despite ongoing regulatory restructuring.
