Guinea’s Bauxite Exports Hit Record High

Guinea, the world’s top supplier of bauxite, has reported a 39% year-on-year increase in its bauxite exports, reaching a record 48.6 million metric tons in Q1 2025, according to official data obtained by Reuters. This significant uptick comes despite regulatory crackdowns that temporarily sidelined some major mining operators in the country.

The boom is largely driven by surging demand from China, where aluminium production is rebounding. China, which remains the dominant global consumer of bauxite, produced 18.59 million tons of aluminium in the first five months of 2025—a 4.0% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from its National Bureau of Statistics.

“This underscores the sector’s resilience amid continuing strong Chinese demand from the military-ruled West African nation since 2016,” said commodities analyst Sanchez, referring to Guinea’s consistent role in supplying China’s aluminium industry despite political instability and regulatory challenges.

China’s Grip on Guinea’s Bauxite Sector Tightens
Chinese-controlled mining firms were at the forefront of Guinea’s Q1 export boom. Leading the pack was Société Minière de Boké (SMB), which exported 18.4 million tons, a 41% increase from the 13.1 million tons shipped during the same quarter in 2024. Chalco, China’s state-owned aluminium producer, also raised its exports by 35%, shipping 5.1 million tons, up from 3.8 million tons.

In addition, AGB2A/SDM exported a robust eight million tons in Q1, despite facing operational hurdles from Guinea’s evolving mining regulatory environment.

The data paints a clear picture of China’s growing influence in Guinea’s resource sector. In 2024 alone, China imported 158.7 million tons of bauxite, with Guinea accounting for nearly 70% of that volume—a testament to Beijing’s aggressive strategy to secure critical minerals to fuel its industrial expansion.

Infrastructure and Strategic Importance
Guinea, which holds over half of the world’s known bauxite reserves, has significantly expanded its port infrastructure to meet rising export demands. This includes new terminals and improved loading capacity at key coastal ports—developments that have enabled mining firms to ramp up output and shipping logistics, especially for bulk exports headed to Asia.

The government, despite imposing stricter regulations to increase local value addition, has struggled to enforce full compliance, with most raw bauxite still being exported in its unprocessed form.

The country’s Ministry of Mines and Geology had previously mandated mining firms to build domestic refineries to process bauxite into alumina, a key step in the aluminium value chain. However, most companies—particularly Chinese-backed ones—have yet to fully implement these downstream commitments, citing infrastructure and power supply challenges.

Balancing Growth and Governance

The record-breaking export numbers are a double-edged sword for Guinea’s military-led administration. On the one hand, they highlight the country’s growing relevance in the global minerals market; on the other, they spotlight foreign dominance in a critical national resource and the limited local beneficiation.

For now, Guinea continues to walk a fine line—leveraging booming bauxite demand to boost foreign reserves while grappling with the need for greater transparency, environmental safeguards, and local economic inclusion in its extractive industries.

As global aluminium demand continues to climb—especially amid green energy transitions and infrastructure booms—the spotlight on Guinea’s bauxite sector is unlikely to dim any time soon.

The question remains: Can Guinea convert this resource windfall into sustainable national development, or will it remain a resource hub for global industrial powers like China