Jan. 16, 2026 - From January to November 2025, China's cumulative bauxite output reached 55.21 million tons, an increase of 4.21% compared with the same period in 2024. Among them, the output of bauxite in Shanxi was 15.41 million tons, increasing by 6.9% year-on-year, and the output of bauxite in Henan was 4.23 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 4%. 

In the first half of 2025, the output of bauxite rebounded in Shanxi and Henan as a result of the initial results of environmental protection rectification. However, the mining activities of the mines in both places were restricted, and the output dropped accordingly in the second half year, due to the influence of the rainy season weather.

In March 2025, ten departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of the Aluminum Industry (2025-2027)", clearly stating the need to accelerate the increase in domestic bauxite reserves and production, and setting a goal of striving to achieve a 3% to 5% growth in domestic bauxite resources by 2027. 

In July of the same year, the Department of Natural Resources of Shanxi Province issued a notice on adjusting the registration authority for the transfer of some mineral types. In response to the illegal phenomenon of "nominal mining of ceramic soil but actual mining of bauxite" in some counties and cities, in order to implement the newly revised "Mineral Resources Law of the People's Republic of China" to strengthen the protection of strategic mineral resources such as bauxite, to promote the overall transfer of mineral resources and to enhance the level of comprehensive development and utilization, the department has decided to adjust the registration authority for the transfer of relevant mineral types.

Based on the current situation of China's bauxite production and policy guidance, it is expected that in 2026, China's bauxite production will continue to grow, but the incremental space will be relatively limited.

From January to November 2025, China's cumulative imports of bauxite reached 186.51 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 29.44%. Among them, 138.13 million tons were imported from Guinea, accounting for 74% of the total imports, with a year-on-year increase of 38.01%. Imports from Australia reached 35.01 million tons, accounting for 19%, a year-on-year decrease of 4.09%.

In 2025, although Guinea's bauxite exports were disrupted by local policy changes, they still contributed a significant increase to the global bauxite market. Data shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, Guinea's bauxite output was 115.16 million tons, an increase of 22.56 million tons year-on-year, representing a growth rate of 24.36%. During the same period, Australia's bauxite output was 73.07 million tons, an increase of 13.88 million tons year-on-year, with a growth rate of only 1.94%.

In May 2025, the Guinean authorities successively revoked the mining licenses of several mining enterprises, especially the complete shutdown of the Axis mining area, which once raised market concerns about a tightening of bauxite supply. In December of the same year, Shunda Mining within the Axis mining area was the first to resume production. The other two mining companies in the area are also expected to resume operations by the end of December 2025. The combined annual production capacity of the above-mentioned three mines amounts to 40 million tons, and they have cumulatively dispatched 22.08 million tons of bauxite before their shutdown in 2025. In addition, Nimba Mining Company, which was reorganized from the former Guinea Alumina Company (GAC), resumed production in December, 2025, with an annual production capacity exceeding 14 million tons.

In 2026, the increase in global bauxite production capacity is still expected to be concentrated in the Guinea region. Based on the expected increase of local enterprises that have been put into production, resumed production and expanded production, the global bauxite supply increment in 2026 is estimated to be between 40 million and 50 million tons.