On Wednesday, July 22nd, official data showed that Guinea's aluminum ore exports in the first half of 2026 soared by 15%, reaching a record high. This was driven by strong demand from China, despite the increasing costs of fuel and transportation, which put increasing pressure on smaller producers.
Bauxite is the raw material for alumina, and alumina is a key component of aluminum products widely used in transportation, construction and packaging industries.
According to data from the Guinean Ministry of Mines, Guinea, the world's largest exporter of bauxite, shipped a total of 114.8 million tons of bauxite from January to June this year, which was higher than the 99.8 million tons shipped in the same period last year.
The export volume in the second quarter increased by 5.3% year-on-year, rising from 51.2 million tons in the same period of 2025 to 53.9 million tons.
The data also shows that Guinea shipped 238,563 tons of alumina. Chinese enterprises dominate the bauxite industry in Guinea, and about 70% of Guinea's bauxite exports go to China. At the same time, Chinese enterprises hold more than 60% of the equity in the world's largest undeveloped iron ore project, Simandou.
Guinea has proposed to limit production.
Guinea had considered imposing restrictions on the export of bauxite in order to support small mining enterprises and boost prices, but such measures have not yet been implemented.
According to data from the commodity price tracking agency Procurement Resource, the global bauxite price weakened in 2026 due to oversupply, after having risen previously last year. The FOB (Free On Board) price of bauxite from Guinea remained at around $38 to $39 per dry ton.
Despite the increased operational challenges during the rainy season and the significant rise in logistics costs due to the crisis in the Middle East, the export performance of Guinea remained strong.
Industry analyst Mehdi Chehab said: "The cost of mining and transporting bauxite has become extremely high." He also added that fuel prices have risen by more than 80%, and adverse sea conditions have also increased voyage time and freight costs.
Another analyst said that small mining companies that produce low-grade ores were the ones that suffered the greatest impact.
The second analyst mentioned above and a mining executive stated that due to the fact that major exporters are continuing to expand production and new operators are entering the market, these disruptions are unlikely to significantly affect Guinea's overall output in 2026.
