Aluminium: Movement

Why China takes almost all traded bauxite

What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.

Unwrought aluminium (HS 7601) is the big flow: $72.9 billion of imports in 2024 (Comtrade). Exports are spread out, led by Canada (14.7%), India (8.5%) and Malaysia (8.2%); the US took 15.2% of imports and China 10.9%. Bauxite (HS 2606) is a smaller but lopsided trade: China absorbed 86.9% of $12.1 billion in imports. Guinea, the largest shipper by tonnage, does not report its trade, so reported exports put Australia first at 66.9%. Indonesia banned bauxite exports in 2023, and the US raised aluminium tariffs to 50% in 2025.

Main trade routes, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Largest bilateral flows (width = value) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, reported exports by the top four exporters of each traded form to their partners (US$). Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Hover a line or circle for values.

Unwrought aluminium · HS 7601

World exports 2024 $56.1 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $72.9 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Canada 14.7% India 8.5% Malaysia 8.2% Norway 6.8% Australia 6.6% Bahrain 6.1% Top importers, share of value United States 15.2% China 10.9% Germany 8.2% Japan 7.2% South Korea 5.5% Turkey 5.3%

Bauxite · HS 2606

World exports 2024 $2.46 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $12.1 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Australia 66.9% Brazil 9.4% Turkey 6.9% Guyana 3.9% Ghana 2.3% Jamaica 2.3% Top importers, share of value China 86.9% India 2.9% Ireland 2.3% United States 1.4% Canada 1.1% Germany 1.1% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.