Supply and Demand Fundamentals Turn Looser, Leading to Inventory Buildup of Bauxite at Ports

SMM March 16 News:

According to data from March 14, the weekly domestic port arrivals of bauxite reached 4.145 million metric tons, reflecting a week-over-week increase of 256,000 metric tons. Meanwhile, the weekly departures of bauxite from Guinea's main ports totaled 4.593 million metric tons, an impressive rise of 1.375 million metric tons compared to the previous week. Similarly, Australia's main ports reported weekly bauxite departures of 1.127 million metric tons, marking an increase of 291,000 metric tons week-over-week.

Recently, the weekly bauxite shipments from Guinea have consistently remained high, while Australia's shipments have seen a rebound compared to earlier periods. As a result, the supply of imported bauxite to the domestic market is expected to rise. Due to the earlier surge in shipments from Guinea, the average domestic port arrivals of bauxite have increased, which has led to a rise in imported bauxite supplies and an accumulation of port inventory. As of March 14, 2025, SMM statistics indicate that the total bauxite inventory at nine domestic ports reached 15.48 million metric tons, up 470,000 metric tons week-over-week and up 1.53 million metric tons from the lowest recorded inventory level of 13.95 million metric tons in January 2025.

SMM Comments: In the short term, the bauxite supply is expected to increase compared to earlier periods, potentially shifting the supply-demand dynamics towards a more balanced state. Consequently, bauxite prices are likely to remain under pressure in the near future.