- Global bauxite pricing in Q2 of 2026 moved with a mild upward bias, shaped more by export controls and refinery operating rates than mining cost changes.
- Guinea's export curbs and mining policy changes, with regulatory uncertainty influenced bauxite trade flows and procurement strategies globally.
- Downstream aluminium demand remained steady across construction, transport, and packaging, but lack of strong end-use expansion limited sharper price movement.
Asia
In the second quarter of 2026, the average bauxite price in China went from ~RMB 0.40/kg in April to ~RMB 0.41/kg in the subsequent month, showing an increase of ~2.4%. Prices moved slightly higher due to stable alumina refinery operations running at elevated utilization levels, sustaining import requirements. China continued to rely heavily on Guinea and Australia for supply, which together account for more than 60% of its bauxite imports Limited output flexibility in exporting regions kept import availability tight despite stable domestic demand. Meanwhile, the average bauxite price for India ~INR 6.45/kg in April and around ~INR 6.50/kg in the subsequent month, showing an increase of ~0.8%.
Europe
In Europe, minimal fluctuations in the bauxite prices were witnessed because of the stable levels of refinery production. The region remained structurally dependent on imports, with about 80% of bauxite coming from Guinea, Brazil and Australia. Weak demand from automotive and construction industry hampered downstream aluminium market growth; however, import diversification was still under way due to the structural vulnerability to shipping disturbances on the Atlantic shipping lanes.
North America
In Q2’26, the average price was around ~USD 32.00/DMT in April, and the following month was approximately USD 32.32/DMT, representing the increase by around 1.0%. Bauxite prices increased thanks to the stable alumina refinery production and stable bauxite imports from Jamaica, Brazil and Guinea.