BAUXITE AND ALUMINA1/ (Data in thousand metric dry tons, unless noted) Domestic Production and Use: In 1995, three companies operated surface bauxite mines in Alabama and Georgia. Virtually all domestic ore was consumed in the production of nonmetallurgical products, such as abrasives, chemicals, proppants, and refractories. Approximately 95% of the total bauxite consumed in the United States during 1995 was converted to alumina. Primary aluminum smelters received approximately 90% of the alumina supply. Annual alumina capacity was 5.6 million tons, with four Bayer refineries in operation at yearend. Salient Statistics--United States:2/ 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995e/ Production, bauxite, mine W W W W W Imports of bauxite for consumption3/ 12,300 11,400 11,900 11,200 10,000 Imports of alumina4/ 4,590 4,700 3,940 3,120 3,900 Exports of bauxite3/ 58 68 92 137 130 Exports of alumina4/ 1,350 1,140 1,240 1,040 650 Shipments of bauxite from Government stockpile excesses -- 437 565 5 150 Consumption, apparent, bauxite and alumina (in aluminum equivalents)5/ 4,610 4,860 4,510 3,840 4,000 Price, bauxite, dollars per ton, f.o.b. mine 15-18 15-18 15-24 15-24 15-18 Stocks, bauxite, industry, yearend 2,600 2,300 1,600 1,600 1,000 Employment, bauxite mine 35 35 35 35 20 Net import reliance,6/ bauxite and alumina as a percent of apparent consumption 100 100 100 99 99 Recycling: None. Import Sources (1991-94):7/ Bauxite: Guinea, 34%; Jamaica, 30%; Brazil, 14%; Guyana, 13%; and other, 9%. Alumina: Australia, 73%; Jamaica, 10%; Suriname, 6%; and other, 11%. Total: Australia, 33%; Jamaica, 21%; Guinea, 19%; Brazil, 9%; and other, 18%. Tariff: Import duties on bauxite and alumina were abolished in 1971 by Public Law 92-151. Only imports from non-most-favored nations were dutiable. Countries that supplied commercial quantities of bauxite or alumina to the United States during the first 8 months of 1995 had most-favored-nation status. Depletion Allowance: 22% (Domestic), 14% (Foreign). Government Stockpile: Stockpile Status--9-30-95 Uncommitted Committed Authorized Disposals Material inventory inventory for disposal Jan.-Sept. 95 Bauxite, metal grade: Jamaica-type 11,100 739 10,900 8/ 610 Suriname-type 4,980 -- 4,980 -- Bauxite, refractory- grade, calcined 208 21 146 9/ 11 Events, Trends, and Issues: World output of bauxite and alumina for 1995 increased to accommodate the increase in world primary aluminum metal production. U.S. alumina plant engineered capacity remained essentially unchanged from that of yearend 1994. However, capacity utilization decreased as a result of the temporary closure of a 635,000-ton-per-year alumina plant in St. Croix, VI. Prepared by Patricia A. Plunkert, (703) 648-4979. BAUXITE AND ALUMINA Spot prices for metallurgical-grade alumina, as published by Metal Bulletin, increased dramatically during the first three quarters of 1995. The price range began the year at $127 to $130 per ton. By the end of September, the price range had increased to $320 to $340 per ton. In early October, the price had decreased slightly to a range of $290 to $310 per ton. The fiscal year 1996 Annual Materials Plan (AMP) submitted by the Defense National Stockpile Center proposed the sale of 915,000 dry metric tons of metallurgical-grade bauxite (610,000 tons of Jamaican-type and 305,000 tons of Suriname-type) during the period October 1, 1995 to September 30, 1996. In addition, the FY 1996 AMP provided for the sale of 81,000 calcined metric tons of refractory-grade bauxite from the National Defense Stockpile. These are the maximum amounts that could be sold under the new AMP and not necessarily the amounts that would actually be offered for sale. World Bauxite Mine Production, Reserves, and Reserve Base: Mine production Reserves10/ Reserve base10/ 1994 1995e/ United States W W 20,000 40,000 Australia 41,700 42,700 5,600,000 7,900,000 Brazil 8,120 8,500 2,800,000 2,900,000 Greece 1,600 1,600 600,000 650,000 Guinea 14,400 14,500 5,600,000 5,900,000 Guyana 2,100 2,100 700,000 900,000 Hungary 900 900 300,000 300,000 India 5,400 5,500 1,000,000 1,200,000 Jamaica 11,700 12,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 Suriname 3,440 3,400 580,000 600,000 Venezuela 4,790 5,000 320,000 350,000 Other countries 12,700 12,400 3,500,000 5,100,000 World total (rounded) 11/ 107,000 11/ 109,000 23,000,000 28,000,000 World Resources: Bauxite resources are estimated to be 55 to 75 billion tons, in South America (33%), Africa (27%), Asia (17%), Oceania (13%), and elsewhere (10%). Domestic resources of bauxite are inadequate to meet long-term demand, but the United States and most other major aluminum-producing countries have essentially inexhaustible subeconomic resources of aluminum in materials other than bauxite. Substitutes: Bauxite is the only raw material used in the production of alumina on a commercial scale in the United States. However, the vast U.S. resources of clay are technically feasible sources of alumina. Other domestic raw materials, such as anorthosite, alunite, coal wastes, and oil shales, offer additional potential alumina sources. Although it would require new plants using new technology, alumina from these nonbauxitic materials could satisfy the demand for primary metal, refractories, aluminum chemicals, and abrasives. Synthetic mullite, produced from kyanite and sillimanite, substitutes for bauxite-based refractories. Although more costly, silicon carbide and alumina-zirconia substitute for bauxite-based abrasives. e/Estimated. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. 1/See also Aluminum. As a general rule, 4 tons of bauxite are required to produce 2 tons of alumina, which, in turn, provide 1 ton of primary aluminum metal. 2/Includes U.S. Virgin Islands. 3/Includes all forms of bauxite, expressed as dry equivalent weights. 4/Calcined equivalent weights. 5/The sum of U.S. bauxite production and net import reliance (all in aluminum equivalents). 6/Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes (all in aluminum equivalents). 7/Aluminum equivalents. 8/Sold under long-term contract commenced in 1993. 9/Dry equivalent weight--16,500 metric tons. 10/See Appendix C for definitions. 11/Excludes U.S. production. Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 1996