The brokerage firm IFCHOR GALBRAITHS (IG) has launched a new research service called Bauxite 360, which provides precise analyses of the global bauxite market. This service has been introduced in light of the rapid increase in trade volume and focus in the bauxite market, particularly in Guinea and China, as a key dry commodity.
In-depth Bauxite Market Analyses
The Bauxite 360 service is part of IG's Commodities 360° research series and offers a combination of detailed market analyses, regular updates, and access to IG's research and consulting team. This series previously included iron and agricultural products.
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The launch of this service follows the global bauxite seaborne exports reaching a record 251 million tons in 2025, an 18 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, in the first half of 2026, this trade volume has increased by 9.2 percent compared to the previous year.
Market Concentration and Future Forecasts
The bauxite market is highly concentrated. In 2025, Guinea supplied about 175 million tons, equivalent to 70 percent of the global seaborne bauxite supply. Moreover, Guinea and Australia alone account for about 89 percent of total shipments, with China receiving approximately 86 percent of the global volume.
IG analysts predict that this concentration will increase in the future. Global export capacity is expected to rise from about 251 million tons to 315 million tons by 2030, with Guinea accounting for nearly 59 million tons of this increase.
This growth will have significant impacts on the aluminum supply chain as well as dry transportation. Currently, about 83 percent of Guinea's bauxite exports are transported by Capesize vessels, and political decisions, infrastructure development, and growing trends in domestic refining in the country could affect trade patterns and transportation demand.
Laura Gomez, the report's author and senior research consultant in the dry sector, stated: "Bauxite has become a major commodity in dry trade, but what makes the market more attractive is its concentration. Guinea now supplies about seven tons of every ten tons of international trade, while China currently dominates demand."
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