KYIV. Feb 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine saw a 31.4% rise in imports of aluminum ore and concentrate (bauxites) in kind year-on-year in January 2016, to 444,329 tonnes.
According to customs statistics made public by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, during this period imports of bauxites in monetary terms increased by 39.8%, to $20.071 million.
Imports mainly originated from Guinea (52.91% of supply in terms of money), Guyana (32.6%) and Brazil (14.48%).
In January this year, Ukraine did not re-export aluminum ore and concentrate.
As reported, in 2015 Ukraine reduced imports of aluminum ore and concentrate in kind by 12.7%, to 4.338 million tonnes, in money terms – by 14.8%, to $181.075 million.
Imports mainly originated from Guinea (62.96% of supply in terms of money) and Guyana (30.37%).
In 2015, Ukraine decreased re-exports of aluminum ore and concentrate by 91.9%, to 463 tonnes and by 92.6% in money terms, to $79,000. The ore was mainly re-exported to Russia (64.1%), Germany (12.82%) and the Netherlands (8.97%).
Bauxite is aluminum ore used as raw material in the production of alumina and aluminum. It is also used as flux in ferrous metallurgy.
Ukraine’s Mykolaiv alumina plant, part of UC Russian Aluminum (RUSAL), imports bauxite to produce alumina.
UC RUSAL was founded in 2007 as a result of a merger of aluminum and alumina assets by OAO RUSAL, SUAL and Swiss-based trader Glencore. RUSAL’s assets in Ukraine include Mykolaiv alumina plant and a stake in Zaporizhia aluminum plant (ZAIK), which halted production of aluminum and alumina.
