Ukraine in January-September this year reduced imports of aluminum ores and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 75.6% compared to the same period last year – up to 945.311 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (STS), during this period, bauxite imports in monetary terms decreased by 72.8% to $48.106 million.
At the same time, imports were carried out mainly from Guinea (58.97% of supplies in monetary terms), Brazil (27.22%) and Ghana (7.49%).
Ukraine in January-September 2022 did not re-export bauxite.
As reported, Ukraine in 2021 reduced the import of aluminum ores and concentrate (bauxite) in physical terms by 0.1% compared to 2020, to 5 million 114.227 thousand tons. Bauxite imports in monetary terms increased by 4.2% to $236.638 million.
At the same time, imports were carried out mainly from Guinea (59.33% of supplies in monetary terms), Brazil (21.33%) and Ghana (16.8%).
Ukraine in 2021 re-exported bauxite in the amount of 277 tons worth $70 thousand to Belarus (48.57%), Poland (40%) and the Russian Federation (7.14%), while in 2020 255 tons of bauxite were re-exported to Poland for $41 thousand
Bauxites are aluminum ores used as a raw material for the production of alumina, and from it – aluminium. They are also used as fluxes in ferrous metallurgy.
Bauxites are imported to Ukraine by the Nikolaev Alumina Refinery (NGZ), which was affiliated with the United Company (OK) Russian Aluminum (RusAl, RF) before the war. Alumina is produced from bauxite.
RusAl also previously owned a stake in Zaporozhye Aluminum Plant (ZALK) in Ukraine, which stopped producing primary aluminum and alumina.