Guinea reports exporting 182.8 million tonnes of bauxite in 2025 — The Rio Times
At an economic forum in Conakry, Guinea, on October 16, 2026, it was reported that the country exported 182.8 million tonnes of unprocessed bauxite in 2025. The figure was presented by mining engineer Ismaël Diakité during the second round table of the Guinean Observatory of Economic Conditions, The Rio Times reports.
Diakité stressed that processing bauxite within the country requires more than just building an alumina refinery. Developing a full production chain requires substantial amounts of electricity, water, transport infrastructure, suitable raw materials, and sales markets.
Export figures
According to the publication, the export figure for 2025 was 25% higher than in 2024. In January, Afrimag linked the same figure to data from Guinea's Ministry of Mines, while Financial Afrik linked it to official data. At the same time, The Rio Times notes that the ministry's original release could not be found.
According to Afrimag, the largest volumes were exported by the Chinese group Chalco, at 22.1 million tonnes. Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée shipped 17.4 million tonnes, while Société minière de Boké and the AGB2A/SDM enterprise each shipped approximately 17 million tonnes. Financial Afrik, citing Chinese customs statistics, reported that China received about 74% of Guinea's bauxite exports.
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Conditions for processing
Diakité estimated Guinea's bauxite reserves at 7.4 billion tonnes, with an alumina content of around 45%. The estimate of reserve volumes matches data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Bauxite is processed into alumina and subsequently into aluminium. Producing aluminium through electrolysis requires large amounts of electricity. The engineer also drew attention to the need for safe storage of red mud, a residue produced during alumina production.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates Guinea's bauxite production in 2025 at 150 million tonnes and global production at approximately 440 million tonnes, excluding the United States. The source does not explain why this figure is lower than the stated export volumes and does not specify whether the weight of dry or wet ore is taken into account.
