US alumina imports rise 49.3% in H1 2025 amid refinery shutdowns

Over the first six months of 2025, US alumina imports grew to 906 thousand tonnes, registering an increase of 49.3 per cent from the same six months in the previous year. This follows fairly strong import levels in the latter half of 2024, with imports being around 730 thousand tonnes. It is evident that there has been a marked shift away from the first six months of 2024. Over this period, imports were lower by 7.3 per cent from the previous year, declining to 607 thousand tonnes from 655 thousand tonnes during H1 2023.  

The recovery has not been smooth. Quarterly data shows that buying patterns were uneven through 2025. Imports in the second quarter were reported at 466 thousand tonnes, around 6 per cent higher than in the first quarter and far above earlier benchmarks, standing 44 per cent above Q2 2024 levels and 40 per cent higher than Q2 2023.

At the same time, shorter-term movements told a more volatile story. Imports fell from 480,000 tonnes in the first quarter to 369,000 tonnes in the second, a quarter-on-quarter decline of 23.1 per cent. The contrast highlights how the broader rebound in alumina imports has masked sharp swings in purchasing behaviour within the year.

Brazil and Jamaica fill the gap

Brazil dominated shipments into the US in the second quarter of 2025. It contributed around 70 per cent of the imports of alumina into the US during the second quarter of 2025, while Jamaica contributed around 8 per cent.

The Brazilian shipments were weaker a year ago. The Brazilian exports to the US were down by 11.2 per cent in H1 2024 to 492 thousand tonnes, against 554 thousand tonnes in H1 2023. But this was only a blip in the trend. The Brazilian exports in H1 2025 were up by 29.9 per cent to 639 thousand tonnes.

Jamaica has followed a steeper trajectory, although from a much lower level. Exports grew from 18,990 tonnes in H1 2023 to 29,440 tonnes in H1 2024, before jumping to 102 thousand tonnes in H1 2025. The latest growth represented a 246.5 per cent year-over-year increase, which was a major boost to Jamaica as far as meeting the demand within the US.

Why alumina imports increased?

Although the alumina imports went up, the bauxite had a contradictory trend. The US bauxite imports in the first six months of 2025 were lower by about 17.6 per cent compared with the previous years at about 849 thousand tonnes.

The potential reason for this is that refineries are closing while aluminum demand remains steady, pushing up alumina imports as only one refinery continues to operate in the US.

Concurrently, the demand for primary aluminum in the US is intact. Consequently, the total cumulative production of primary aluminum by the United States during H1 2025 is 332,000 tonnes, compared to 339,000 tonnes for the same period in the previous year.

Given the limited domestic refining capacity, buyers began to procure alumina directly from abroad in preference to importing bauxite for domestic refining.