• Guinea exported 99.8 million tons of bauxite in H1 2025, nearly reaching 2022’s full-year total
• Exports rose 36% year-on-year as the country strengthened its lead in global supply
• China remains the top buyer, taking in around 60% of Guinea’s bauxite exports

By the end of June 2025, Guinea had exported 99.8 million tons of bauxite, nearly matching its full-year total from 2022, which stood at 102.28 million tons. The comparison highlights how sharply Guinea has advanced in recent years to become the world’s top bauxite supplier.

According to official data reported by Reuters, Guinea’s bauxite exports rose by 36% year-on-year in the first half of 2025. Between 2022 and 2024, production increased by 37%, reaching 141 million tons. In 2024, Guinea exported 145 million tons, making it the global leader in bauxite exports. This surge is largely due to faster extraction by mining companies operating in the country, including the Alliance Guinéenne de Bauxite, d’Alumine et d’Aluminium (AGB2A/SDM), which shipped 19.70 million tons in 2024—up from 6.18 million tons in 2023.

Société Minière de Boké (SMB), the leading exporter in 2024, outpaced AGB2A/SDM, with a 13% rise in shipments. Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) also recorded strong export growth, rounding out the top three. Unlike producers such as Australia and China, which refine part or all of their bauxite locally, Guinea mostly exports the raw ore. China remains Guinea’s largest customer, receiving about 60% of its total bauxite exports.

The Guinean government, however, is working to develop a local alumina industry—the intermediate product between bauxite and aluminum. Conakry has toughened its stance in recent years, including halting operations by Emirates Global Aluminium after delays in building a promised refinery. Other projects are now moving ahead, such as the Chinese-backed State Power Investment Corporation, which began construction of its refinery in March 2025.