China’s imports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products fell by 10.6% year-on-year in March 2025, totaling 340,000 metric tons, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. For the first quarter of 2025, imports amounted to 950,000 tons, a 14% decline compared to the same period last year. The figures include primary metal as well as unwrought and alloyed aluminium TradingView report on customs data, AlCircle analysis.
In contrast to the drop in aluminium imports, China’s bauxite imports—the key raw material for aluminium production—rose significantly. March bauxite imports increased by 39.1% year-on-year to 1.64 million tons, while total bauxite imports for the first quarter reached 4.7 million tons, up 29.9% from the previous year AlCircle coverage of bauxite trends.
The decline in aluminium imports is attributed to a less favorable import arbitrage, with domestic prices remaining more competitive than international rates. At the same time, China’s government has been encouraging domestic production and recycling, and has recently cut import tariffs on certain recycled aluminium raw materials to further reduce reliance on primary aluminium imports AlCircle analysis of trade strategy.
Guinea continues to dominate China’s bauxite supply, accounting for the majority of imports, followed by Australia and Indonesia. The surge in bauxite shipments comes despite Indonesia’s ban on raw bauxite exports, which has prompted China to diversify its sourcing strategy.
