Platts to launch new bauxite CIF China, FOB Guinea price assessments Jan. 8

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, will launch weekly bauxite spot price assessments on a CIF China and FOB Guinea basis, effective Jan. 8, 2026.

Platts has observed growing seaborne trade for bauxite delivered to China, the world's leading bauxite importer. From January-October 2025, China imported 170.96 million mt of bauxite, up 30.1% year over year, according to Chinese customs data.

Total global carried volumes for bauxite stood at 194 million mt in January-November 2025, of which 147 million mt, or 76%, were from Guinea, according to data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea.

The assessments will complement Platts existing alumina and aluminum benchmarks, providing further pricing transparency to the upstream market in the value chain.

The CIF China assessment will consider low-temperature bauxite of open origin to be delivered to Yantai, Shandong province. The FOB Guinea assessment will consider low-temperature bauxite to be loaded at Kamsar. Information reported with other Incoterms may be normalized to Platts basis specifications and considered for the assessment.

The new assessments will reflect the following specifications:

Information reported on cargoes with differing specifications from those above may be normalized to Platts basis specifications based on price differentials surveyed with the market.

For the FOB Guinea price assessment, in the absence of active spot trading, Platts may consider assessing it based on a netback value from CIF China indications and Platts dry bulk freight rate (MMYCA00) for Capesize vessels from Kamsar to Yantai, as well as information from adjacent markets.

The proposed weekly price assessments will follow the Singapore publishing calendar and reflect spot market information up to the close of the assessment window at 5:30 pm Singapore (0930 GMT) on Thursdays.

The assessments and associated monthly averages will be published in Platts Metals Daily, on pages MTL0005 and PMA0005 of Platts Nonferrous Metals Alert, and in the Platts price database.

Platts first proposed to launch the assessments Oct. 31 in a subscriber note available here.

Please send feedback, comments and questions to platts_alumina_moc@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

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