Malaysia will cap monthly bauxite exports at 600,000 tonnes as part of the new operating procedures the government finalized for the sector, Reuters reported Sept. 5.
The new procedures, which came into effect the same day, are specific to the Pahang state, but will be used in the whole country via broader standard operating procedures, according to the minister of water, land and natural resources Xavier Jayakumar.
Bauxite mining in the country was suspended in 2016 after the industry was blamed for turning red a stretch of coastline and rivers in Pahang. The Malaysian government lifted the ban this year due to strong demand for the commodity.
Malaysia was once the biggest supplier of bauxite to China, peaking at nearly 3.5 million tonnes monthly at the end of 2015.
