China's bauxite imports plunged 52.3% to 3.1 million mt in July from 6.5 million mt in July 2013, latest General Administration of Customs data showed Friday, August 22.
The July total was up 5.7% from the month before.
Bauxite imports over January-July totaled 22.8 million mt, down a sharp 42.3% year on year.
Imports have fallen since Indonesia imposed a ban on mineral ore exports on January 12. Many Chinese buyers had stockpiled ahead of the ban.
Indonesia was China's top supplier of bauxite before the ban was imposed, accounting for about 70% of its total imports.
There was no record of bauxite being imported to China from Indonesia in July, compared with 4 million mt of imports in the same month of 2013.
Over January-July, China's bauxite imports from Indonesia totaled 8.8 million mt, down 65.8% from 25.7 million mt in the same period a year earlier.
China's importers have been increasing supply from other regular suppliers as well as actively seeking new supply sources since Indonesia's export ban was imposed.
Imports from Malaysia totaled 226,692 mt in July, sharply higher than China's total bauxite imports from Malaysia over full year 2013 at 156,140 mt and full year 2012 at 196,598 mt.
Over January-July 2014, China's bauxite imports from Malaysia totaled 429,689 mt.
