Vietnam completes the bauxite–alumina–aluminum chain
Vietnam has produced its first domestically-made aluminum ingots at the Dak Nong Aluminum Electrolysis Plant in Nhan Co Industrial Park, Lam Dong Province, completing the country's bauxite–alumina–aluminum value chain for the first time. The inaugural 99.71% purity ingots were unveiled at a ceremony on July 26, 2026, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang, more than 11 years after the project began, according to the Vietnamese government. The plant is operated by Tran Hong Quan Metallurgical Company Limited and represents Vietnam's first pilot project for metallic aluminum production, ending a long reliance on imported aluminum metal while bauxite and alumina were exported.
Plant capacity, output and economic impact
The Dak Nong facility's Phase 1 is operating at 150,000 tonnes per year, with output scheduled to rise to 300,000 tonnes by the end of 2026 and reach the designed capacity of 450,000 tonnes per year in the first quarter of 2027, the Vietnamese government reported. Industry coverage pegged the eventual annual industrial output value at roughly VND 35–36 trillion (US$1.22–1.37 billion). Estimates of import savings and employment diverge between sources: the Vietnamese government and Vietnamese state media cite a reduction of about US$1.5 billion per year in aluminum imports, while the same government materials detail more than 1,000 direct jobs plus 3,500–4,000 indirect positions; one industry summary rounds the total at roughly 3,500 direct and indirect jobs. Vietnam holds an estimated 5.8 billion tonnes of bauxite resources, mostly in the Central Highlands, and Phan Van Giang framed the milestone as evidence of the country's capacity to deepen mineral processing and reduce dependence on raw-material exports.
Jamaica projects 24% rise in bauxite and alumina export earnings
In a separate development, Jamaica expects a 24% rise in bauxite and alumina export earnings in 2026 to US$760 million, up from US$612.3 million in 2025, according to the Jamaican government's annual Form 18-K filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The forecast still trails the US$803.4 million recorded in 2024. The projection follows a difficult 2025 in which combined bauxite and alumina earnings fell 23.8%, or US$191.1 million, driven by weaker alumina prices and lower export volumes: alumina earnings dropped to US$546.3 million, the average alumina price fell to US$385.50 per tonne, and alumina exports declined about 9% to roughly 1.42 million tonnes.
Crude bauxite outperforms as Q1 2026 output slips
Crude bauxite held up better in 2025, with export earnings up 18% to US$66 million on a 16.7% rise in the average price to US$38.20 per tonne, even as total bauxite production declined 4.4% to about 5.62 million tonnes. The early months of 2026 were weaker: alumina production fell 30.3% to 267,060 tonnes and crude bauxite output dropped 26.4% to 415,143 tonnes in the first quarter. Exports also slipped, with alumina shipments falling to 319,600 tonnes from 358,070 tonnes and bauxite exports down 29.7% to 384,276 tonnes, reflecting continued repair work at mining and processing facilities after Hurricane Melissa.
Outlook and next milestones
Jamaica's recovery depends on continued repair work at mining and processing facilities damaged by Hurricane Melissa, with the government targeting bauxite output of about 6.4 million tonnes in 2026, up nearly 14% from 2025. In Vietnam, the Dak Nong plant's Phase 2 (300,000 tonnes per year) is scheduled to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2026, and Phase 3 (450,000 tonnes per year) is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2027. The Vietnamese government projects that once all three phases are operational, the plant could reduce aluminum imports by roughly US$1.5 billion per year, though the delivery timetable rests on the operator's own milestones and has not been independently confirmed.
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