Determinación del precio de los minerales

This guide establishes a methodology for valuing bauxite in transactions between related parties, focusing on the 'arm's length principle'. It identifies key economic drivers of bauxite pricing—such as available alumina content and reactive silica impurities—and explains how to use market price indices from agencies like CBIX, Fastmarkets, and CRU to establish fair market values. The document also details necessary comparability adjustments for product quality, transport costs (Incoterms), and economic circumstances to prevent tax revenue loss in developing nations.

• The economic value of bauxite is primarily determined by its response to the Bayer process, with gibbsitic and diasporic minerals being more valuable than boehmitic ones because they are less costly to process.
• Reactive silica is the most economically significant impurity in bauxite because it directly increases refining costs by requiring more caustic soda; specifically, a 1% increase in reactive silica can increase caustic soda consumption by over 20 kg.
• The global bauxite market is characterized by a high level of integration and regional variation, with Australia and Guinea as dominant exporters and China as the largest consumer and producer of alumina and aluminum.
• While bauxite prices were historically linked to the London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminum price, they have diverged since 2010 due to rising input costs and the growth of the secondary aluminum recycling market.
• Price indices from agencies such as CBIX, Fastmarkets, CRU, and Asian Metal serve as reliable starting points for determining arm's length prices, though they require adjustments for specific bilateral agreements and product specifications.
• Comparability adjustments for bauxite pricing typically involve price changes of approximately 1 USD per dry metric tonne (dmt) for every 1% deviation in alumina content, and between 1 and 4 USD per dmt for every 1% deviation in total silica.

APA

Viola, A., Lassourd, T., & Readhead, A. (2023). Determinación del precio de los minerales. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-es.pdf

Chicago

Viola, Andrew, Thomas Lassourd, and Alexandra Readhead. Determinación del precio de los minerales. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Viola |first1=Andrew |last2=Lassourd |first2=Thomas |last3=Readhead |first3=Alexandra |title=Determinación del precio de los minerales |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-es.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{viola2023determinacin, author = {Viola, Andrew and Lassourd, Thomas and Readhead, Alexandra}, title = {{Determinación del precio de los minerales}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }