Cadre de détermination des prix des minéraux appliqué à la bauxite

The document applies the Comparable Uncontrolled Price (CUP) method to bauxite, detailing how physical characteristics, economic circumstances, and contractual terms influence pricing. It identifies key price drivers—specifically available alumina and reactive silica—and provides a methodology for using market indices from agencies like CBIX, Fastmarkets, and CRU to establish arm's length prices, including a practical calculation example for exports from Guinea to China.

• The economic value of bauxite is primarily determined by its behavior during the Bayer process, where gibbsite and diaspore ores are more valuable than boehmite because they are cheaper to treat.
• Reactive silica is the most economically significant impurity in bauxite because it directly increases refining costs by requiring more caustic soda for alumina extraction.
• The global bauxite market is dominated by the trade relationship between Australia, Guinea, and China, with China being the largest consumer of bauxite for alumina production.
• While bauxite prices were historically linked to London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices, they have increasingly shifted toward independent indices provided by price reporting agencies such as CBIX, Fastmarkets, CRU, and Asian Metal.
• To determine an arm's length price, adjustments are typically made based on alumina content (approximately 1 USD/tonne per percentage point) and total silica content (between 1 and 4 USD/tonne per percentage point).
• Moisture content generally does not affect the price because bauxite is evaluated on a dry tonne basis, although high moisture levels (e.g., above 6% in cold climates) can lead to contract refusal clauses due to freezing risks.

APA

Viola, A., Lassourd, T., & Readhead, A. (2023). Cadre de détermination des prix des minéraux appliqué à la bauxite. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-fr.pdf

Chicago

Viola, Andrew, Thomas Lassourd, and Alexandra Readhead. Cadre de détermination des prix des minéraux appliqué à la bauxite. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Viola |first1=Andrew |last2=Lassourd |first2=Thomas |last3=Readhead |first3=Alexandra |title=Cadre de détermination des prix des minéraux appliqué à la bauxite |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{viola2023cadre, author = {Viola, Andrew and Lassourd, Thomas and Readhead, Alexandra}, title = {{Cadre de détermination des prix des minéraux appliqué à la bauxite}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-11/determining-the-price-of-minerals-framework-bauxite-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }