Bauxite shipping out of West Africa, a fast-growing source of extra tonne-miles for the cape trades, faces headwinds with news from Guinea where the government is vowing to take greater control of the maritime supply chain.

Guinea has been the dominant source of bauxite exports out of West Africa in recent years, predominantly bound for China.

However, the nation’s minister of mines and geology, Bouna Sylla, has recently demanded that 50% of all shipments move on ships flying the Guinean flag. With this new rule, the government has also revealed it has set up its own shipping company, Guinéenne des Transports Maritimes (GUITRAM), which will transport bauxite.

On top of this, Sylla has announced the creation of a national bauxite price index, the Guinea Bauxite Index (GBX), aiming to enhance transparency and maximise economic benefits from its bauxite resources.

Bauxite exports from Guinea have performed remarkably well so far in 2025, up 37% from last year and 56% from 2023, according to data from Greek shipping platform Signal, which notes that bauxite has overtaken coal as the second-largest driver of capesize demand globally.