amaica had a record 2006 in bauxite mining with 15Mt of output, surpassing the island's yearly production levels since 1974, a representative with the Jamaica Bauxite Institute confirmed to BNamericas.

The official added that the current surplus in the global bauxite market, mainly caused by China's 62% year-on-year jump in output to 12.7Mt for 2006, has caused alumina spot prices to slide to US$196/t at the close of the year.

Alumina is the refined form of bauxite ore, which is used to make aluminium.

Meanwhile, bauxite exports rose 12.6% to 4.6Mt in 2006, while alumina production edged up by 1% in the year to reach 4.1Mt due to a rise in productivity at the Jamalco refinery, owned jointly by US giant Alcoa (NYSE: AA) and the Jamaican government, the representative said.
Forecasts for 2007

Output in 2007 is expected to reach 4.2Mt of alumina, given Jamalco's Early Works project, which – set to start this year – is to add 150,000t of alumina to its current output, said the official, adding that Jamaica should churn out 5.1Mt of crude bauxite in 2007.