What Guinea exports
Export volumes by commodity in 2025 (bauxite, gold, iron ore), the main destination (China ≈72% of bauxite imports — WITS/Comtrade 2024), estimated value and the share returned as taxes. Dated and sourced data.
Contents
Numbered sections — jump in or read in order
01 Key figures
02 What we know — 2025 exports
- Bauxite: 182.8 Mt exported in 2025 — a record, above production (175.45 Mt) thanks to inventory drawdown (MMG N°30).
- Gold: 72.1 t exported (72,120 kg), of which 49.6 t artisanal — 68.8% of the total, not tracked by the MMG (MMG N°30).
- Iron ore: 1.06 Mt exported — the first year of Simandou production, after the first commercial shipment on 11/11/2025 (MMG N°30).
- 10 ports and rivers serve bauxite exports (MMG N°30).
03 China, the main buyer
In 2024, China imported 110.09 Mt of Guinean bauxite (USD 7,589.4m), out of a total of USD 10,532.2m of Chinese bauxite imports — a share of about 72% [own calculation: 7,589.4 / 10,532.2]. Source: WITS/Comtrade (World Bank), CHN 2024 imports from GIN, product HS 260600.
This trade link is driven by the sector's largest operator: SMB (Société Minière de Boké, Winning group), which accounts for 37% of 2025 production — an integrated chain towards Chinese refineries.
04 Gold: 68.8% untracked
Of the 72.1 t of gold exported in 2025, 49.6 t are artisanal — a share not tracked by the MMG (MMG N°30). Estimated value: from ~USD 4.6bn (official average price 2025) to ~USD 7.7bn (market price) [own calculations — gap sheet N°4].
The stakes are twofold: a significant share of value escapes official tracking, and the 2026 ban on raw gold exports is reshaping the circuits. See gap sheet N°4 →
05 Iron ore: first year
Simandou exported 1.06 Mt in 2025, its first year of production. At the 62% iron ore price (USD 104.45/t, March 2026, IndexMundi), each million tonnes represents about USD 104m at the mine gate [own calculation].
The ramp-up towards several tens of millions of tonnes per year will change the structure of Guinean exports — and state revenues. See the iron ore page →
06 What we know / what we don't know
- We know: 2025 export volumes by commodity (MMG N°30) · the Chinese share of bauxite imports 2024 (WITS/Comtrade) · the estimated bauxite value [own calculation] · the artisanal share of gold.
- We don't know: detailed destinations by company (not published) · the real value of artisanal gold (untracked) · 2026 offtake agreements (not public) · volume trends after the 2026 export restrictions.
07 Related
Bauxite
2025 production by company, market shares (SMB 37%), unit sale prices.
SEE THE DATA →Gold
18.3 t of industrial gold, 49.6 t artisanal: unit prices by gold company.
SEE THE DATA →Iron ore
Simandou in production: 1.53 Mt produced, 1.06 Mt exported.
SEE THE DATA →Prices
Iron ore 62%, aluminium, gold: the prices that value every exported tonne.
SEE THE DATA →