Jamaica, the Caribbean’s largest bauxite producer, is turning back to Africa 21 years after promising to help Ghana build an alumina refinery, as the two countries move to revive a decades-old bauxite and alumina trade relationship through a proposed $60 million deal.
Ghana has vast bauxite resources but still lacks a domestic alumina refinery, leaving its aluminium industry dependent on imported alumina.
A proposed $60 million deal with Jamaica could help bridge that gap while reviving a decades-old trade relationship between the two countries.
Donna Marie Howe, Managing Director of Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited (JBM), told JIS News that discussions are already under way and could soon lead to a formal agreement.
The talks began in March 2026 after representatives from Ghana’s state-owned bauxite sector visited Jamaica to explore renewed cooperation.
