DaCosta ALPART (Alumina Partners) has signed an historic deal with China to supply nearly 450,000 tonnes of alumina to the Ming Metal Company in Beijing over a three-year period.
The deal also includes an option to renew at the end of the three-year period at which time Alpart could be asked to provide more than the 448,000 tonnes in the original agreement.
Three officials of Ming Metals visited Alpart last week Tuesday. These were Deng Gang, deputy general manager of the Ming's aluminium department, Wang Xiaofeng, marketing manager of Sino Metal Limited, Australia and Larry Muenzler a Kaiser Aluminium official from the United States.
Ming Metal is one of China's largest aluminium traders and the deal is regarded as a major breakthrough for the local bauxite/alumina sector. There is some concern as to whether Alpart will be able to meet the target, but The Gleaner understands that Alpart has already started a project to expand production from 1.5 million tonnes per annum to two million tonnes per annum, over the next fours years.
Commenting on the development, National Workers Union (NWU) spokesman on bauxite/alumina, Norman DaCosta, says that the deal is a direct result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the unions (the UAWU and UTASP also represent bauxite/alumina workers) and the mining companies.
"It is paying dividends by having created an environment which has promoted growth and investor confidence. I think the deal is an eloquent testimony to the hard work the social partners have put into the effort." He said that the workers were "very happy" with the development which is a reversal of the decline in the industry.
