The evolution and causality of global bauxite flow since the 21st century: Based on the resource flow field model

With the rapid development of global industrialization, bauxite, as an important mineral resource, is experiencing increasing demand annually. It is crucial for resource policy formulation, industrial layout optimization and sustainable development to study the evolution and causality of global bauxite flow. This paper constructs a resource flow field model of bauxite resource fields based on the data from 2000 to 2022, revealing the characteristics and causality of its resource fields. The results show that: (1) Brazil, Guinea, Indonesia, and Australia are major exporters of global bauxite resources, while Canada, the United States, Spain, Germany, and China are major importers; (2) The flow of global bauxite resources is mainly composed of the southern hemisphere as a source-flow field and the northern hemisphere as a sink-flow field; (3) The sufficient supply capacity of exporters and the strong production demand of importers are basic driving force of bauxite resource flow, while long-distance transportation costs and bauxite prices are the basic resistance. This study can provide a basis for the bauxite resource management, policy formulation and industrial development of relevant countries and regions.