Jamaica and Ghana are discussing a $60 million arrangement under which Jamaican bauxite would be processed at the Gramercy refinery in Louisiana and the resulting alumina shipped to Ghana for aluminum production. The talks began in March 2026 following a visit to Jamaica by representatives of Ghana's state-owned bauxite industry, according to the reported details. The proposed deal is intended to restart cooperation that first linked the two countries in the 1970s.
Donna Marie Howe, managing director of Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd (JBM), said the sides are exploring how to expand the use of the Gramercy plant for Jamaican bauxite and then move alumina to Ghana. She described the timeline as pressing and said the current priority is to turn existing discussions into a formal agreement. The deal would build on established trade flows rather than create a new market, according to Howe.