Beginning January 15, Malaysia will impose a three-month ban on bauxite exports. The move comes after a surged in mining activities has created environmental issues for the Pahang district. Malaysia bauxite exports to China surge when Indonesia announced it would no longer export bauxite and smelt it inside the country.
Malaysia has reportedly exported more than 20 million metric tons (mt) of bauxite to China in 2015, up from a little more than 3 million mt in 2014. Residents are blaming a lack of environmental safeguard for mining operations for pollution fowling the water off eastern Malaysia, which was triggered by heavy rainfall.
