France and the United States hold within their boundaries the largest deposits of bauxite that have been worked in the past. England controls, through her colonial possessions, a large share of the equatorial areas that probably contain much of the undeveloped bauxite. France and Holland each have possessions in the tropics in which bauxite is known, and it seems probable that bauxite may be found in the colonies of Portugal and of Belgium and in those formerly controlled by Germany.
It is reported that England has placed certain restrictions on the acquisition of bauxite deposits in India and Guiana by foreign individuals or corporations. It is known that she has restricted the destination of bauxite exported from British Guiana. The Dutch government is understood to have examined recently the bauxite deposits of Dutch Guiana, probably with a view to restricting acquisition of property not already acquired. Evidently there is some understanding between the British, French, and Italian governments which permits the sending of French bauxite to the aluminum works of both Italy and England.
The aluminum works of the world are largely under the political domination of the United States, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Norway. The producing capacity of the various countries has been estimated as follows:[148]
Producing Capacity of Aluminum Works
| Short tons | |
|---|---|
| United States and Canada | 87,500 |
| France | 20,000 |
| Switzerland, Germany and Austria | 20,000 |
| Norway | 16,000 |
| England | 12,000 |
| Italy | 7,000 |
| Japan | 250 |
| Total | 162,750 |
[148] Hill, J. M., “Bauxite and Aluminum in 1916;” United States Geological Survey; “Mineral Resources of the United States,” Part I, 1917, p. 167.
The actual output of the plants included in the above table does not represent full capacity, and it seems more reasonable to assume that the production at present is probably nearer 150,000 tons a year than the total given. There is little question that the United States and Canadian plants are producing over half of the world’s supply of aluminum. It is reported that during 1917 and 1918 extensions of the British and Italian works brought their output nearly to the rated plant capacity.
COMMERCIAL CONTROL
It is safe to say that the aluminum industries of the various countries control to a large extent the bauxite deposits of the world. The principal aluminum companies are as follows: Aluminum Company of America, British Aluminum Co., L’Aluminium Française, Aluminum Industries A. G.
It is commonly known that before the war agreements between these four companies stabilized the prices of aluminum throughout the world. At present (1919) the outlook is that the Aluminum Company of America should be in position to dominate the aluminum industry of the world for some years through the expansion of its electrical plants and its initiative in acquiring newly discovered deposits of exceptionally pure bauxite in South America. It seems quite conceivable that the British and French and possibly the German interests may seek to adjust their relations so that they can offset the American dominance.