Malaysia replaced India as China’s second largest bauxite supplier in October by shipping 640,200 tonnes of the material to China, customs data showed.

Cheap Malaysian bauxite has gained favor from China since Indonesia imposed a ban on exports of unprocessed ores early this year. The average CIF price of Malaysian bauxite was $ 49.6 per tonne in October, 17% lower than that of Australian and Indian bauxite.

Arrivals of Malaysian bauxite soared over 12 folds on the year in October, and jumped 13.11% on the month.

However, some Chinese traders see little room for further growth in Malaysian bauxite imports as the monsoon from October through March will slow mine production there.