Starting today, Jamaica will play host to big mining giants worldwide at the Fifteenth International Bauxite and Alumina Seminar, sche-duled for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay.

Some 300 top executives from bauxite and mining operations worldwide are expected at the February 11-13 event, the government news agency, JIS, reported Tuesday.

Global aluminium industry

The meeting, which will be attended by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, at least on the opening day, comes amid a downturn in the global aluminium industry, marked by the flattening of prices, from US$3,380 last year to US$1,335 now.

World alumina plants have been scaling back or taken out of production as a result.

At last reports, some seven per cent of global alumina capacity was idle; while in Jamaica, it's 15 per cent.

The three-day confab, said JIS, will address issues related to markets, supply and demand, as well as product quality and energy demands of the sector.

business@gleanerjm.com