The dilemma over bauxite duties: Hurting miners, helping aluminium firms

Whenever high export duty is imposed to conserve resources, overseas despatches fall steeply as in the case of iron ore and now, non-metallurgical grade bauxite

India is richly endowed with bauxite. At an estimated 3.48 billion tonnes, the country has 11 per cent ownership of the world bauxite resources. Bauxite is found in two varieties. The highly sought-after metallurgical grade is refined into alumina for smelting into white metal. The non-metallurgical grade finds application in refractories, abrasives and cement.  
The local market for the latter grade being small, it is imperative that Indian mines find easy access to the world market without being hindered by export duty.

But like iron ore, non-metallurgical grade bauxite is embroiled in an unending controversy as to whether