Bauxite is aluminum's principal raw material. Alcoa refines bauxite into alumina using a chemical process, and processes into alumina most of the bauxite that it mines. Alcoa's flat-rolled products serve the packaging, transportation and building and construction markets. Alcoa employs its own sales force for most products sold in the packaging market. Aluminum's diverse characteristics, particularly its light weight, recyclability and flexibility for package designs, are significant factors in packaging markets.
Aluminum competes with materials such as steel, plastic and glass in the packaging market.
Engineered products include aluminum extrusions, forgings, castings and wire, rod and bar. Alcoa extruded construction products include window and door frames, bath and shower enclosures, patio and pool enclosures, stadium seating, light poles and flag poles, bridges, rail and decking, and colored architectural shapes. Forgings and casting products include aluminum forged wheels for passenger automobiles, sport utility vehicles and light trucks and wheels for the Class 8 heavy-duty truck industry. An Alcoa subsidiary and a corporation owned by the Government of Jamaica are equal participants in an alumina refinery in Clarendon, Jamaica. Bauxite mining rights in Jamaica expire after the year 2020.