Cadmium: Movement
Why the US exports cadmium mostly as pigment
What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.Since 2022 cadmium has been traded under HS 8112.61 and 8112.69, and flows are described from USGS import data. In 2021-24 the US imported unwrought cadmium from China (50%), Germany (33%), Australia (6%) and Peru (6%). Its largest export is cadmium pigments and preparations, an estimated 760 t in 2025. Hazardous-waste rules shape trade, since cadmium residues and scrap need permits to cross borders. In mid-2025 the US tariff schedule added a 'selenides and tellurides' line, reflecting the importance of CdTe.
Cadmium · HS 8107
World imports 2023 $61k sum of 6 reporting countries Top exporters, share of valueNo data
Top importers, share of value Argentina 95% DR Congo 3.7% Samoa 0.9% Seychelles 0.2% Ghana 0.1% Angola 0.1% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.