Nickel: Movement

China as top exporter and importer of nickel

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.

Unwrought nickel (HS 7502) imports were worth $12.2 billion in 2024 (Comtrade). China led exports with 18.2%, ahead of Canada (15.5%) and Norway (14.1%), and also led imports at 13.9%, with the US at 12.6%. Ore and concentrate (HS 2604) is smaller: China took 61.1% of $4.4 billion in 2024 imports. Exports (2023 data) were led by the Philippines at 35.4%. Indonesia is absent because its export ban moved processing at home; China's ore imports had reached 71 million tonnes in 2013 (Humphreys).

Main trade routes, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Largest bilateral flows (width = value) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, reported exports by the top four exporters of each traded form to their partners (US$). Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Hover a line or circle for values.

Unwrought nickel · HS 7502

World exports 2024 $11.4 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $12.2 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value China 18.2% Canada 15.5% Norway 14.1% Indonesia 7.6% United Kingdom 6.7% Netherlands 5.7% Top importers, share of value China 13.9% United States 12.6% Germany 7.9% Japan 7.3% Taiwan (Other Asia, nes) 7.2% France 6%

Nickel ores · HS 2604

World exports 2023 $3.05 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $4.37 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Philippines 35.4% Zimbabwe 21.2% United States 12.1% Finland 9.3% Brazil 8% Zambia 4.3% Top importers, share of value China 61.1% Indonesia 10.5% Canada 7.8% Finland 6.7% Namibia 5.5% South Korea 4.8% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.