Tungsten: Movement

Why ore trade is tiny and Spain leads it

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.

Trade in ore and concentrate (HS 2611) was only about $170 million in 2023 (Comtrade), because most tungsten moves as APT, oxides and carbide. Exporters were the mines outside China: Spain 23.1%, Rwanda 18.8%, Bolivia 18.3%, Portugal 7.9% and Australia 7.2%. China took 35.7% of imports, the United States 32.3% and Vietnam 24.9%; all three run conversion plants. US import sources for all forms in 2021-24 were China 26%, Germany 14%, Bolivia 8% and Vietnam 8%. China's 2025 export controls now restrict the downstream forms.

Where it is exported from and imported to, 2023

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2023. Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.

Tungsten ores · HS 2611

World exports 2023 $174.1 m sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2023 $161.6 m sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Spain 23.1% Rwanda 18.8% Bolivia 18.3% Portugal 7.9% Australia 7.2% Mongolia 4.1% Top importers, share of value China 35.7% United States 32.3% Vietnam 24.9% Malaysia 2.8% Japan 1% Taiwan (Other Asia, nes) 1% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.