Zinc: Movement

How Alaska and the Andes feed Asian smelters

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.

Two trades matter, each worth about $10-13 billion in 2024 (Comtrade). In ore and concentrate (HS 2608), Peru shipped 18.2% of export value, Australia 15.1%, Bolivia 14.6% and the United States 14.3%, largely from Alaska. China took 36.4% of imports and South Korea 13.8%, feeding big smelters. In unwrought zinc metal (HS 7901), exports are spread: South Korea 10.2%, Canada 9.1%, the Netherlands, Australia and Spain about 8.9% each. The United States is the top buyer at 13.8%, because it exports most of its concentrate and imports metal.

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 zinc · HS 7901

World exports 2024 $12.9 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $12.9 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value South Korea 10.2% Canada 9.1% Netherlands 8.9% Australia 8.9% Spain 8.9% Peru 6.1% Top importers, share of value United States 13.8% China 10.9% Germany 8.1% Netherlands 7.4% Turkey 6.7% Italy 4.9%

Zinc ores · HS 2608

World exports 2024 $9.67 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $12.0 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Peru 18.2% Australia 15.1% Bolivia 14.6% United States 14.3% Mexico 6% Sweden 4.7% Top importers, share of value China 36.4% South Korea 13.8% Spain 8.5% Canada 7.1% Japan 6% Finland 4.9% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.