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Where does China get its cobalt? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $3.4 billion of cobalt (660 thousand tonnes), 52.4% of the world total. The Democratic Republic of the Congo sold 90% of the total, followed by Namibia (2%) and the Philippines (1%). China was the world’s largest importer of cobalt.

Summary

Value
$3.4billion
Tonnes
660thousand tonnes
Share of world total
52.4%
World rank
1st
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Democratic Republic of the Congo3Tonnes: 628,589USD per tonne: $4,80589.8%Sea
Namibia0.07Tonnes: 8,357USD per tonne: $8,7072.2%Sea
Philippines0.04Tonnes: 6,916USD per tonne: $6,0001.2%Sea
Canada0.04Tonnes: 1,213USD per tonne: $31,7691.2%Sea
United States0.03Tonnes: 340USD per tonne: $101,4301%Air
Russia0.03Tonnes: 5,589USD per tonne: $4,5700.76%Land
Indonesia0.02Tonnes: 1,902USD per tonne: $12,8290.72%Sea
Japan0.02Tonnes: 957USD per tonne: $23,0500.66%Sea
Malaysia0.02Tonnes: 39USD per tonne: $548,8890.64%Air
Taiwan0.01Tonnes: 388USD per tonne: $24,7690.35%Sea
United Kingdom0.01Tonnes: 212USD per tonne: $48,2690.3%Air
Germany0.01Tonnes: 254USD per tonne: $34,9960.26%Air
Madagascar0.01Tonnes: 242USD per tonne: $25,3290.18%Sea
Australia0.01Tonnes: 95USD per tonne: $52,5480.15%Air
France< 0.01Tonnes: 22USD per tonne: $208,5610.14%Air
Finland< 0.01Tonnes: 109USD per tonne: $39,7660.13%Sea
Belgium re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 86USD per tonne: $35,2730.09%Air
Zambia< 0.01Tonnes: 514USD per tonne: $3,3900.05%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 33USD per tonne: $43,9780.04%Land
South Africa< 0.01Tonnes: 3,694USD per tonne: $2810.03%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been its main source since 2001

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo 3
  • Namibia 0.07
  • Philippines 0.04
  • Canada 0.04
  • United States 0.03

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Democratic Republic of the Congo< 0.013
Namibia00.07
Philippines00.04
Canada0.010.04
United States< 0.010.03

Sources and methodology

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Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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