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Where does China get its nickel? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $9.3 billion of nickel (2.1 million tonnes), 33.9% of the world total. Indonesia sold 69% of the total, followed by Russia (10%) and Papua New Guinea (5%). China was the world’s largest importer of nickel.

Summary

Value
$9.3billion
Tonnes
2.1million tonnes
Share of world total
33.9%
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
Indonesia6.4Tonnes: 1,668,061USD per tonne: $3,84868.8%Sea
Russia0.97Tonnes: 65,959USD per tonne: $14,67310.4%Land
Papua New Guinea0.42Tonnes: 118,476USD per tonne: $3,5594.5%Sea
New Caledonia0.27Tonnes: 83,168USD per tonne: $3,2102.9%Sea
Finland0.25Tonnes: 35,452USD per tonne: $7,0272.7%Sea
Australia0.18Tonnes: 28,143USD per tonne: $6,5122%Sea
Canada0.13Tonnes: 7,513USD per tonne: $17,8911.4%Sea
Japan0.13Tonnes: 7,550USD per tonne: $17,0591.4%Sea
Turkey0.11Tonnes: 43,884USD per tonne: $2,4401.2%Sea
United Kingdom0.08Tonnes: 3,973USD per tonne: $20,7090.88%Sea
Malaysia0.07Tonnes: 5,067USD per tonne: $14,3040.78%Sea
Norway0.07Tonnes: 3,791USD per tonne: $18,8260.76%Sea
Singapore re-exports0.06Tonnes: 4,230USD per tonne: $14,5890.66%Sea
Cuba0.05Tonnes: 5,067USD per tonne: $10,4850.57%Sea
South Africa0.04Tonnes: 2,541USD per tonne: $16,7230.46%Sea
Taiwan0.02Tonnes: 1,809USD per tonne: $10,6480.21%Sea
Thailand0.01Tonnes: 3,450USD per tonne: $3,4450.13%Sea
United States0.01Tonnes: 185USD per tonne: $48,8260.1%Air
South Korea0.01Tonnes: 2,716USD per tonne: $2,9750.09%Sea
Democratic Republic of the Congo0.01Tonnes: 2,736USD per tonne: $2,3810.07%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Indonesia has been its main source since 2022

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

  • Indonesia 6.4
  • Russia 0.97
  • Papua New Guinea 0.42
  • New Caledonia 0.27
  • Finland 0.25

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Indonesia06.4
Russia< 0.010.97
Papua New Guinea00.42
New Caledonia00.27
Finland< 0.010.25

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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