globaltraffic.earth

Where does China get its zinc ore? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $4.2 billion of zinc ore (4.2 million tonnes), 34.3% of the world total. Its main sources were Australia (20%), Peru (19%) and Bolivia (7%). China was the world’s largest importer of zinc ore.

Summary

Value
$4.2billion
Tonnes
4.2million tonnes
Share of world total
34.3%
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 millions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Australia851Tonnes: 952,271USD per tonne: $89320.1%Sea
Peru807Tonnes: 823,247USD per tonne: $98019.1%Sea
Bolivia313Tonnes: 127,559USD per tonne: $2,4567.4%Sea
Russia265Tonnes: 238,246USD per tonne: $1,1146.3%Sea
South Africa245Tonnes: 271,108USD per tonne: $9055.8%Sea
United States237Tonnes: 151,146USD per tonne: $1,5655.6%Sea
Kazakhstan222Tonnes: 292,424USD per tonne: $7595.3%Land
Eritrea180Tonnes: 165,117USD per tonne: $1,0884.3%Sea
Mexico147Tonnes: 116,207USD per tonne: $1,2683.5%Sea
Mongolia111Tonnes: 112,522USD per tonne: $9832.6%Land
Cuba107Tonnes: 98,092USD per tonne: $1,0932.5%Sea
Pakistan106Tonnes: 103,230USD per tonne: $1,0242.5%Sea
Vietnam75.4Tonnes: 75,043USD per tonne: $1,0051.8%Sea
Iran67.5Tonnes: 80,043USD per tonne: $8431.6%Sea
Chile66.6Tonnes: 73,175USD per tonne: $9111.6%Sea
Oman64.4Tonnes: 60,991USD per tonne: $1,0551.5%Sea
Nigeria60.8Tonnes: 76,814USD per tonne: $7911.4%Sea
Saudi Arabia55.8Tonnes: 51,483USD per tonne: $1,0841.3%Sea
Morocco49.5Tonnes: 65,238USD per tonne: $7581.2%Sea
Turkey47.1Tonnes: 58,777USD per tonne: $8011.1%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Australia was its main source throughout the period

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

  • Australia 0.85
  • Peru 0.81
  • Bolivia 0.31
  • Russia 0.27
  • South Africa 0.25

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Australia0.010.85
Peru< 0.010.81
Bolivia00.31
Russia< 0.010.27
South Africa00.25

Sources and methodology

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.

See all products