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Who buys Japan’s iron and steel scrap? Export destinations 2024

In 2024, Japan exported $2.6 billion of iron and steel scrap (6.6 million tonnes), 5.9% of the world total. Its main destinations were Vietnam (34%), South Korea (30%) and Taiwan (12%). Japan was the world’s 6th-largest exporter of iron and steel scrap.

Summary

Value
$2.6billion
Tonnes
6.6million tonnes
Share of world total
5.9%
World rank
6th
Routes to the main destinations. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Destinations

The 20 main destinations in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD millions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Vietnam892Tonnes: 2,601,000USD per tonne: $34334.4%Sea
South Korea779Tonnes: 1,799,830USD per tonne: $43330.1%Sea
Taiwan299Tonnes: 643,385USD per tonne: $46511.6%Sea
Bangladesh220Tonnes: 624,457USD per tonne: $3528.5%Sea
China93.1Tonnes: 135,795USD per tonne: $6863.6%Sea
India80Tonnes: 156,419USD per tonne: $5123.1%Sea
Indonesia68.5Tonnes: 176,914USD per tonne: $3872.6%Sea
Malaysia58.9Tonnes: 175,051USD per tonne: $3372.3%Sea
Philippines56Tonnes: 155,733USD per tonne: $3592.2%Sea
Thailand30.3Tonnes: 130,504USD per tonne: $2321.2%Sea
United States4.5Tonnes: 17,166USD per tonne: $2640.18%Sea
Bahrain2.7Tonnes: 6,550USD per tonne: $4170.11%Sea
Netherlands re-exports1.8Tonnes: 1,253USD per tonne: $1,4230.07%Sea
Pakistan1.5Tonnes: 3,185USD per tonne: $4840.06%Sea
Belgium re-exports1.2Tonnes: 105USD per tonne: $11,8470.05%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports0.81Tonnes: 1,204USD per tonne: $6760.03%Sea
Venezuela0.38Tonnes: 1,000USD per tonne: $3770.01%Sea
Germany0.33Tonnes: 159USD per tonne: $2,0960.01%Sea
France0.23Tonnes: 35USD per tonne: $6,6470.01%Sea
Singapore re-exports0.19Tonnes: 322USD per tonne: $5910.01%Sea

Trend

Who it sells to

Vietnam has been its main destination since 2024

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

  • Vietnam 0.89
  • South Korea 0.78
  • Taiwan 0.3
  • Bangladesh 0.22
  • China 0.09

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Vietnam< 0.010.89
South Korea0.070.78
Taiwan< 0.010.3
Bangladesh< 0.010.22
China0.080.09

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

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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