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Where does Japan get its iron ore? Import sources 2024

In 2024, Japan imported $10 billion of iron ore (93.5 million tonnes), 6% of the world total. Australia sold 55% of the total, followed by Brazil (25%) and Canada (9%). Japan was the world’s 2nd-largest importer of iron ore.

Summary

Value
$10billion
Tonnes
93.5million tonnes
Share of world total
6%
World rank
2nd
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 18 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Australia5.5Tonnes: 52,744,494USD per tonne: $10555%Sea
Brazil2.5Tonnes: 21,641,149USD per tonne: $11725.3%Sea
Canada0.88Tonnes: 7,160,777USD per tonne: $1228.7%Sea
South Africa0.44Tonnes: 3,512,000USD per tonne: $1254.4%Sea
Philippines0.36Tonnes: 6,197,949USD per tonne: $583.6%Sea
China0.13Tonnes: 812,538USD per tonne: $1571.3%Sea
Peru0.05Tonnes: 435,041USD per tonne: $1240.54%Sea
Chile0.05Tonnes: 412,915USD per tonne: $1240.51%Sea
United States0.04Tonnes: 261,691USD per tonne: $1470.38%Sea
Mauritania0.02Tonnes: 194,829USD per tonne: $1210.23%Sea
New Zealand< 0.01Tonnes: 79,816USD per tonne: $610.05%Sea
Sweden< 0.01Tonnes: 35,203USD per tonne: $1330.05%Sea
United Arab Emirates< 0.01Tonnes: 1,040USD per tonne: $1120%Sea
Bahrain< 0.01Tonnes: 15USD per tonne: $1590%Sea
Pakistan< 0.01Tonnes: 20USD per tonne: $750%Sea
Czechia< 0.01Tonnes: 13USD per tonne: $1120%Sea
United Kingdom< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $6,0000%Sea
Ukraine< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $1000%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 5.5
  • Brazil 2.5
  • Canada 0.88
  • South Africa 0.44
  • Philippines 0.36

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Australia1.35.5
Brazil0.632.5
Canada0.030.88
South Africa0.220.44
Philippines0.20.36

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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