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Who buys South Africa’s iron ore? Export destinations 2024

In 2024, South Africa exported $6.8 billion of iron ore (62.7 million tonnes), 4.1% of the world total. China bought 53% of the total, followed by Mozambique (10%) and South Korea (10%). South Africa was the world’s 4th-largest exporter of iron ore.

Summary

Value
$6.8billion
Tonnes
62.7million tonnes
Share of world total
4.1%
World rank
4th
Routes to the main destinations. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Destinations

The 20 main destinations in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
China3.6Tonnes: 35,000,382USD per tonne: $10352.9%Sea
Mozambique0.67Tonnes: 4,938,943USD per tonne: $1369.8%Sea
South Korea0.67Tonnes: 5,185,814USD per tonne: $1299.8%Sea
Germany0.62Tonnes: 5,037,687USD per tonne: $1249.1%Sea
Japan0.44Tonnes: 3,512,000USD per tonne: $1256.4%Sea
Netherlands re-exports0.33Tonnes: 4,851,761USD per tonne: $684.8%Sea
Turkey0.1Tonnes: 809,465USD per tonne: $1221.4%Sea
Romania0.08Tonnes: 848,206USD per tonne: $961.2%Sea
Serbia0.07Tonnes: 494,244USD per tonne: $1471.1%Sea
Vietnam0.06Tonnes: 622,402USD per tonne: $970.88%Sea
United Kingdom0.05Tonnes: 231,017USD per tonne: $2040.69%Sea
Argentina0.02Tonnes: 227,112USD per tonne: $1000.33%Sea
Malaysia0.02Tonnes: 156,176USD per tonne: $1090.25%Sea
Slovenia0.02Tonnes: 173,250USD per tonne: $910.23%Sea
Indonesia0.01Tonnes: 123,777USD per tonne: $1160.21%Sea
United States0.01Tonnes: 93,383USD per tonne: $1400.19%Sea
Kenya0.01Tonnes: 47,999USD per tonne: $1650.12%Sea
India0.01Tonnes: 58,936USD per tonne: $1250.11%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports0.01Tonnes: 81,488USD per tonne: $900.11%Sea
Singapore re-exports0.01Tonnes: 56,025USD per tonne: $1270.1%Sea

Trend

Who it sells to

China has been its main destination since 2011

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

  • China 3.6
  • Mozambique 0.67
  • South Korea 0.67
  • Germany 0.62
  • Japan 0.44

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
China0.13.6
Mozambique00.67
South Korea0.020.67
Germany0.020.62
Japan0.220.44

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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