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Where does South Korea get its copper ore? Import sources 2024

In 2024, South Korea imported $4.9 billion of copper ore (1.5 million tonnes), 4.8% of the world total. Its main sources were Chile (27%), Indonesia (22%) and Canada (13%). South Korea was the world’s 3rd-largest importer of copper ore.

Summary

Value
$4.9billion
Tonnes
1.5million tonnes
Share of world total
4.8%
World rank
3rd
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
Chile1.4Tonnes: 339,291USD per tonne: $3,98827.4%Sea
Indonesia1.1Tonnes: 281,504USD per tonne: $3,83921.9%Sea
Canada0.65Tonnes: 161,641USD per tonne: $4,04813.2%Sea
Australia0.58Tonnes: 117,893USD per tonne: $4,92511.8%Sea
Peru0.58Tonnes: 268,016USD per tonne: $2,15811.7%Sea
United Arab Emirates0.16Tonnes: 84,390USD per tonne: $1,9033.3%Sea
Papua New Guinea0.14Tonnes: 38,854USD per tonne: $3,7012.9%Sea
Montenegro0.09Tonnes: 64,840USD per tonne: $1,4601.9%Sea
Philippines0.09Tonnes: 20,326USD per tonne: $4,6561.9%Sea
Mexico0.07Tonnes: 31,707USD per tonne: $2,0651.3%Sea
Serbia0.05Tonnes: 34,861USD per tonne: $1,4060.99%Sea
Namibia0.03Tonnes: 11,205USD per tonne: $2,6790.61%Sea
Bulgaria0.02Tonnes: 9,004USD per tonne: $1,8000.33%Sea
Croatia0.01Tonnes: 6,686USD per tonne: $1,6030.22%Sea
Slovenia0.01Tonnes: 5,237USD per tonne: $1,5000.16%Sea
Georgia0.01Tonnes: 4,509USD per tonne: $1,6130.15%Sea
Romania0.01Tonnes: 2,604USD per tonne: $2,0010.11%Sea
Belgium re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 792USD per tonne: $3,6350.06%Sea
France< 0.01Tonnes: 800USD per tonne: $2,4520.04%Sea
Ecuador< 0.01Tonnes: 917USD per tonne: $1,9370.04%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Chile has been its main source since 2024

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

  • Chile 1.4
  • Indonesia 1.1
  • Canada 0.65
  • Australia 0.58
  • Peru 0.58

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Chile0.051.4
Indonesia0.181.1
Canada0.080.65
Australia0.010.58
Peru00.58

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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