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Who does China rely on?

The largest supplier of China in 2024 is South Korea, with 7.2% of what China buys. Its share was 8.8% in 2019 and 7.8% in 1995. 308 of the 1,156 products China buys for more than $1 million have a supplier selling more than 50% of what China buys of that product; in 90, more than 75%. In those products, purchases from each one’s dominant supplier add up to 12.7% of what China buys.

Summary

Largest supplier: South Korea
7.2%
Concentration (HHI)
374
Products with a supplier above 50%
308
Products with a supplier above 75%
90

Concentration index (HHI): 374 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting purchases among 27 suppliers of the same size

Trend

Trend in shares

Japan went from 20.1% to 6.4% of what China buys

Share (%)

  • South Korea 7.2%
  • United States 7.2%
  • Japan 6.4%
  • Australia 6.1%
  • Russia 6%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest supplierShare
1995Japan20.1%
1996Japan19.2%
1997Japan19.3%
1998Japan19.4%
1999Japan20.1%
2000Japan18.6%
2001Japan17.6%
2002Japan18.1%
2003Japan18.4%
2004Japan18.2%
2005Japan16.5%
2006Japan15.9%
2007Japan14.7%
2008Japan14%
2009Japan13.9%
2010Japan13.7%
2011Japan12%
2012Japan10.9%
2013South Korea9.3%
2014South Korea9.2%
2015United States10.3%
2016Japan9.9%
2017South Korea9.8%
2018South Korea10.2%
2019South Korea8.8%
2020Japan9%
2021South Korea8.4%
2022South Korea7.5%
2023United States7.2%
2024South Korea7.2%

Its suppliers

  1. South Korea$155.2 billion · 7.2%
  2. United States$155.1 billion · 7.2%
  3. Japan$137.6 billion · 6.4%
  4. Australia$131.7 billion · 6.1%
  5. Russia$129.6 billion · 6%
  6. Taiwan$105.5 billion · 4.9%
  7. Brazil$98.3 billion · 4.6%
  8. Vietnam$94 billion · 4.4%
  9. Germany$92.5 billion · 4.3%
  10. Malaysia$87.3 billion · 4%

Products with a dominant supplier

Of the 1,156 products China buys for more than $1 million in 2024, these are the highest-value ones with a dominant supplier.

ProductSupplierShareSecondValue
Iron oreAustralia64.3%Brazil · 17.9%$117.8 billion
SoybeansBrazil67.8%United States · 25.8%$47.5 billion
Cameras and broadcast equipmentVietnam60.2%Taiwan · 15.5%$45.9 billion
FerroalloysIndonesia67.3%South Africa · 8.3%$18.6 billion
Frozen beefBrazil51.7%Argentina · 14%$11.6 billion
LigniteIndonesia89.6%over 75%Philippines · 4.9%$10.5 billion
Airplanes and helicoptersUnited States50.5%France · 21.8%$10.5 billion
Bauxite (aluminum ore)Guinea74.9%Australia · 20.1%$10.1 billion
Nickel matteIndonesia81.1%over 75%Papua New Guinea · 5.6%$7.5 billion
Chromium oreSouth Africa82.6%over 75%Turkey · 5.7%$5.7 billion
Stone fruit (cherries, peaches, plums)Chile70.5%Hong Kong · 26.8%$4.8 billion
Other mineralsAustralia66%Zimbabwe · 12.6%$4.4 billion
Radioactive elementsKazakhstan50.4%Russia · 24.3%$3.6 billion
CobaltDemocratic Republic of the Congo92.3%over 75%Philippines · 1.3%$3.3 billion
Cotton yarnVietnam51.4%Pakistan · 14.6%$3.2 billion
Firewood and wood chipsVietnam65.3%Australia · 19.4%$3.2 billion
Palm oilIndonesia65.5%Malaysia · 34%$3.1 billion
Rapeseed (canola)Canada95.3%over 75%Russia · 3.3%$3.1 billion
Nickel orePhilippines50.4%Finland · 10.8%$3 billion
DiamondsSouth Africa50.1%Belgium · 25.1%$3 billion
Industrial fatty acidsIndonesia76.1%over 75%Malaysia · 12.7%$2.9 billion
CarbonatesChile71.5%Argentina · 14.7%$2.8 billion
Powdered and condensed milkNew Zealand66.1%Australia · 12.5%$2.6 billion
SorghumUnited States67.3%Australia · 22.3%$2.4 billion
Photographic chemicalsJapan54.2%South Korea · 26.6%$2.3 billion

and 283 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Countries that sell more than 50% of some product; the darker, the higher the value of those products.

Selling: who it relies on

Largest customer: United States
12.5%
Concentration (HHI)
390

Concentration index (HHI): 390 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting sales among 26 customers of the same size

Trend in shares

Hong Kong went from 28.8% to 7.7% of what China sells

Share (%)

  • United States 12.5%
  • Hong Kong 7.7%
  • Japan 4.6%
  • Germany 4.5%
  • Vietnam 4.4%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest customerShare
1995Hong Kong28.8%
1996Hong Kong27%
1997Hong Kong26.3%
1998United States24.1%
1999United States25.7%
2000United States23.9%
2001United States23.8%
2002United States25.8%
2003United States24.9%
2004United States24.2%
2005United States23.9%
2006United States23.3%
2007United States21.6%
2008United States19.6%
2009United States20.1%
2010United States19.8%
2011United States18.8%
2012United States19.1%
2013United States19.2%
2014United States19.5%
2015United States20.1%
2016United States19.9%
2017United States20%
2018United States19.9%
2019United States17%
2020United States16.8%
2021United States16.1%
2022United States15.6%
2023United States12.8%
2024United States12.5%

123 of the 1,186 products China sells for more than $1 million have a customer buying more than 50% of what China sells of that product; in 34, more than 75%. In those products, sales to each one’s dominant customer add up to 1.4% of what China sells.

ProductCustomerShareSecondValue
GoldHong Kong81.3%over 75%Thailand · 4.8%$13.3 billion
Medicines in measured doses or retail packsUnited States53.2%Denmark · 8.8%$11.1 billion
JewelryHong Kong69.5%United States · 4.4%$10.6 billion
Festive and Christmas articlesUnited States57.8%United Kingdom · 4.7%$8.9 billion
SilverHong Kong60.6%United Kingdom · 28.9%$5.1 billion
Natural gas and LPGHong Kong60.4%Philippines · 11.7%$3.4 billion
Refined copperTaiwan57.6%Vietnam · 17.9%$3 billion
Chromates, permanganates and other metal saltsSouth Korea57.1%Japan · 19.9%$1.8 billion
ElectricityHong Kong51.4%Macao · 31.4%$1.7 billion
DiamondsHong Kong71.5%United Arab Emirates · 12.6%$1.2 billion
Unwrought nickelTaiwan51.6%Singapore · 27.7%$1.1 billion
Live horses, donkeys and mulesHong Kong99.9%over 75%Spain · 0.07%$902 million
Steel sheet pilingPhilippines51.6%Hong Kong · 6.3%$864 million
Paintings and drawingsHong Kong75.8%over 75%United States · 5.5%$862 million
Soybean meal and pelletsJapan59.6%Vietnam · 9.9%$786 million

and 108 more

Concentration compared

The closest countries in the concentration ranking (HHI, highest first).

RankCountryHHI
210Lebanon484
211Serbia481
212Germany461
213Greece460
214Bulgaria432
215China374

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.