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Platinum-group metals: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in platinum-group metals totaled $45.8 billion (2 thousand tonnes). The top exporters were South Africa (37%), Russia (9%) and Germany (7%); the top importers were the United States (16%), China (12%) and Japan (11%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 10%.

Summary

World trade
$45.8billion
Tonnes
2thousand tonnes
Price per tonne
$30,487,840
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. South Africa$17 billion · 37.2%
    see destinations
  2. Russia$4 billion · 8.7%
    see destinations
  3. Germany$3.1 billion · 6.8%
    see destinations
  4. United Kingdom$3 billion · 6.7%
    see destinations
  5. United States$2.5 billion · 5.6%
    see destinations
  6. Belgium$2.3 billion · 5%
    re-exports · see destinations
  7. Italy$2.1 billion · 4.6%
    see destinations
  8. Switzerland$1.9 billion · 4.1%
    see destinations
  9. United Arab Emirates$1.8 billion · 3.8%
    see destinations
  10. Japan$1.5 billion · 3.4%
    see destinations
  11. Hong Kong$1.5 billion · 3.3%
    re-exports · see destinations
  12. France$723 million · 1.6%
  13. China$600 million · 1.3%
  14. Thailand$534 million · 1.2%
  15. South Korea$522 million · 1.1%
  16. Armenia$449 million · 0.98%
  17. Singapore$307 million · 0.67%
    re-exports
  18. Norway$299 million · 0.65%
  19. Taiwan$278 million · 0.61%
  20. Canada$221 million · 0.48%

Top importers

  1. United States$7.4 billion · 16.1%
    see sources
  2. China$5.5 billion · 12%
    see sources
  3. Japan$5.3 billion · 11.5%
    see sources
  4. United Kingdom$4.9 billion · 10.8%
    see sources
  5. Hong Kong$4.4 billion · 9.7%
    re-exports · see sources
  6. Germany$4 billion · 8.7%
    see sources
  7. India$2.6 billion · 5.8%
    see sources
  8. Switzerland$2.6 billion · 5.7%
    see sources
  9. Italy$2.1 billion · 4.5%
    see sources
  10. South Korea$1.2 billion · 2.6%
  11. North Macedonia$1 billion · 2.3%
  12. Canada$763 million · 1.7%
  13. Belgium$639 million · 1.4%
    re-exports
  14. Brazil$583 million · 1.3%
  15. Armenia$426 million · 0.93%
  16. Poland$424 million · 0.93%
  17. Singapore$291 million · 0.63%
    re-exports
  18. France$276 million · 0.6%
  19. Taiwan$254 million · 0.56%
  20. Ireland$163 million · 0.36%

Trend

Who sells it

South Africa has been the top exporter since 2002

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

  • South Africa 17
  • Russia 4
  • Germany 3.1
  • United Kingdom 3
  • United States 2.5

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
South Africa1.817
Russia1.64
Germany0.363.1
United Kingdom0.653
United States0.472.5

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 30,571% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $30,487,840

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$99,401
1996—
1997—
1998—
1999—
2000$1,989,316
2001$1,505,931
2002$2,559,710
2003$10,004,071
2004$12,568,007
2005$12,854,838
2006$17,099,478
2007$19,200,490
2008$20,026,566
2009$3,983,278
2010$16,173,161
2011$22,198,611
2012$18,982,004
2013$21,111,201
2014$18,122,007
2015$20,302,147
2016$17,188,060
2017$18,258,933
2018$24,125,592
2019$34,146,729
2020$46,041,802
2021$68,568,876
2022$52,625,069
2023$40,741,146
2024$30,487,840

What it includes

Platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium.

  • 7110 · Platinum

Products in the same chapter

Sources and methodology

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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