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Precious metal scrap: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in precious metal scrap totaled $27.9 billion (250 thousand tonnes). The top exporters were the United States (22%), Indonesia (16%) and Belgium (6%); the top importers were Canada (17%), Germany (13%) and Switzerland (11%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 10%.

Summary

World trade
$27.9billion
Tonnes
250thousand tonnes
Price per tonne
$111,083
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. United States$6.2 billion · 22.2%
  2. Indonesia$4.4 billion · 15.7%
  3. Belgium$1.5 billion · 5.5%
    re-exports
  4. United Kingdom$1.3 billion · 4.8%
  5. France$1.3 billion · 4.5%
  6. Hong Kong$1 billion · 3.8%
    re-exports
  7. Spain$1 billion · 3.6%
  8. Germany$975 million · 3.5%
  9. Japan$872 million · 3.1%
  10. Singapore$850 million · 3.1%
    re-exports
  11. Switzerland$776 million · 2.8%
  12. Australia$638 million · 2.3%
  13. Thailand$633 million · 2.3%
  14. Netherlands$527 million · 1.9%
    re-exports
  15. Austria$509 million · 1.8%
  16. Canada$486 million · 1.7%
  17. Bulgaria$454 million · 1.6%
  18. Malaysia$400 million · 1.4%
  19. Italy$284 million · 1%
  20. South Africa$278 million · 1%

Top importers

  1. Canada$4.7 billion · 16.9%
  2. Germany$3.7 billion · 13.4%
  3. Switzerland$3.1 billion · 11.2%
  4. Italy$2.9 billion · 10.6%
  5. Japan$2.8 billion · 10%
  6. Spain$1.6 billion · 5.9%
  7. United Kingdom$1.4 billion · 5%
  8. Hong Kong$1.2 billion · 4.3%
    re-exports
  9. South Korea$1.1 billion · 3.8%
  10. United States$996 million · 3.6%
  11. Belgium$969 million · 3.5%
    re-exports
  12. Singapore$895 million · 3.2%
    re-exports
  13. United Arab Emirates$718 million · 2.6%
  14. Malaysia$295 million · 1.1%
  15. Norway$209 million · 0.75%
  16. Czechia$158 million · 0.57%
  17. Poland$117 million · 0.42%
  18. India$115 million · 0.41%
  19. Netherlands$109 million · 0.39%
    re-exports
  20. Taiwan$107 million · 0.38%

Trend

Who sells it

The United States has been the top exporter since 2017

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

  • United States 6.2
  • Indonesia 4.4
  • Belgium 1.5
  • United Kingdom 1.3
  • France 1.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
United States1.26.2
Indonesia< 0.014.4
Belgium0.041.5
United Kingdom0.061.3
France0.111.3

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 65% since 1995

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

  • 2024: $111,083

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$67,403
1996$40,229
1997$41,669
1998$55,574
1999$28,321
2000$60,412
2001$60,783
2002$50,807
2003$61,097
2004$32,254
2005$64,870
2006$89,253
2007$92,980
2008$101,251
2009$77,692
2010$58,276
2011$98,020
2012$116,663
2013$64,181
2014$45,342
2015$43,348
2016$47,333
2017$52,238
2018$38,644
2019$48,303
2020$54,976
2021$70,379
2022$77,864
2023$90,675
2024$111,083

What it includes

  • 7112 · Precious metal scrap

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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