UN Comtrade • Latest complete year: 2024
26 - Ores, slag and ash (HS 26)
Global exports
$305.50B
Global imports
$373.79B
Top exporter share
31.4%
Top importer share
67.2%
- Global exports of Ores, slag and ash reached $305.5B in 2024.
- Global imports totaled $373.8B in the same year.
- Australia is the leading exporter, accounting for 31.4% of the total with a value of $95.9B.
- China is the dominant importer, responsible for 67.2% of global imports, valued at $251.1B.
- The top three exporters—Australia, Chile, and Brazil—collectively represent 54.4% of the world's export market for this product category.
Global Trade Overview for Ores, Slag and Ash
In 2024, the international market for Ores, slag and ash (HS2 26) saw exports of $305.5B and imports of $373.8B. The trade is highly concentrated, with a few key countries dominating both supply and demand. The leading exporters are major mining nations, while the primary importers are industrial powerhouses.
Top Exporters
The export market is led by Australia, which shipped $95.9B worth of ores, slag, and ash, making up 31.4% of the global total. Following Australia are two South American countries; Chile with $35.1B (11.5% share) and Brazil with $35.0B (11.5% share). Together, these three countries command a significant portion of the global supply.
Top Importers
On the import side, China is the world's largest buyer by a significant margin, importing $251.1B, which accounts for 67.2% of the global market. Other major importers include Japan, with imports valued at $27.8B (7.4% share), and the Republic of Korea, with $19.2B (5.1% share).
See also: ChinaJapanRep. of Korea
Quick insights
- Australia is the top exporter (31.4% of reported exports).
- China is the top importer (67.2% of reported imports).
- Top 3 exporter concentration: 54.3%.
- Top 5 exporter concentration: 69.4%.
Notes: Shares are relative to reported totals in the dataset for the selected year.
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Ores, slag and ash - product groups (4-digit) by top countries (Exports), 2024 (USD)
Top 10 countries with the leading 6 product groups (4-digit); remainder grouped as Other.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
Ores, slag and ash - country rank by trade value (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)
Ranks show the top 10 countries by latest-year value (rank 1 is largest).
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
Global export trend
Ores, slag and ash - exports over time (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)
Annual reported exports across available years.
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
HS4 drilldown
Built: 2026-01-12T08:07:46Z • Snapshot: 20251222
HS4 subcategories within HS 26 for 2024 (partner = World). Values are summed across reporting economies; coverage varies by reporter and year.
Exports
Coverage vs HS2: 97.6%
Ores, slag and ash - top 4-digit product groups by export share (Exports), 2024 (USD)
Leading 4-digit product groups by export value.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
| HS4 | Subcategory | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2601 | Iron ores and concentrates; inc… | $146.39B | 47.9% |
| 2603 | Copper ores and concentrates | $92.13B | 30.2% |
| 2616 | Precious metal ores and concent… | $11.05B | 3.6% |
| 2608 | Zinc ores and concentrates | $9.58B | 3.1% |
| 2613 | Molybdenum ores and concentrates | $6.98B | 2.3% |
| 2610 | Chromium ores and concentrates | $5.73B | 1.9% |
| 2607 | Lead ores and concentrates | $5.49B | 1.8% |
| 2620 | Slag, ash and residues; (not fr… | $3.77B | 1.2% |
| 2602 | Manganese ores and concentrates… | $3.47B | 1.1% |
| 2604 | Nickel ores and concentrates | $3.25B | 1.1% |
| 2606 | Aluminium ores and concentrates | $2.37B | 0.8% |
| 2614 | Titanium ores and concentrates | $1.94B | 0.6% |
Subcategory names are truncated; hover to see the full description.
Fastest-growing HS4 (CAGR 2019–2024)
Filter: start-year value ≥ $1.00M
| HS4 | Subcategory | CAGR | 2024 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2617 | Ores and concentrates; n.e.c. i… | 21.1% | $876.92M |
| 2610 | Chromium ores and concentrates | 16.9% | $5.73B |
| 2609 | Tin ores and concentrates | 16.5% | $560.46M |
| 2613 | Molybdenum ores and concentrates | 11.3% | $6.98B |
| 2603 | Copper ores and concentrates | 10.0% | $92.13B |
| 2616 | Precious metal ores and concent… | 9.1% | $11.05B |
| 2620 | Slag, ash and residues; (not fr… | 5.4% | $3.77B |
| 2611 | Tungsten ores and concentrates | 5.3% | $156.67M |
Imports
Coverage vs HS2: 99.4%
Ores, slag and ash - top 4-digit product groups by import share (Imports), 2024 (USD)
Leading 4-digit product groups by import value.
Flow: Imports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
| HS4 | Subcategory | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2601 | Iron ores and concentrates; inc… | $175.10B | 46.8% |
| 2603 | Copper ores and concentrates | $105.55B | 28.2% |
| 2616 | Precious metal ores and concent… | $19.41B | 5.2% |
| 2606 | Aluminium ores and concentrates | $12.13B | 3.2% |
| 2608 | Zinc ores and concentrates | $11.96B | 3.2% |
| 2613 | Molybdenum ores and concentrates | $7.79B | 2.1% |
| 2610 | Chromium ores and concentrates | $6.99B | 1.9% |
| 2602 | Manganese ores and concentrates… | $6.74B | 1.8% |
| 2607 | Lead ores and concentrates | $5.95B | 1.6% |
| 2604 | Nickel ores and concentrates | $4.30B | 1.2% |
| 2620 | Slag, ash and residues; (not fr… | $3.52B | 0.9% |
| 2614 | Titanium ores and concentrates | $3.51B | 0.9% |
Subcategory names are truncated; hover to see the full description.
Fastest-growing HS4 (CAGR 2019–2024)
Filter: start-year value ≥ $1.00M
| HS4 | Subcategory | CAGR | 2024 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2612 | Uranium or thorium ores and con… | 21.4% | $724.28M |
| 2616 | Precious metal ores and concent… | 18.8% | $19.41B |
| 2610 | Chromium ores and concentrates | 17.2% | $6.99B |
| 2618 | Granulated slag (slag sand) fro… | 14.4% | $1.17B |
| 2609 | Tin ores and concentrates | 13.1% | $2.17B |
| 2603 | Copper ores and concentrates | 12.4% | $105.55B |
| 2613 | Molybdenum ores and concentrates | 12.0% | $7.79B |
| 2606 | Aluminium ores and concentrates | 11.2% | $12.13B |
Explore country profiles
Jump from this HS2 product to the country trade pages for the largest exporters and importers.
Top exporters
Top trade routes
Top exporter → importer routes among the largest exporters (bounded at build-time).
| Exporter | Importer | Value | Share of exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia (AUS) | China (CHN) | $73.03B | 23.9% |
| Chile (CHL) | China (CHN) | $22.39B | 7.3% |
| Brazil (BRA) | China (CHN) | $21.33B | 7.0% |
| Peru (PER) | China (CHN) | $21.33B | 7.0% |
| South Africa (ZAF) | China (CHN) | $8.22B | 2.7% |
| Australia (AUS) | Rep. of Korea (KOR) | $6.55B | 2.1% |
| Chile (CHL) | Japan (JPN) | $6.19B | 2.0% |
| Australia (AUS) | Japan (JPN) | $5.70B | 1.9% |
| Mexico (MEX) | China (CHN) | $4.69B | 1.5% |
| Kazakhstan (KAZ) | China (CHN) | $3.94B | 1.3% |
| Canada (CAN) | China (CHN) | $3.46B | 1.1% |
| Indonesia (IDN) | China (CHN) | $2.79B | 0.9% |
| South Africa (ZAF) | Mozambique (MOZ) | $2.68B | 0.9% |
| India (IND) | China (CHN) | $2.53B | 0.8% |
| USA (USA) | Canada (CAN) | $2.30B | 0.8% |
Data notes & methodology
Source: UN Comtrade
Exports total: $305.50B • Imports total: $373.79B
Canonical: https://tradevedia.com/product/hs2/26/