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Iron nuts and boltsInternational purchases of imported iron ore totaled US$166.3 billion in 2025.
The value of globally imported iron ore fell by -9.8% from $184.3 billion for 2024.
The biggest 5 spenders on imported iron ore are mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Taiwan. Combined, that quintet of major iron ore importers were responsible for 87.2% of the world’s total purchases of imported iron ore during 2025.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries bought the highest dollar worth of iron ore imported from foreign markets with purchases costing a total $152.1 billion or 91.5% of the worldwide total. In second place were iron ore importers in Europe at 5.8%.
Tinier percentages were attributed to buyers in Africa (1.5%), North America (0.7%), Latin America (0.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Australia and New Zealand only in Oceania (0.1%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 2601 for iron ores and concentrates including roasted iron pyrites.
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of iron ore during 2025.
- mainland China: US$122.8 billion (73.9% of total imported iron ore)
- Japan: $9.7 billion (5.8%)
- South Korea: $7.2 billion (4.3%)
- Germany: $3.5 billion (2.1%)
- Taiwan: $1.9 billion (1.1%)
- Vietnam: $1.6 billion (1%)
- Malaysia: $1.48 billion (0.9%)
- Indonesia: $1.34 billion (0.8%)
- Egypt: $1.33 billion (0.8%)
- Oman: $1.24 billion (0.7%)
- India: $1.22 billion (0.7%)
- Bahrain: $1.1 billion (0.7%)
- Türkiye: $1 billion (0.6%)
- France: $983.5 million (0.6%)
- Netherlands: $949.5 million (0.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 94.6% of all iron ore imported in 2025.
Among the above countries, the lone growth market for iron ore from 2024 to 2025 was India via its 138.2% advance.
Those countries that posted year-over-year declines in their imported iron ore purchases were led by: Bahrain (down -30.5%), Vietnam (down -29.5%), Egypt (down -19.8%) and Taiwan (down -18.9%).
The top 100 buyers of imported iron ore in the automated database below accounted for 99.999997% of globally imported iron ore during 2025.
| 1 | mainland China | $122,785,685,000 | -7.8% |
| 2 | Japan | $9,681,894,000 | -14.2% |
| 3 | South Korea | $7,197,166,000 | -12.8% |
| 4 | Germany | $3,512,769,000 | -15.6% |
| 5 | Taiwan | $1,853,648,000 | -18.9% |
| 6 | Vietnam | $1,599,565,000 | -29.5% |
| 7 | Malaysia | $1,483,878,000 | -7.3% |
| 8 | Indonesia | $1,343,353,000 | -11.6% |
| 9 | Egypt | $1,328,614,000 | -19.8% |
| 10 | Oman | $1,240,244,000 | -18.8% |
| 11 | India | $1,224,187,000 | +138.2% |
| 12 | Bahrain | $1,119,078,000 | -30.5% |
| 13 | Türkiye | $1,019,008,000 | -15.6% |
| 14 | France | $983,464,000 | -14.4% |
| 15 | Netherlands | $949,491,000 | -9.1% |
| 16 | Algeria | $911,413,000 | -14.2% |
| 17 | Belgium | $894,586,000 | +16.7% |
| 18 | United States | $783,255,000 | -6.1% |
| 19 | Philippines | $550,958,000 | -30.9% |
| 20 | Spain | $548,439,000 | +6.4% |
| 21 | United Arab Emirates | $449,805,000 | -13.4% |
| 22 | Canada | $424,917,000 | -45.3% |
| 23 | Poland | $418,024,000 | -19.2% |
| 24 | Slovakia | $413,525,000 | -15.2% |
| 25 | Czech Republic | $377,446,000 | -5.7% |
| 26 | Finland | $376,406,000 | -11.1% |
| 27 | Italy | $356,593,000 | -13.6% |
| 28 | Trinidad/Tobago | $327,999,000 | -12.7% |
| 29 | United Kingdom | $315,508,000 | -28.1% |
| 30 | Argentina | $302,880,000 | -53.6% |
| 31 | Russia | $300,307,000 | -20.9% |
| 32 | Saudi Arabia | $288,558,000 | -13% |
| 33 | Qatar | $279,524,000 | -41.4% |
| 34 | Libya | $216,120,000 | -34.6% |
| 35 | Serbia | $160,497,000 | -11.3% |
| 36 | Australia | $95,161,000 | +5.6% |
| 37 | Kenya | $61,560,000 | +1.1% |
| 38 | Mozambique | $12,757,000 | -45.4% |
| 39 | Greece | $11,809,000 | +371% |
| 40 | Romania | $11,588,000 | -84.8% |
| 41 | Sweden | $11,311,000 | -14.7% |
| 42 | Norway | $4,764,000 | +44.1% |
| 43 | Kyrgyzstan | $4,651,000 | +14.1% |
| 44 | Denmark | $4,367,000 | -16% |
| 45 | Thailand | $3,248,000 | +142.9% |
| 46 | Nepal | $2,626,000 | -11.2% |
| 47 | Paraguay | $1,590,000 | +41.1% |
| 48 | Mexico | $1,369,000 | +9.3% |
| 49 | Iraq | $1,326,000 | +68.1% |
| 50 | Bulgaria | $1,030,000 | +14.3% |
| 51 | Jordan | $989,000 | +159.6% |
| 52 | Armenia | $986,000 | +171.6% |
| 53 | Switzerland | $782,000 | -46.7% |
| 54 | South Africa | $677,000 | +339.6% |
| 55 | Portugal | $650,000 | -13.3% |
| 56 | Iceland | $608,000 | -71.7% |
| 57 | Senegal | $336,000 | 0% |
| 58 | Pakistan | $335,000 | +20.9% |
| 59 | Mongolia | $330,000 | -39.3% |
| 60 | Tanzania | $323,000 | +46.8% |
| 61 | New Zealand | $255,000 | +180.2% |
| 62 | Congo | $233,000 | +11550% |
| 63 | Israel | $230,000 | +32.9% |
| 64 | Myanmar | $207,000 | 0% |
| 65 | Latvia | $171,000 | 0% |
| 66 | Hungary | $169,000 | -95.8% |
| 67 | Estonia | $167,000 | -11.2% |
| 68 | Botswana | $150,000 | -16.7% |
| 69 | Croatia | $120,000 | -7% |
| 70 | Sri Lanka | $116,000 | 0% |
| 71 | Slovenia | $106,000 | -36.9% |
| 72 | Laos | $94,000 | +2250% |
| 73 | Ukraine | $78,000 | -81.2% |
| 74 | Guatemala | $75,000 | -41.9% |
| 75 | Iran | $61,000 | -43% |
| 76 | Ireland | $58,000 | +65.7% |
| 77 | Cyprus | $57,000 | +50% |
| 78 | Sierra Leone | $53,000 | +32.5% |
| 79 | Chile | $47,000 | -99.9% |
| 80 | Colombia | $32,000 | -23.8% |
| 81 | Lithuania | $32,000 | +39.1% |
| 82 | Namibia | $32,000 | +220% |
| 83 | Bahamas | $26,000 | -48% |
| 84 | Brazil | $24,000 | -99.5% |
| 85 | Zambia | $24,000 | -31.4% |
| 86 | Albania | $21,000 | 0% |
| 87 | Uganda | $21,000 | 0% |
| 88 | Bangladesh | $16,000 | +700% |
| 89 | Azerbaijan | $13,000 | 0% |
| 90 | Eswatini | $13,000 | +116.7% |
| 91 | Kazakhstan | $11,000 | -50% |
| 92 | El Salvador | $11,000 | -71.1% |
| 93 | Ethiopia | $11,000 | -91.3% |
| 94 | Gabon | $11,000 | -45% |
| 95 | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $10,000 | -64.3% |
| 96 | Cameroon | $8,000 | 0% |
| 97 | Kuwait | $8,000 | -91% |
| 98 | Luxembourg | $6,000 | -84.6% |
| 99 | Turkmenistan | $5,000 | -99.2% |
| 100 | Morocco | $4,000 | 0% |
Expanding the scope to the above 100 importers, the greatest gainers from 2024 to 2025 were Congo (up 11,550%), Laos (up 2,250%), Bangladesh (up 700%), Greece (up 371%) and South Africa (up 339.6%).
Note: You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means no 2024 data was available.
Top Iron Ore Importers Ranked by Shipment Weight
Worldwide imports of iron ore weighed a total 1.675 billion tons in 2025, up by 8.3% over the 5-year period starting from 1.547 billion tons in 2021.
The global shipment weight of imported iron ore rose 1.2% from 1.656 billion tons during 2024.
- mainland China: 1,260,219,763 tons of imported iron ore (up 1.9% from 2024)
- Japan: 95,912,878 tons (down -0.5%)
- South Korea: 68,602,633 tons (down -1.3%)
- Germany: 32,908,641 tons (down -4.9%)
- Malaysia: 22,550,328 tons (up 6%)
- Vietnam: 20,554,963 tons (up 4.7%)
- Taiwan: 18,260,463 tons (down -9%)
- Oman: 13,713,354 tons (down -8.9%)
- Indonesia: 13,610,681 tons (down -2.2%)
- Bahrain: 13,152,242 tons (up 1.7%)
- India: 12,105,496 tons (up 132.7%)
- Egypt: 10,566,468 tons (2024 data unavailable)
- France: 9,755,270 tons (down -1.1%)
- Türkiye: 9,644,664 tons (down -3.6%)
- Netherlands: 9,630,078 tons (2024 data unavailable)
By shipment weight of iron ore, the leading gainers from 2024 to 2025 were India (up 132.7%), Malaysia (up 6%), Vietnam (up 4.7%), mainland China (up 1.9%) then Bahrain (up 1.7%).
The severest decliner was Taiwan with imported iron ore by shipment weight retreating by -9% from 2024, ahead of importers based in Oman (down -8.9%), Germany (down -4.9%), Türkiye (down -3.6%) and Indonesia (down -2.2%).
Average Prices for Iron Ore by Major Import Country
In 2025, the world’s overall average unit price paid for imported iron ore was US$99 per ton.
That average price per ton is -84.8% lesser than the average $653 in 2021. From 2024 to 2025, the average tonnage rate for globally imported iron ore decelerated by -77.3% starting from $437 per ton.
Listed below are the average unit prices paid by the 15 top spenders on imported iron ore during 2025.
- mainland China: US$97 per ton of iron ore imports (down -10.2% from 2023)
- Japan: $101 per ton (down -13.7%)
- South Korea: $105 per ton (down -11.8%)
- Germany: $107 per ton (down -10.8%)
- Taiwan: $102 per ton (down -10.5%)
- Vietnam: $78 per ton (down -32.8%)
- Malaysia: $66 per ton (down -12%)
- Indonesia: $99 per ton (down -9.2%)
- Egypt: $126 per ton (2024 data unavailable)
- Oman: $90 per ton (down -11.8%)
- India: $101 per ton (up 2%)
- Bahrain: $85 per ton (down -32%)
- Türkiye: $106 per ton (down -12.4%)
- France: $101 per ton (down -12.9%)
- Netherlands: $99 per ton (2024 data unavailable)
The lowest average unit prices per ton were collected from importers in Malaysia, Vietnam, Bahrain, Oman and mainland China.
Highest average prices that exceeded the global average of $99 per ton were paid by importers in Egypt, Germany, Türkiye, South Korea and Taiwan.
Iron Ore Imported into China
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which mainland China imported the highest dollar value worth of iron ore during 2025. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country.
- Australia: US$73.6 billion (down -8% from 2024)
- Brazil: $26.9 billion (down -6.9%)
- South Africa: $4.4 billion (up 0.3%)
- Canada: $2.03 billion (down -0.3%)
- Peru: $1.97 billion (down -29.4%)
- India: $1.91 billion (down -45.2%)
- Oman: $1.83 billion (up 69.3%)
- Ukraine: $1.76 billion (up 10.8%)
- Russia: $1.3 billion (up 33.8%)
- Chile: $1.1 billion (down -29.7%)
- Sierra Leone: $1 billion (up 21.7%)
- Mauritania: $927.3 million (down -8.7%)
- Iran: $629.4 million (down -44.5%)
- Mongolia: $570.9 million (up 12.2%)
- Venezuela: $552.7 million (up 100%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.1% of iron ore imported by mainland China in 2025.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of iron ore to China from 2024 to 2025 were: Venezuela (up 100%), Oman (up 69.3%), Russia (up 33.8%) and Sierra Leone (up 21.7%).
Countries that experienced year-over-year declines in the value of their iron ore supplied to Chinese importers included: India (down -45.2%), Iran (down -44.5%), Chile (down -29.7%) and Peru (down -29.4%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported iron ore retreated by an average -7.8% from all supplying countries since 2024 when iron ore purchased cost $133.2 billion.
Iron Ore Imported into Japan
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Japan imported the highest dollar value worth of iron ore during 2025. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country.
- Australia: US$4.8 billion (down -14.6% from 2024)
- Brazil: $3.6 billion (down -13.1%)
- Canada: $760.8 million (down -17.3%)
- South Africa: $418.7 million (down -9.7%)
- Chile: $62.9 million (up 15.5%)
- Peru: $58.4 million (down -8%)
- Sweden: $15.5 million (up 181.1%)
- New Zealand: $10 million (up 93.4%)
- Mauritania: $3.8 million (down -84%)
- South Korea: $560,000 (2024 data unavailable)
- Oman: $16,000 (2024 data unavailable)
- mainland China: $6,000 (up 200%)
- Guinea: $4,000 (2024 data unavailable)
- Pakistan: $3,000 (up 50%)
- Czech Republic: $2,000 (up 100%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 100% of iron ore imported by Japan in 2025.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of iron ore to Japan from 2024 to 2025 were: mainland China (up 200%), Sweden (up 181.1%), Czech Republic (up 100%) and New Zealand (up 93.4%).
Countries that experienced year-over-year declines in the value of their iron ore supplied to Japanese importers included: Mauritania (down -84%), Canada (down -17.3%), Australia (down -14.6%) and Brazil (down -13.1%).
Overall, the value of Japan’s imported iron ore fell by an average -14.2% from all supplying countries since 2024 when iron ore purchased cost $11.3 billion.
Iron Ore Imported into South Korea
Below are the top suppliers from which South Korea imported the highest dollar value worth of iron ore during 2025. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country.
- Australia: US$4.7 billion (down -13.8% from 2024)
- Brazil: $1.1 billion (down -17.2%)
- South Africa: $674.1 million (down -3.9%)
- Canada: $482.4 million (down -3.8%)
- Chile: $90.8 million (down -34.5%)
- Bahrain: $51.1 million (up 69.7%)
- Sweden: $22.9 million (up 111.1%)
- Ukraine: $21.5 million (2024 data unavailable)
- India: $11.4 million (down -54.8%)
- Peru: $3.8 million (2024 data unavailable)
- mainland China: $67,000 (down -99.6%)
- Netherlands: $49,000 (up 157.9%)
- United States: $5,000 (2024 data unavailable)
- Germany: $1,000 (2024 data unavailable)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of iron ore imported by South Korea in 2025.
Among the above countries, the growth suppliers of iron ore to South Korea from 2024 to 2025 were: Netherlands (up 157.9%), Sweden (up 111.1%) and Bahrain (up 69.7%).
Year over year decliners included mainland China (down -99.6%), India (down -54.8%), Chile (down -34.5%), Brazil (down -17.2%) and Australia (down -13.8%).
Overall, the value of South Korea’s imported iron ore shrank by an average -12.8% from all supplying countries since 2024 when iron ore purchased cost $8.3 billion.
Iron Ore Imported into Germany
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Germany imported the highest dollar value worth of iron ore during 2025. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country.
- Canada: US$1.3 billion (down -8.7% from 2024)
- South Africa: $746.3 million (down -15.9%)
- Brazil: $626.9 million (down -23.4%)
- Sweden: $566.4 million (up 9.1%)
- Liberia: $85 million (up 50.1%)
- United States: $66.3 million (down -62.5%)
- Norway: $34.4 million (down -24.8%)
- Ukraine: $33.4 million (down -79.2%)
- Mauritania: $28.8 million (down -58.4%)
- United Kingdom: $6.8 million (up 39,671%)
- Mexico: $6.2 million (up 24.5%)
- Trinidad/Tobago: $6 million (2024 data unavailable)
- Netherlands: $5.1 million (up 91.1%)
- Mali: $3.6 million (up 180,750%)
- France: $461,000 (up 134%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.93% of iron ore imported by Germany in 2025.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of iron ore to Germany from 2024 to 2025 were: Mali (up 180,750%), United Kingdom (up 39,671%), France (up 134%) and the Netherlands (up 91.1%).
Countries that experienced year-over-year declines in the value of their iron ore supplied to German importers included: Ukraine (down -79.2%), United States of America (down -62.5%), Mauritania (down -58.4%) and Norway (down -24.8%).
Overall, the value of Germany’s imported iron ore went down by an average -15.6% from all supplying countries since 2024 when iron ore purchased cost $4.2 billion.
See also Iron Ore Exports by Country, Top Tin Exporters, Copper Ore Exports by Country and China’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on June 29, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 29, 2026
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