Latest trade
$349.1BGlobal sector valueHS2 sector intelligence
Ores, slag and ash
sector trade overview
A clear view of the ores, slag and ash economy: scale, momentum, market concentration, leading routes, and the products within it.
Explore the workspace Reported trade intelligence
Refreshed 2026-07-20
Refreshed 2026-07-20
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+6.9%Latest year on yearExporters
171Active reporting countriesImporters
194Active reporting countriesHS6 products
37Classifications in sectorThe sector read
$349.1B in trade, with -3.7% annualized growth over three years.
Ores, slag and ash is recorded across 4,461 active corridors, with 171 exporters and 194 importers in the latest available year.
Market signalDeclining+7.2% five-year CAGR
Annual trend
Momentum across three decades
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Missing years remain unavailable rather than estimated. Read the methodology ↗
Top trade corridors
Where this sector moves
The leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported sector trade value. See data sources ↗
Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AustraliaAUS | ChinaCHN | $76.3B | -9% | 21 | 8,024 km | Yes |
| 2 | BrazilBRA | ChinaCHN | $24.5B | -8.5% | 20 | 18,570 km | No |
| 3 | PeruPER | ChinaCHN | $22.0B | +11% | 12 | 17,167 km | Yes |
| 4 | ChileCHL | ChinaCHN | $21.8B | -0.4% | 9 | 18,861 km | Yes |
| 5 | South AfricaZAF | ChinaCHN | $9.7B | +1.9% | 21 | 11,775 km | No |
| 6 | AustraliaAUS | JapanJPN | $7.1B | -15.7% | 16 | 8,156 km | Yes |
| 7 | GuineaGIN | ChinaCHN | $6.6B | +55.4% | 4 | 13,441 km | No |
| 8 | AustraliaAUS | Republic of KoreaKOR | $6.6B | -14.1% | 20 | 8,549 km | Yes |
| 9 | ChileCHL | JapanJPN | $5.7B | +5.4% | 6 | 17,242 km | Yes |
| 10 | MexicoMEX | ChinaCHN | $5.6B | +4% | 12 | 12,928 km | No |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings are separated so scale on one side of the market is not mistaken for demand on the other. Check coverage ↗
Top exporters2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AustraliaAUS | $97.3B | 72 | 37 |
| 2 | BrazilBRA | $40.5B | 84 | 37 |
| 3 | ChileCHL | $33.7B | 48 | 37 |
| 4 | PeruPER | $29.5B | 40 | 34 |
| 5 | South AfricaZAF | $19.4B | 109 | 37 |
| 6 | CanadaCAN | $12.0B | 70 | 37 |
| 7 | MexicoMEX | $9.7B | 46 | 37 |
| 8 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $9.1B | 115 | 37 |
| 9 | IndonesiaIDN | $9.1B | 44 | 33 |
| 10 | GuineaGIN | $7.6B | 15 | 13 |
Top importers2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $219.6B | 134 | 37 |
| 2 | JapanJPN | $25.2B | 68 | 36 |
| 3 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $17.9B | 99 | 35 |
| 4 | GermanyDEU | $7.7B | 97 | 37 |
| 5 | IndiaIND | $6.2B | 105 | 36 |
| 6 | SpainESP | $4.6B | 90 | 37 |
| 7 | NetherlandsNLD | $4.0B | 109 | 37 |
| 8 | CanadaCAN | $3.6B | 94 | 37 |
| 9 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $3.4B | 89 | 37 |
| 10 | TaiwanTWN | $3.2B | 57 | 33 |
HS6 product coverage
The classifications inside this sector
Explore the six-digit product classifications that make up HS2 26.
41 classifications shownBrowse the product workspace ↗
Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomeratedHS6 260111
Iron ores and concentrates: agglomerated (excluding roasted iron pyrites)HS6 260112
Iron pyrites: roastedHS6 260120
Manganese ores and concentrates, including ferruginous manganese ores and concentrates with a manganese content of 20% or more, calculated on the dry weightHS6 260200
Copper ores and concentratesHS6 260300
Nickel ores and concentratesHS6 260400
Cobalt ores and concentratesHS6 260500
Aluminium ores and concentratesHS6 260600
Lead ores and concentratesHS6 260700
Zinc ores and concentratesHS6 260800
Tin ores and concentratesHS6 260900
Chromium ores and concentratesHS6 261000
Tungsten ores and concentratesHS6 261100
Uranium ores and concentratesHS6 261210
Thorium ores and concentratesHS6 261220
Molybdenum ores and concentrates: roastedHS6 261310
Molybdenum ores and concentrates: other than roastedHS6 261390
Titanium ores and concentratesHS6 261400
Zirconium ores and concentratesHS6 261510
Niobium, tantalum, vanadium ores and concentratesHS6 261590
Silver ores and concentratesHS6 261610
Precious metal ores and concentrates: (excluding silver)HS6 261690
Antimony ores and concentratesHS6 261710
Ores and concentrates n.e.c. in chapter 26: other than antimonyHS6 261790
Slag, granulated (slag sand): from the manufacture or iron or steelHS6 261800
Slag, dross: (other than granulated slag), scalings and other waste from the manufacture of iron or steelHS6 261900
Ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly zinc, hard zinc spelterHS6 262011
Ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly zinc, other than hard zinc spelterHS6 262019
Ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly leadHS6 262020
Ash and residues: (other than from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly lead: leaded gasoline sludges and leaded anti-knock compound sludgesHS6 262021
Ash and residues: (other than from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly lead: excluding leaded gasoline sludges and leaded anti-knock compound sludgesHS6 262029
Ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly copperHS6 262030
Slag, ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly aluminiumHS6 262040
Ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly vanadiumHS6 262050
Slag, ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing arsenic, mercury, thallium or their mixtures, of a kind used for the extraction of arsenic or those metals or for the manufacture of their chemical compoundsHS6 262060
Ash and residues: (not from the manufacture or iron or steel), containing mainly metals or metal compounds n.e.s. in heading no. 2620HS6 262090
Slag, ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium or their mixturesHS6 262091
Slag, ash and residues: (not from the manufacture of iron or steel), containing mainly metals or their compounds, n.e.c. in heading no. 2620HS6 262099
Slag and ash: including seaweed ash (kelp), n.e.s. in chapter 26HS6 262100
Slag and ash: ash and residues from the incineration of municipal wasteHS6 262110
Slag and ash n.e.c. in chapter 26: including seaweed ash (kelp) but excluding ash and residues from the incineration of municipal wasteHS6 262190
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Clear definitions keep reported observations and calculated indicators in their proper context. Read our Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS2 classification. They are not company-level sales, retail quotes, or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations and should be read with their coverage period.
Missing data
A missing observation remains unavailable. It is not filled, interpolated, or presented as a forecast.
Coverage: 1995–2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:08
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-27). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.