HS4 subsector intelligence

Nickel ores and concentrates
HS4 2604 trade overview

A focused view of this HS4 subsector: market scale, momentum, leading routes, countries, and the HS6 classifications inside it.

HS4 26041995-2024 coverageRapid decline
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
01

Latest trade

$3.8BGlobal subsector value
02

Annual change

-19.7%Latest year on year
03

Exporters

76Active reporting countries
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Importers

79Active reporting countries
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HS6 products

1Classifications inside HS4

The subsector read

$3.8B in trade, with -13.1% annualized growth over three years.

Nickel ores and concentrates is recorded across 384 active corridors, with 76 exporters and 79 importers.

Annual trend

Subsector momentum over time

Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Read the methodology ↗

Annual subsector tradeReported global trade from 1995 to 2024.1995: $309.3M1996: $378.2M1997: $376.9M1998: $236.4M1999: $260.6M2000: $500.2M2001: $389.1M2002: $456.5M2003: $673.6M2004: $1.2B2005: $1.2B2006: $1.8B2007: $4.0B2008: $3.3B2009: $1.8B2010: $3.0B2011: $5.5B2012: $5.7B2013: $5.8B2014: $5.2B2015: $3.4B2016: $2.3B2017: $2.7B2018: $3.5B2019: $4.5B2020: $4.0B2021: $5.8B2022: $6.1B2023: $4.8B2024: $3.8B
Reported global trade by year.

Top trade corridors

Where the subsector moves

Leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported value. See data sources ↗

Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
RankExporterImporterTrade valueGrowthHS6DistanceFTA
1PhilippinesPHLChinaCHN$1.1B-18.5%11,841 kmYes
2PhilippinesPHLIndonesiaIDN$308.0M+524%12,782 kmYes
3RussiaRUSChinaCHN$297.2M+9.9%16,831 kmNo
4New CaledoniaNCLRepublic of KoreaKOR$194.1M+2.2%17,808 kmNo
5ZimbabweZWESouth AfricaZAF$169.5M-42.8%1978 kmYes
6FinlandFINChinaCHN$156.0M+21.7%17,392 kmNo
7AustraliaAUSChinaCHN$117.6M-21.3%18,024 kmYes
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSACanadaCAN$117.2M-22%1556 kmYes
9BrazilBRAChinaCHN$109.3M-13.2%118,570 kmNo
10ZambiaZMBCanadaCAN$108.1M+0%112,597 kmNo

Market structure

Where supply and demand concentrate

Exporter and importer rankings show the two sides of the subsector separately. Check coverage ↗

Top exporters2024 ranking
RankCountryExportsPartnersHS6
1PhilippinesPHL$1.4B51
2New CaledoniaNCL$318.0M61
3RussiaRUS$297.3M51
4ZambiaZMB$294.4M81
5FinlandFIN$244.2M111
6BrazilBRA$213.9M181
7AustraliaAUS$181.1M101
8ZimbabweZWE$171.5M41
9CanadaCAN$162.8M111
10USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$138.1M331
Top importers2024 ranking
RankCountryImportsPartnersHS6
1ChinaCHN$2.2B241
2CanadaCAN$380.4M171
3IndonesiaIDN$319.9M101
4FinlandFIN$265.0M111
5Republic of KoreaKOR$197.0M161
6South AfricaZAF$169.9M101
7BelgiumBEL$73.7M111
8Switzerland, LiechtensteinCHE$69.2M81
9TaiwanTWN$52.6M31
10JapanJPN$31.0M111

HS6 product coverage

The products inside HS4 2604

Six-digit classifications make the subsector specific. Browse the product workspace ↗

1 classifications shownNickel ores and concentrates
01
Nickel ores and concentratesHS6 260400

Definitions and coverage

Read the numbers with context

Reported observations and calculated indicators should be read with their coverage period. Responsible AI principles ↗

01

Reported values

Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS4 classification, not company-level sales or shipment records.

02

Calculated indicators

Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations.

03

Missing data

Unavailable observations remain unavailable. They are not filled, interpolated, or presented as forecasts.

Coverage: 1995-2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:09

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.