Latest trade
$5.4BGlobal subsector valueHS4 subsector intelligence
Cobalt
HS4 8105 trade overview
A focused view of this HS4 subsector: market scale, momentum, leading routes, countries, and the HS6 classifications inside it.
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+3.2%Latest year on yearExporters
97Active reporting countriesImporters
155Active reporting countriesHS6 products
3Classifications inside HS4The subsector read
$5.4B in trade, with -9.7% annualized growth over three years.
Cobalt is recorded across 1,860 active corridors, with 97 exporters and 155 importers.
Annual trend
Subsector momentum over time
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Read the methodology ↗
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
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Democratic Republic of the CongoCOD | ChinaCHN | $2.9B | -11.4% | 2 | 11,798 km | No |
| 2 | ChinaCHN | NetherlandsNLD | $100.9M | +88.4% | 3 | 8,894 km | No |
| 3 | NorwayNOR | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $82.9M | -16.6% | 2 | 5,930 km | No |
| 4 | CanadaCAN | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $73.5M | +13.6% | 3 | 556 km | Yes |
| 5 | AustraliaAUS | TaiwanTWN | $69.7M | +7.2% | 1 | 7,376 km | No |
| 6 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | IrelandIRL | $55.9M | +7.1% | 3 | 5,129 km | No |
| 7 | United KingdomGBR | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $55.3M | +36.2% | 3 | 5,585 km | No |
| 8 | FinlandFIN | JapanJPN | $53.9M | -38.5% | 3 | 7,838 km | Yes |
| 9 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | FranceFRA | $48.8M | +36.9% | 3 | 5,852 km | No |
| 10 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | United KingdomGBR | $45.2M | +18% | 3 | 5,585 km | No |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings show the two sides of the subsector separately. Check coverage ↗
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Democratic Republic of the CongoCOD | $3.0B | 7 | 2 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $426.7M | 106 | 3 |
| 3 | CanadaCAN | $256.1M | 54 | 3 |
| 4 | ChinaCHN | $252.2M | 88 | 3 |
| 5 | United KingdomGBR | $196.6M | 79 | 3 |
| 6 | JapanJPN | $142.7M | 39 | 3 |
| 7 | GermanyDEU | $140.4M | 114 | 3 |
| 8 | FinlandFIN | $108.9M | 30 | 3 |
| 9 | NorwayNOR | $103.4M | 15 | 3 |
| 10 | AustraliaAUS | $96.6M | 21 | 3 |
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $3.2B | 42 | 3 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $394.9M | 46 | 3 |
| 3 | NetherlandsNLD | $174.7M | 45 | 3 |
| 4 | JapanJPN | $168.9M | 31 | 3 |
| 5 | GermanyDEU | $150.3M | 59 | 3 |
| 6 | United KingdomGBR | $148.1M | 44 | 3 |
| 7 | TaiwanTWN | $133.3M | 24 | 3 |
| 8 | BelgiumBEL | $115.3M | 28 | 3 |
| 9 | FranceFRA | $112.0M | 40 | 3 |
| 10 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $94.5M | 34 | 3 |
HS6 product coverage
The products inside HS4 8105
Six-digit classifications make the subsector specific. Browse the product workspace ↗
4 classifications shownCobalt
Cobalt: mattes and other intermediate products of cobalt metallurgy, unwrought cobalt, waste and scrap, powdersHS6 810510
Cobalt: mattes and other intermediate products of cobalt metallurgy, unwrought cobalt, powdersHS6 810520
Cobalt: waste and scrapHS6 810530
Cobalt: articles n.e.s. in heading no. 8105HS6 810590
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Reported observations and calculated indicators should be read with their coverage period. Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS4 classification, not company-level sales or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations.
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.