That dollar amount results from an average -2.9% downturn for all shippers of zinc over the 5-year period starting in 2019. Back then, exported zinc ores and concentrates were worth a total $11.2 billion.
Year over year, the value of globally exported zinc plunged by an average -26% compared to $14.65 billion for 2022.
The most popular industrial uses for zinc are as an anti-corrosion additive or for coating iron or steel, a process called galvanization.
Zinc is also used in alloys notably brass which is stronger and more amenable to creating wire than copper. Zinc compounds like zinc oxide are used in paints and rubber. Zinc even serves as a dietary supplement, has medicinal applications and can facilitate weight gain.
Key Geographic Insights about Zinc Exports
By value, the world’s 5 most lucrative zinc exporters are Peru, Australia, Bolivia, United States of America and Belgium. Collectively, those 5 major suppliers generated almost three-fifths (57.9%) of the overall dollar spend on exported zinc ores or concentrates during 2023.
Among continents, zinc suppliers located in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean exported the highest dollar worth of shiny-greyish metal during 2023 with shipments valued at $3.52 billion or 32.5% of the worldwide total. In second place were zinc exporters in Europe at 22.7%, trailed by suppliers in Oceania (mostly Australia) at 13.4% then providers in North America at 13%.
Smaller percentages came from sellers located in Asia (11.7%) and Africa (6.8%).
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 260800 for zinc ores and concentrates.
Top Zinc Exporters by Country
Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of zinc during 2023.
- Peru: US$1.7 billion (15.7% of total zinc exports)
- Australia: $1.5 billion (13.4%)
- Bolivia: $1.3 billion (12.2%)
- United States: $1 billion (9.5%)
- Belgium: $765.3 million (7.1%)
- Kazakhstan: $364.5 million (3.4%)
- Türkiye: $362.4 million (3.3%)
- Sweden: $340 million (3.1%)
- Chile: $333.3 million (3.1%)
- South Africa: $314.6 million (2.9%)
- Russia: $308.8 million (2.8%)
- Portugal: $292 million (2.7%)
- Mexico: $245.9 million (2.3%)
- Eritrea: $230.4 million (2.1%)
- Mongolia: $220 million (2%)
- Canada: $125.9 million (1.2%)
- Finland: $114 million (1.1%)
- Ireland: $108.8 million (1%)
- Italy: $108.7 million (1%)
- Spain: $108.5 million (1%)
- Cuba: $106.7 million (1%)
- France: $95.1 million (0.9%)
- Zambia: $73.8 million (0.7%)
- Tajikistan: $72.1 million (0.7%)
- Germany: $64.5 million (0.6%)
By value, the listed 25 countries shipped 94.7% of globally exported zinc in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the growth exporters of zinc since 2022 were Zambia (up 1,519%) and Belgium (up 40.1%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their international sales of zinc were led by: Australia (down -31.2% from 2022), France (down -28.9%), Bolivia (down -27.1%), Portugal (down -25.1%) and Italy (down -24.7%).
Countries Generating Greatest Surpluses from Global Zinc Trade
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for zinc during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported zinc and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Peru: US$1.7 billion (net export surplus down -17.2% since 2022)
- Bolivia: $1.3 billion (down -27.1%)
- Australia: $1.2 billion (down -35.6%)
- United States of America: $1 billion (down -36.6%)
- Türkiye: $346.1 million (down -35.4%)
- Chile: $333.3 million (down -21.4%)
- Sweden: $332.5 million (down -43.1%)
- South Africa: $314.5 million (down -40.9%)
- Portugal: $291.9 million (down -25.1%)
- Mexico: $245.9 million (down -35.9%)
- Eritrea: $230.4 million (down -34.8%)
- Mongolia: $220 million (down -22.2%)
- Russia: $195.8 million (down -49.1%)
- Kazakhstan: $180.3 million (up 117.2%)
- Ireland: $107.9 million (down -57.8%)
World-leading Peru generated the highest surplus in the international trade of zinc. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms the strong Peruvian competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Deficits from Global Zinc Trade
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for zinc during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported zinc purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- mainland China: -US$4 billion (net export deficit down -15.8% since 2022)
- South Korea: -$1.7 billion (down -24.5%)
- Spain: -$716.8 million (down -36.9%)
- Canada: -$624 million (down -44%)
- Japan: -$609.8 million (down -46.7%)
- Netherlands: -$491.7 million (up 36.2%)
- Finland: -$431.1 million (down -28.6%)
- Belgium: -$309.9 million (down -58.1%)
- Norway: -$251.7 million (down -44.5%)
- France: -$210.1 million (up 56.6%)
- Brazil: -$163.7 million (down -41.4%)
- Poland: -$139.3 million (down -36.7%)
- Bulgaria: -$66.5 million (down -40.6%)
- Uzbekistan: -$59.4 million (down -60.1%)
- Iran: -$19.6 million (reversing a $66.3 million surplus)
Mainland China incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of zinc. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for zinc-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Major Exporters by Greatest Volume of Zinc Shipments by Weight
The following ranking reveals which counties exported the biggest volumes of zinc during 2023 in terms of shipment tonnage.
By weight, the 15 major suppliers below generated 84.1% of the total 11.7 billion tons of globally exported zinc in 2023.
- Peru: 2,176,066 tons (18.6% of the world total)
- Australia: 2,059,709 tons (17.6%)
- Türkiye: 870,552 tons (7.4%)
- United States: 645,971 tons (5.5%)
- Belgium: 621,387 tons (5.3%)
- Bolivia: 568,527 tons (4.9%)
- Kazakhstan: 528,586 tons (4.5%)
- South Africa: 435,919 tons (3.7%)
- Portugal: 420,230 tons (3.6%)
- Russia: 364,029 tons (3.1%)
- Chile: 356,089 tons (3%)
- Sweden: 342,094 tons (2.9%)
- Eritrea: 243,516 tons (2.1%)
- Mexico: 202,504 tons (1.7%)
- Mongolia: 150,455 tons (1.3%)
Recording the strongest increases among the top zinc shippers as measured by weight were Kazakhstan (up 38.3% from 2022), Peru (up 21.1%) and Belgium (up 16%).
There were 4 double-digit decliners year over year, namely: Bolivia (down -26.4% from 2022), Mexico (down -24.7%), Sweden (down -20.1%) and South Africa (down -18.3%).
Average Unit Prices for Zinc Exports
Below are the zinc exporters charging the lowest average unit prices per ton in 2023.
The world average unit price in 2023 was $927 per ton, down by -27.5% from $1,279 per ton for 2022.
The leading zinc exporter by dollar value, Peru, charged an average $780 per ton for 2023, below the world average.
The 15 zinc sellers below averaged the lowest average unit prices per ton.
- Ghana: $23 per ton (up -87.8% from 2022)
- India: $38 per ton (up -32.1%)
- Myanmar: $50 per ton (up 8.7%)
- Romania: $56 per ton (up 55.6%)
- Bangladesh: $93 per ton (up -50.3%)
- Mozambique: $118 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Libya: $180 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Afghanistan: $193 per ton (up -5.4%)
- Philippines: $198 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Senegal: $209 per ton (up -9.5%)
- Benin: $246 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Iraq: $250 per ton (up 6.8%)
- Burkina Faso: $260 per ton (up -75.9%)
- Kuwait: $261 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Qatar: $261 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
From 2022 to 2023, there were 4 double-digit percentage declines in terms of average prices for the listed low-cost zinc exporters. These belong to: Ghana (down -87.8% from 2022), Burkina Faso (down -75.9%), Bangladesh (down -50.3%) and India (down -32.1%).
The following 15 zinc exporters demanded the highest average unit prices per ton in 2023.
- Bolivia: $2,333 per ton (up -0.9% from 2022)
- Bulgaria: $2,268 per ton (up -32.9%)
- New Zealand: $1,722 per ton (up -42.6%)
- United States of America: $1,602 per ton (up -34.9%)
- Netherlands: $1,577 per ton (up 6.8%)
- Colombia: $1,498 per ton (up 0%)
- Mongolia: $1,462 per ton (up -27.2%)
- Armenia: $1,390 per ton (up -13.7%)
- France: $1,294 per ton (up -18.7%)
- Algeria: $1,258 per ton (up -0.5%)
- Belgium: $1,232 per ton (up 20.9%)
- Mexico: $1,215 per ton (up -18.2%)
- South Korea: $1,192 per ton (up -38.3%)
- Finland: $1,182 per ton (up -30.7%)
- Italy: $1,157 per ton (up -25.2%)
Increases in unit prices for exported zinc ores and concentrates were charged by suppliers in Belgium (up 20.9% from 2022) and the Netherlands (up 6.8%).
Major Zinc Producing Companies
Below are 10 of the largest zinc producers that represent established players engaged in the international trade of zinc. Their home country for each company’s headquarters is shown within parenthesis.
- Southern Copper Corporation (Mexico)
- Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Saudi Arabia)
- Hindustan Zinc (India)
- Vedanta (India)
- First Quantum Minerals (Canada)
- Teck Resources (Canada)
- South32 (Australia)
- Boliden AB (Sweden)
- Korea Zinc Co (South Korea)
- Lundin Mining Company (Canada)
See also Iron Ore Exports by Country, Top Stainless Steel Exporters by Country and Copper Ore Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 8, 2024
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 8, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 8, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 8, 2024
Value.Today, World Top Zinc Companies. Accessed on November 8, 2024
Wikipedia, Zinc. Accessed on November 8, 2024