Platinum ring
Overall, the value of overall platinum exports rose by an average 24.3% for all exporting countries since 2014 when platinum shipments were valued at $25.5 billion. Year over year, the value of global platinum exports increased by 17% from 2017 to 2018.
Among continents, European countries generated the highest dollar worth of exported platinum during 2018 with shipments valued at $17.3 billion or 54.7% of the global total. In second place were African exporters at 24.7% while 12.3% of worldwide platinum shipments originated from North America with another 8.2% worth coming from Asia.
Smaller percentages came from Latin America (0.04%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean and Oceania (0.01%) led by New Zealand and Australia.
The 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for unwrought or semi-manufactured platinum is 7110. Also included in that code prefix are palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium and ruthenium.
Platinum Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of platinum during 2018.
- South Africa: US$7.8 billion (24.6% of total platinum exports)
- United Kingdom: $6.1 billion (19.2%)
- Russia: $3.6 billion (11.5%)
- United States: $3.6 billion (11.3%)
- Germany: $3.1 billion (9.9%)
- Italy: $1.8 billion (5.6%)
- Hong Kong: $1.1 billion (3.5%)
- Switzerland: $1.1 billion (3.5%)
- Japan: $929.9 million (2.9%)
- Belgium: $774.5 million (2.4%)
- Canada: $290.2 million (0.9%)
- Norway: $269.9 million (0.9%)
- Taiwan: $267.5 million (0.8%)
- Austria: $129.9 million (0.4%)
- France: $121.4 million (0.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.9% of global platinum exports in 2018.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing platinum exporters since 2014 were: Russia (up 491.7%), Belgium (up 89.3%), Italy (up 49.6%) and Germany (up 34%).
Five countries posted declines in their exported platinum sales namely: Switzerland (down -51.5%), Japan (down -34.0%), Taiwan (down -16.4%), Norway (down -6.7%) and France (down -5.6%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for platinum during 2018. 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 platinum and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- South Africa: US$7.6 billion (net export surplus up 21.7% since 2014)
- Russia: $3.6 billion (up 494.9%)
- United Kingdom: $2.2 billion (up 52%)
- Belgium: $557.7 million (up 52.5%)
- Italy: $279.6 million (down -22.2%)
- Norway: $255.9 million (down -6.2%)
- Finland: $69 million (up 42.2%)
- Saudi Arabia: $45.5 million (reversing a -$3.4 million deficit)
- Zimbabwe: $43.6 million (down -68.2%)
- Austria: $25.8 million (down -51.1%)
- Spain: $17.2 million (down -2.8%)
- Czech Republic: $8.8 million (down -90.9%)
- Colombia: $7.2 million (down -90%)
- France: $5.6 million (reversing a -$58.2 million deficit)
- Turkey: $3.3 million (down -18.3%)
South Africa has the highest surplus in the international trade of platinum. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms South Africa’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for platinum during 2018. 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 platinum purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Japan: -US$3.2 billion (net export deficit up 70.9% since 2014)
- China: -$3.1 billion (down -24.7%)
- United States: -$2.4 billion (up 14.2%)
- Hong Kong: -$2.1 billion (up 9.9%)
- Germany: -$1.3 billion (up 80.2%)
- North Macedonia: -$1.1 billion (up 28.8%)
- South Korea: -$562.5 million (up 39.4%)
- Brazil: -$383.6 million (up 75.6%)
- India: -$265.3 million (up 5.9%)
- Malaysia: -$200.6 million (up 15.3%)
- Poland: -$177.8 million (up 566.1%)
- Ireland: -$151.3 million (down -21.2%)
- Switzerland: -$141.8 million (reversing a $667.3 million surplus)
- Canada: -$125.2 million (reversing a $13.7 million surplus)
- Singapore: -$102.4 million (reversing a $21.2 million surplus)
Overtaking China in 2018, Japan incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of platinum. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Japan’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for platinum-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful worldwide demand.
Companies
Platinum Exporting Companies
Below are global platinum miners that represent established players engaged in the international platinum trade. The home country for each platinum producer is shown within parenthesis.
- Anglo American Platinum Limited (South Africa)
- Aquarius Platinum (Bermuda)
- ARM African Rainbow Minerals (South Africa)
- Impala Platinum (South Africa)
- Lonmin plc (United Kingdom)
- Nornickel (Russia)
- North American Palladium (Canada)
- Northam Platinum (South Africa)
- Stillwater Mining Company (United States)
- Wesizwe Platinum (South Africa)
Searchable List of Platinum Exporting Countries in 2018
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns.
| Rank | Exporter | Platinum Exports (US$) | %World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | $7.8 billion | 24.6% |
| 2. | United Kingdom | $6.1 billion | 19.2% |
| 3. | Russia | $3.6 billion | 11.5% |
| 4. | United States | $3.6 billion | 11.3% |
| 5. | Germany | $3.1 billion | 9.9% |
| 6. | Italy | $1.8 billion | 5.6% |
| 7. | Hong Kong | $1.1 billion | 3.5% |
| 8. | Switzerland | $1.1 billion | 3.5% |
| 9. | Japan | $929.9 million | 2.9% |
| 10. | Belgium | $774.5 million | 2.4% |
| 11. | Canada | $290.2 million | 0.9% |
| 12. | Norway | $269.9 million | 0.9% |
| 13. | Taiwan | $267.5 million | 0.8% |
| 14. | Austria | $129.9 million | 0.4% |
| 15. | France | $121.4 million | 0.4% |
| 16. | South Korea | $103.4 million | 0.3% |
| 17. | Finland | $70.2 million | 0.2% |
| 18. | Slovakia | $69.1 million | 0.2% |
| 19. | Singapore | $60.3 million | 0.2% |
| 20. | Saudi Arabia | $47.7 million | 0.2% |
| 21. | Spain | $44.9 million | 0.1% |
| 22. | Zimbabwe | $43.6 million | 0.1% |
| 23. | China | $40.7 million | 0.1% |
| 24. | Czech Republic | $37.5 million | 0.1% |
| 25. | Poland | $28.6 million | 0.1% |
| 26. | India | $22.2 million | 0.1% |
| 27. | Netherlands | $13 million | 0.04% |
| 28. | Portugal | $9.8 million | 0.03% |
| 29. | Mexico | $8.2 million | 0.03% |
| 30. | Colombia | $7.9 million | 0.03% |
| 31. | Turkey | $7.8 million | 0.02% |
| 32. | Thailand | $4.5 million | 0.01% |
| 33. | United Arab Emirates | $3.6 million | 0.01% |
| 34. | Lebanon | $3 million | 0.01% |
| 35. | Malaysia | $2.8 million | 0.01% |
| 36. | New Zealand | $2.8 million | 0.01% |
| 37. | Iran | $2.6 million | 0.01% |
| 38. | Brazil | $2.6 million | 0.01% |
| 39. | Luxembourg | $2.5 million | 0.01% |
| 40. | Sweden | $2.4 million | 0.01% |
| 41. | Tunisia | $2.2 million | 0.01% |
| 42. | Ukraine | $2.2 million | 0.01% |
| 43. | Serbia | $1.9 million | 0.01% |
| 44. | Hungary | $1.7 million | 0.01% |
| 45. | Australia | $1.3 million | 0.004% |
| 46. | Denmark | $1.1 million | 0.004% |
| 47. | Ireland | $1.1 million | 0.003% |
| 48. | Romania | $816,000 | 0.003% |
| 49. | Peru | $746,000 | 0.002% |
| 50. | Uzbekistan | $583,000 | 0.002% |
| 51. | Costa Rica | $491,000 | 0.002% |
| 52. | Vietnam | $443,000 | 0.001% |
| 53. | Dominican Republic | $296,000 | 0.001% |
| 54. | Latvia | $296,000 | 0.001% |
| 55. | Azerbaijan | $200,000 | 0.001% |
| 56. | Slovenia | $193,000 | 0.001% |
| 57. | Uganda | $130,000 | 0.0004% |
| 58. | Egypt | $126,000 | 0.0004% |
| 59. | Bulgaria | $121,000 | 0.0004% |
| 60. | Cayman Islands | $96,000 | 0.0003% |
| 61. | Indonesia | $85,000 | 0.0003% |
| 62. | Venezuela | $67,000 | 0.0002% |
| 63. | Honduras | $55,000 | 0.0002% |
| 64. | Panama | $46,000 | 0.0001% |
| 65. | Estonia | $43,000 | 0.0001% |
| 66. | Croatia | $39,000 | 0.0001% |
| 67. | French S./Antarctic Terr | $37,000 | 0.0001% |
| 68. | Greece | $33,000 | 0.0001% |
| 69. | Philippines | $32,000 | 0.0001% |
| 70. | Israel | $18,000 | 0.0001% |
| 71. | Fiji | $14,000 | 0.00004% |
| 72. | Niger | $11,000 | 0.00003% |
| 73. | Eswatini | $10,000 | 0.00003% |
| 74. | Mauritius | $6,000 | 0.00002% |
| 75. | Ethiopia | $6,000 | 0.00002% |
| 76. | Oman | $4,000 | 0.00001% |
| 77. | Bolivia | $3,000 | 0.00001% |
See also Gold Exports by Country, Silver Exports by Country and Palladium Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 23, 2019
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 23, 2019
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 23, 2019
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on May 23, 2019
Wikipedia, Category:Platinum mining companies. Accessed on June 11, 2018
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