Platinum Exports by Country

March 30, 2019 by

platinum ring

Platinum ring

Worldwide sales for platinum exports by country totaled US$26.8 billion in 2017.

Overall, the value of overall platinum exports fell by an average -3.5% for all exporting countries since 2013 when platinum shipments were valued at $27.8 billion. Year over year, the value of global platinum exports rose by 25.5% from 2016 to 2017.

Among continents, European countries generated the highest dollar worth of exported platinum during 2017 with shipments valued at $15.1 billion or 56.2% of the global total. In second place were African exporters at 24.5% while 10.1% of worldwide platinum shipments originated from North America with 9.1% coming from Asia.

Smaller percentages came from Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean (0.1%) and Oceania (0.01%).

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 2017.

  1. South Africa: US$6.6 billion (24.5% of total platinum exports)
  2. United Kingdom: $5.6 billion (20.9%)
  3. Russia: $3.3 billion (12.2%)
  4. United States: $2.4 billion (9.1%)
  5. Germany: $2 billion (7.5%)
  6. Italy: $1.6 billion (6.1%)
  7. Hong Kong: $1.2 billion (4.3%)
  8. Switzerland: $1.1 billion (4.2%)
  9. Japan: $853.5 million (3.2%)
  10. Belgium: $388.8 million (1.5%)
  11. Canada: $257.8 million (1%)
  12. Norway: $244.2 million (0.9%)
  13. Taiwan: $188.6 million (0.7%)
  14. Luxembourg: $162.6 million (0.6%)
  15. Austria: $108.5 million (0.4%)

By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.2% of global platinum exports in 2017.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing platinum exporters since 2013 were: Luxembourg (up 26,261%), Russia (up 213.7%), Italy (up 82.1%) and Hong Kong (up 62.6%).

Those countries that posted declines in their exported platinum sales were led by: Switzerland (down -70%), Belgium (down -56.7%), Japan (down -44.8%), Taiwan (down -34.2%) and Austria (down -31.7%).

Advantages

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for platinum during 2017. 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.

  1. South Africa: US$6.5 billion (net export surplus down -21.9% since 2013)
  2. Russia: $3.3 billion (up 214.5%)
  3. United Kingdom: $2.1 billion (up 188.7%)
  4. Belgium: $360.2 million (down -46.4%)
  5. Norway: $229.9 million (down -18.2%)
  6. Italy: $210.2 million (down -54.3%)
  7. Switzerland: $94.2 million (down -91.2%)
  8. Finland: $78.6 million (up 119.4%)
  9. Spain: $27.9 million (up 31.5%)
  10. Ukraine: $26.8 million (reversing a -$3.1 million deficit)
  11. Austria: $24.1 million (down -67.7%)
  12. Colombia: $20.7 million (down -72.2%)
  13. Taiwan: $4.2 million (down -89.5%)
  14. Turkey: $3.8 million (up 181.5%)
  15. Slovakia: $3.7 million (reversing a -$6 million deficit)

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 2017. 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.

  1. China: -US$2.8 billion (net export deficit down -44.8% since 2013)
  2. Japan: -$2.5 billion (up 1.4%)
  3. United States: -$2.1 billion (up 0.4%)
  4. Hong Kong: -$2 billion (up 7.1%)
  5. Germany: -$1.8 billion (up 875.5%)
  6. Macedonia: -$958.7 million (up 83.4%)
  7. South Korea: -$525.2 million (up 0.4%)
  8. India: -$245.5 million (up 23.4%)
  9. Brazil: -$227.7 million (down -0.8%)
  10. Ireland: -$206.6 million (down -15.5%)
  11. Singapore: -$196.8 million (reversing a $39.7 million surplus)
  12. Malaysia: -$133.7 million (up 3.1%)
  13. Poland: -$102.6 million (reversing a $4.9 million surplus)
  14. Argentina: -$68.8 million (up 9.2%)
  15. Thailand: -$50.8 million (down -0.7%)

China incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of platinum. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’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

You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns.

RankExporter2017 Platinum Exports% World Total
1.South AfricaUS$6.6 billion24.5%
2.United Kingdom$5.6 billion20.9%
3.Russia$3.3 billion12.2%
4.United States$2.4 billion9.1%
5.Germany$2 billion7.5%
6.Italy$1.6 billion6.1%
7.Hong Kong$1.2 billion4.3%
8.Switzerland$1.1 billion4.2%
9.Japan$853.5 million3.2%
10.Belgium$388.8 million1.5%
11.Canada$257.8 million1%
12.Norway$244.2 million0.9%
13.Taiwan$188.6 million0.7%
14.Luxembourg$162.6 million0.6%
15.Austria$108.5 million0.4%
16.France$103.8 million0.4%
17.Czech Republic$90.2 million0.3%
18.Slovakia$81.6 million0.3%
19.Finland$81.4 million0.3%
20.South Korea$70.4 million0.3%
21.China$58.5 million0.2%
22.Singapore$56.3 million0.2%
23.Spain$55.4 million0.2%
24.Poland$32.1 million0.1%
25.Ukraine$28.2 million0.1%
26.Colombia$21.2 million0.1%
27.Netherlands$16.3 million0.1%
28.India$16.2 million0.1%
29.Turkey$7.5 million0.03%
30.Portugal$7.4 million0.03%
31.Belarus$3.6 million0.01%
32.Thailand$3.3 million0.01%
33.United Arab Emirates$3.1 million0.01%
34.Lithuania$3 million0.01%
35.Malaysia$2.5 million0.01%
36.Brazil$2.4 million0.01%
37.Ireland$2.3 million0.01%
38.New Zealand$1.7 million0.01%
39.Australia$1.7 million0.01%
40.Sweden$1.6 million0.01%
41.Serbia$1.5 million0.01%
42.Estonia$1.5 million0.01%
43.Mexico$1.4 million0.01%
44.Hungary$1.3 million0.005%
45.Israel$1.3 million0.005%
46.Argentina$966,0000.004%
47.Latvia$875,0000.003%
48.Denmark$502,0000.002%
49.Bulgaria$455,0000.002%
50.Iran$372,0000.001%
51.Dominican Republic$168,0000.001%
52.Costa Rica$155,0000.001%
53.Croatia$138,0000.001%
54.Peru$80,0000.0003%
55.Greece$74,0000.0003%
56.Ethiopia$57,0000.0002%
57.Kuwait$54,0000.0002%
58.Andorra$45,0000.0002%
59.Venezuela$36,0000.0001%
60.Vietnam$32,0000.0001%
61.Guinea$32,0000.0001%
62.Slovenia$30,0000.0001%
63.Madagascar$29,0000.0001%
64.Congo$25,0000.0001%
65.Laos$24,0000.0001%
66.Bahrain$21,0000.0001%
67.Saudi Arabia$13,0000.00005%
68.Qatar$12,0000.00004%
69.Curaçao$10,0000.00004%
70.Indonesia$8,0000.00003%
71.Ecuador$7,0000.00003%
72.Macao$6,0000.00002%
73.Philippines$5,0000.00002%
74.Mauritius$4,0000.00001%
75.Gabon$3,0000.00001%
76.Uganda$3,0000.00001%
77.Namibia$1,0000.000004%










See also Gold Exports by Country, Silver Exports by Country and Palladium Exports by Country

Research Sources:
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on June 11, 2018

Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on June 11, 2018

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 11, 2018

Wikipedia, Category:Platinum mining companies. Accessed on June 11, 2018

Filed Under: Precious metals