The value of overall platinum exports jumped by an average 199.5% for all exporting countries since 2016 when platinum shipments were valued at $21.2 billion.
From 2019 to 2020, the value of global platinum exports increased by 56.5%.
The 5 biggest exporters of platinum are the United Kingdom, South Africa, United States of America, Russia and Germany. Collectively, that handful of platinum sellers on international markets accounted for 71.9% of globally exported platinum during 2020.
Among continents, suppliers in European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported platinum during 2020 with shipments valued at $36.7 billion or 57.7% of the global total. In second place were African exporters at 17% while 16.2% of worldwide platinum shipments originated from North America. Another 9% worth came from Asia.
Tinier percentages arrived from Latin America (0.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.01%) mostly New Zealand and Australia.
For research purposes, 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 2020.
- United Kingdom: US$11.6 billion (18.2% of total platinum exports)
- South Africa: $10.7 billion (16.8%)
- United States: $9.8 billion (15.5%)
- Russia: $7.8 billion (12.3%)
- Germany: $5.7 billion (9%)
- Belgium: $4 billion (6.3%)
- Italy: $3.8 billion (6%)
- Hong Kong: $2.6 billion (4.1%)
- Switzerland: $2.5 billion (3.9%)
- Japan: $1.6 billion (2.5%)
- Norway: $603.8 million (0.9%)
- Canada: $469.2 million (0.7%)
- South Korea: $463.8 million (0.7%)
- Singapore: $349.8 million (0.5%)
- Taiwan: $316.1 million (0.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98% of globally exported platinum in 2020.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of platinum since 2019 were: South Korea (up 203.2%), Hong Kong (up 166%), United States (up 108.1%) and Singapore (up 69.5%).
Those countries that posted the most modest gains in their international sales of platinum were led by: Canada (up 24.3%), Switzerland (up 25.8%), Taiwan (up 27.6%), South Africa (up 29.3%) and Germany (up 40.1%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for platinum during 2020. 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$10.6 billion (net export surplus up 29.3% since 2019)
- Russia: $7.8 billion (up 56.5%)
- Belgium: $3.8 billion (up 61.5%)
- United Kingdom: $2.2 billion (up 397%)
- Italy: $1.1 billion (up 32.1%)
- Norway: $570 million (up 57.8%)
- Singapore: $164.6 million (up 87.9%)
- Zimbabwe: $134.3 million (up 123.4%)
- Finland: $82.7 million (down -25.1%)
- Austria: $63 million (down -15.5%)
- Spain: $37.9 million (up 91.3%)
- Turkey: $35.4 million (up 199.3%)
- Taiwan: $33.4 million (down -47.6%)
- Costa Rica: $24 million (reversing a -$2.6 million deficit in 2019)
- Colombia: $13.7 million (up 263.3%)
South Africa generated 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 2020. 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.
- China: -US$7.7 billion (net export deficit up 114.8% since 2019)
- Japan: -$5.4 billion (up 53.7%)
- Hong Kong: -$3.4 billion (down -2.8%)
- United States: -$1.5 billion (down -30.3%)
- South Korea: -$1.3 billion (up 36.9%)
- Germany: -$1.2 billion (up 8.4%)
- North Macedonia: -$1.1 billion (down -14.2%)
- Canada: -$815.1 million (up 176.1%)
- Switzerland: -$657.4 million (reversing a $47.5 million surplus in 2019)
- Brazil: -$607.6 million (up 4.3%)
- Poland: -$525 million (up 122.4%)
- India: -$500.7 million (up 97.6%)
- Ireland: -$133.5 million (down -9.7%)
- Malaysia: -$129.6 million (down -28.7%)
- Australia: -$129.2 million (up 146.1%)
The People’s Republic of China incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of platinum. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for platinum-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful worldwide demand.
Companies
Platinum Exporting Companies
Below are global platinum miners that represent established players engaged in the international platinum trade. The home country for each platinum producer is shown within parenthesis.
- Anglo American Platinum Limited (South Africa)
- Aquarius Platinum (Bermuda)
- ARM African Rainbow Minerals (South Africa)
- Impala Platinum (South Africa)
- Lonmin plc (United Kingdom)
- Nornickel (Russia)
- North American Palladium (Canada)
- Northam Platinum (South Africa)
- Stillwater Mining Company (United States)
- Wesizwe Platinum (South Africa)
Searchable List of Platinum Exporting Countries in 2020
The 68 export countries in the following automated database showcases 100% of the value of platinum exported in 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Platinum Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United Kingdom | $11,609,071,000 | +69.3% |
| 2. | South Africa | $10,709,426,000 | +29.3% |
| 3. | United States | $9,834,087,000 | +108.1% |
| 4. | Russia | $7,842,129,000 | +53.1% |
| 5. | Germany | $5,731,682,000 | +40.1% |
| 6. | Belgium | $3,981,182,000 | +48.6% |
| 7. | Italy | $3,787,209,000 | +50.3% |
| 8. | Hong Kong | $2,597,499,000 | +166% |
| 9. | Switzerland | $2,460,208,000 | +25.8% |
| 10. | Japan | $1,586,243,000 | +42% |
| 11. | Norway | $603,822,000 | +60% |
| 12. | Canada | $469,191,000 | +24.3% |
| 13. | South Korea | $463,792,000 | +203.2% |
| 14. | Singapore | $349,844,000 | +69.5% |
| 15. | Taiwan | $316,058,000 | +27.6% |
| 16. | China | $281,891,000 | +228.2% |
| 17. | Austria | $228,074,000 | +20.4% |
| 18. | Zimbabwe | $134,373,000 | +123.5% |
| 19. | France | $124,910,000 | +8.2% |
| 20. | Finland | $85,373,000 | -23.9% |
| 21. | Spain | $66,519,000 | +25.1% |
| 22. | Poland | $44,631,000 | -5.2% |
| 23. | Turkey | $41,581,000 | +157.9% |
| 24. | Netherlands | $39,709,000 | +131.6% |
| 25. | Czech Republic | $32,750,000 | -22.6% |
| 26. | Costa Rica | $30,827,000 | +342.4% |
| 27. | Thailand | $23,924,000 | +313.1% |
| 28. | Dominican Republic | $23,510,000 | -40.2% |
| 29. | Slovakia | $22,093,000 | -57.1% |
| 30. | India | $19,488,000 | -28.6% |
| 31. | Colombia | $14,137,000 | +222.3% |
| 32. | Brazil | $8,497,000 | +1451% |
| 33. | Hungary | $7,882,000 | +231.3% |
| 34. | Serbia | $7,118,000 | +31.7% |
| 35. | Uzbekistan | $6,822,000 | -66.1% |
| 36. | United Arab Emirates | $6,434,000 | -54.4% |
| 37. | Australia | $5,719,000 | +164% |
| 38. | Chile | $4,219,000 | -24.9% |
| 39. | Belarus | $3,961,000 | 0% |
| 40. | Ireland | $3,154,000 | +160% |
| 41. | New Zealand | $3,000,000 | +1.5% |
| 42. | Ukraine | $2,836,000 | -80.5% |
| 43. | Mexico | $2,766,000 | 0% |
| 44. | Denmark | $2,658,000 | +888.1% |
| 45. | Sweden | $2,653,000 | +108.7% |
| 46. | Malaysia | $1,623,000 | -85.2% |
| 47. | Lebanon | $888,000 | +1053% |
| 48. | Greece | $499,000 | +296% |
| 49. | Egypt | $493,000 | +708.2% |
| 50. | Portugal | $463,000 | +59.1% |
| 51. | Peru | $385,000 | -44.2% |
| 52. | Slovenia | $253,000 | +19.9% |
| 53. | Philippines | $203,000 | +238.3% |
| 54. | Luxembourg | $193,000 | +20.6% |
| 55. | Vietnam | $145,000 | -51% |
| 56. | Israel | $144,000 | -88.7% |
| 57. | Bulgaria | $97,000 | -62.4% |
| 58. | Lithuania | $85,000 | -71.9% |
| 59. | Ethiopia | $61,000 | +45.2% |
| 60. | Honduras | $32,000 | 0% |
| 61. | Croatia | $27,000 | -18.2% |
| 62. | Estonia | $13,000 | -71.7% |
| 63. | Tuvalu | $10,000 | 0% |
| 64. | Uruguay | $8,000 | 0% |
| 65. | Oman | $7,000 | 0% |
| 66. | Tonga | $2,000 | 0% |
| 67. | Latvia | $1,000 | 0% |
| 68. | Sri Lanka | $1,000 | 0% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2019 data was unavailable.
See also Gold Exports by Country, Silver Exports by Country and Palladium Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 6, 2021
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 6, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 6, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 6, 2021
Wikipedia, Category:Platinum mining companies. Accessed on September 6, 2021
