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World's Top Exports

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Top Bronze Exports by Country

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Bronze coins
Bronze coins
Export shipments of bronze from all countries totaled US$576.1 million in 2021. That dollar amount results from an average 60.2% acceleration for all bronze exporters over the 5-year period starting in 2017 when bronze exports were worth a total $359.6 million.

Year over year, the value of globally exported bronze spiked by an average 74.2% compared to $330.6 million for 2020.

Bronze is an alloy made by combining copper with a smaller amount of tin, plus even smaller quantities of such elements as aluminum, zinc, lead or silver may be mixed in depending on demands of the final usage.

The most popular industrial uses for bronze are as an anti-corrosion additive or for coating iron or steel, a process called galvanization. The metallic brown alloy is used in fittings because it is generally free from corrosion and does not oxidize after exposure with polluted water or chemically treated solutions.

Less brittle than tin or iron but more durable than copper, bronze is also a key ingredient for manufacturing ships, boats, valves and other machine components, coins and sculptures.

Key Geographic Insights about Bronze Exports

By value, the world’s 5 most lucrative bronze exporters are Spain, Germany, Japan, Italy and Mexico. Collectively, those 5 major suppliers generated over three-fifths (62.9%) of the overall dollar spend on exported bronze ores or concentrates during 2021.

Among continents, bronze suppliers located in Europe furnished the highest dollar worth of the brownish-gold metallic alloy during 2021 with shipments valued at $315.6 million or 54.8% of the worldwide total. In second place were bronze exporters in Asia at 28.7%, trailed by suppliers in North America at 11.1%, then another 4.6% for providers in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.

Smaller percentages came from Africa (0.44%) and Oceania (0.4%) mostly New Zealand and Australia.

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 740322 for unwrought bronze also called copper-tin base alloys.

Top Bronze Exports by Country

Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of bronze during 2021.

  1. Spain: US$100.7 million (17.5% of total bronze exports)
  2. Germany: $83.3 million (14.5%)
  3. Japan: $80.2 million (13.9%)
  4. Italy: $65.6 million (11.4%)
  5. Mexico: $32.8 million (5.7%)
  6. South Korea: $29.8 million (5.2%)
  7. United States: $29.2 million (5.1%)
  8. India: $20.6 million (3.6%)
  9. Brazil: $14.4 million (2.5%)
  10. France: $12.5 million (2.2%)
  11. Indonesia: $11.9 million (2.1%)
  12. Netherlands: $9.4 million (1.6%)
  13. Greece: $8.0 million (1.4%)
  14. Taiwan: $7.4 million (1.3%)
  15. Russia: $6.3 million (1.1%)
  16. Costa Rica: $6.1 million (1.1%)
  17. Belarus: $5.8 million (1.0%)
  18. Turkey: $5.3 million (0.9%)
  19. United Kingdom: $3.8 million (0.7%)
  20. Ecuador: $3.7 million (0.6%)
  21. Pakistan: $2.5 million (0.4%)
  22. Ukraine: $2.5 million (0.4%)
  23. New Zealand: $2.27 million (0.4%)
  24. Belgium: $2.25 million (0.4%)
  25. Syria: $2.25 million (0.4%)

By value, the listed 25 countries shipped 95.6% of globally exported bronze in 2021.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing bronze exporters since 2020 were: Pakistan (up 1,398%), Greece (up 1,240%), Mexico (up 446.9%) and Belgium (up 219%).

The United Kingdom was the lone major supplier to post a decline in its bronze export sales weighed down by a -16.9% drop from 2020.

Countries Generating Greatest Surpluses from Global Bronze Trade

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for bronze during 2021. 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 bronze and its import purchases for that same commodity.

  1. Spain: $97.2 million (up 91.7% since 2020)
  2. Japan: $79.9 million (up 163.6%)
  3. Italy: $39.1 million (up 34.6%)
  4. South Korea: $29.6 million (up 34.6%)
  5. Mexico: $24.8 million (up 2312.4%)
  6. United States: $23.9 million (up 122.8%)
  7. Germany: $19.8 million (up 1827%)
  8. India: $18.8 million (up 227.4%)
  9. Brazil: $12.8 million (up 33.9%)
  10. Greece: $7.5 million (up 4244.5%)
  11. Russia: $6.2 million (up 16.6%)
  12. Costa Rica: $6 million (reversing a -$26,000 deficit in 2020)
  13. Ecuador: $3.2 million (up 74.3%)
  14. Belarus: $2.9 million (down -7.9%)
  15. Pakistan: $2.5 million (up 1471.1%)

Spain earned the highest surplus in the international trade of bronze. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms the strong Peruvian competitive advantage for this specific product category.

Countries Incurring Worst Deficits from Global Bronze Trade

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for bronze during 2021. 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 bronze purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

  1. China: -$108.3 million (up 97.6% since 2020)
  2. Thailand: -$30.6 million (up 112.8%)
  3. Switzerland: -$19.5 million (up 40.3%)
  4. Netherlands: -$16.5 million (up 262.6%)
  5. France: -$11.1 million (up 13.8%)
  6. Canada: -$9.7 million (up 249.6%)
  7. Malaysia: -$9.5 million (down -43.1%)
  8. Poland: -$8.7 million (reversing a $3.2 million surplus)
  9. Denmark: -$8.1 million (up 83.3%)
  10. Australia: -$8 million (up 23.8%)
  11. Sweden: -$7.7 million (up 10.5%)
  12. Belgium: -$6.7 million (up 48.6%)
  13. Portugal: -$5.7 million (up 11.5%)
  14. Turkmenistan: -$3.5 million (up 2359.6%)
  15. Austria: -$3.3 million (up 136.8%)

Mainland China incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of bronze. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights China’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for bronze-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful Chinese demand.

Major Exporters by Greatest Volume of Bronze Shipments by Weight

The following ranking reveals which counties exported the biggest volumes of bronze during 2021 in terms of shipment tonnage.

By weight, the 15 major suppliers below generated 86.9% of the total 75,338 tons of globally exported bronze in 2021.

  1. Spain: 10,191 tons of bronze (13.5% of world’s total)
  2. Japan: 10,059 tons (13.4%)
  3. Germany: 9,975 tons (13.2%)
  4. Italy: 7,115 tons (9.4%)
  5. United States: 5,917 tons (7.9%)
  6. Mexico: 5,552 tons (7.4%)
  7. South Korea: 3,452 tons (4.6%)
  8. India: 2,855 tons (3.8%)
  9. Brazil: 2,053 tons (2.7%)
  10. France: 1,654 tons (2.2%)
  11. Madagascar: 1,575 tons (2.1%)
  12. Indonesia: 1,525 tons (2%)
  13. Greece: 1,281 tons (1.7%)
  14. Netherlands: 1,132 tons (1.5%)
  15. Russia: 1,122 tons (1.5%)

The world’s leading seller of exported bronze, the European nation Spain is the leading bronze exporter in terms of shipment volume.

Fastest growing among the top bronze shippers by weight were Greece (up 1,812% from 2020), Mexico (up 533.1%), Madagascar (up 222.7%), Japan (up 90.6%), United States of America (up 84.8%), then India (up 69%).

There was a trio of decliners year over year, namely Russia (down -14.5%), South Korea (down -8.5%) and Brazil (down -6.9%).

Average Unit Prices for Bronze Exports

Below are the bronze exporters charging the lowest average unit prices per ton in 2021. The world average unit price was $7,646 per ton, up by 16.2% from $6,579 per ton for 2020.

By far African nations charge the lowest unit prices for bronze sold on global markets–tiny amounts compared to the world average price.

  1. Togo: US$84 per ton of bronze (2020 data unavailable)
  2. Congo: $176 per ton (down -1.7% from 2020)
  3. Madagascar: $412 per ton (down -2.8%)
  4. Philippines: $1,000 per ton (down -80.1%)
  5. Angola: $1,127 per ton (up 12.7%)
  6. Equatorial Guinea: $1,625 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  7. Guatemala: $2,430 per ton (up 22.5%)
  8. Colombia: $3,702 per ton (up 9%)
  9. Romania: $3,926 per ton (up 33%)
  10. Iran: $4,513 per ton (up 19%)
  11. Czech Republic: $4,923 per ton (up 17.7%)
  12. United States: $4,927 per ton (down -2.8%)
  13. Pakistan: $4,992 per ton (up 16.6%)
  14. Nicaragua: $5,133 per ton (up 43.9%)
  15. Ecuador: $5,134 per ton (up 44.6%)
  16. Paraguay: $5,458 per ton (up 124.4%)

There were four decliners in the per-ton price for exported bronze among the above low-cost suppliers: Philippines (down -80.1%), Madagascar (down -2.8%), United States of America (also down -2.8%), and Congo (down -1.7%).

The following 15 bronze exporters demanded the highest average unit prices per ton in 2021.

  1. Norway: US$147,143 per ton of bronze (2020 data unavailable)
  2. Switzerland: $35,625 per ton (up 330.8% from 2020)
  3. Hungary: $24,500 per ton (down -37.2%)
  4. Croatia: $23,500 per ton (up 56.7%)
  5. Vietnam: $17,500 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  6. Thailand: $17,000 per ton (up 233.5%)
  7. Ireland: $14,750 per ton (up 63.9%)
  8. Australia: $14,500 per ton (up 173.6%)
  9. Serbia: $11,571 per ton (up 18.7%)
  10. Portugal: $10,614 per ton (up 27.3%)
  11. Denmark: $10,535 per ton (up 38%)
  12. Peru: $10,500 per ton (down -44.7%)
  13. Spain: $9,878 per ton (up 30.6%)
  14. Bahrain: $9,833 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  15. Hong Kong: $9,825 per ton (up 9.8%)
  16. Malaysia: $9,766 per ton (up 4.2%)

The greatest upticks in unit prices for exported bronze were charged by: Switzerland (up 330.8% from 2020), Thailand (up 233.5%), Australia (up 173.6%), Ireland (up 63.9%), Croatia (up 56.7%), Denmark (up 38%), then the world’s leading supplier of exported bronze Spain (up 30.6%).

Bronze Sales Companies

Below are 10 sample bronze producers, suppliers or brokers that represent established players engaged in the international trade of bronze. Their home country, either India or the United States of America, for each company’s headquarters is shown within parenthesis.

  • Al-Arham Engineering Company (India)
  • Alloyed Sustainables (India)
  • Amardeep Steel Centre (India)
  • AVI International (India)
  • Commercial Metal Exchange (United States)
  • Emcor Engineering (India)
  • Metalmen Sales Inc (United States)
  • Multi Metal Corporation (India)
  • National Bronze Manufacturing (United States)
  • United Engineering Corporation (India)

 

See also Top Sculptures Exporters by Country, Copper Ore Exports by Country Plus Average Prices, Iron Ore Exports by Country and Top Tin Exporters

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 16, 2022

Copper, Brass & Bronze, Bronze listing. Accessed on November 16, 2022

Enggpro, List of Bronze Manufacturers and Suppliers Companies. Accessed on November 16, 2022

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 16, 2022

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 16, 2022

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 16, 2022

Wikipedia, Bronze. Accessed on November 16, 2022