Year over year, the value of exported lead accelerated by 43.5% compared to $6.26 billion during 2020.
Lead is an easily worked and corrosion-resistant metal. It used to make pipes, paint, car batteries, ammunition, cable sheathing, radiation protection and in some solders. Lead containers store corrosive liquids.
The 5 biggest exporters of lead by value are Australia, South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada. Combined, that quintet of leading international suppliers generated over one-third (35.7%) of overall sales for exported lead during 2021.
Breaking down all lead sold on international markets into its product subcategories, the top seller was unwrought lead at 84.6% of the global total. In second place was lead waste and scrap (7.2%) trailed by miscellaneous articles made from lead (5%), then lead plates, sheets, strips, foil, powders and flakes (3.2%).
Among continents, European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported lead during 2021 with shipments valued at $2.5 billion or 28.1% of the overall total. In second place were exporters in Asia at 22.1% while 7.8% of worldwide lead shipments originated from North America, with 7.5% coming from Oceania mostly Australia.
Tinier percentages came from Latin America (1.81%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Africa (1.77%).
For research purposes, the general 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for lead is 78.
Top Lead Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of lead (including articles made from lead) during 2021.
- Australia: US$841.3 million (9.4% of total lead exports)
- South Korea: $722 million (8%)
- United Kingdom: $606 million (6.7%)
- Germany: $558 million (6.2%)
- Canada: $476.4 million (5.3%)
- India: $460.6 million (5.1%)
- Belgium: $454.7 million (5.1%)
- China: $273.6 million (3%)
- United States: $270.4 million (3%)
- Russia: $263.8 million (2.9%)
- France: $248.6 million (2.8%)
- Poland: $228.7 million (2.5%)
- Mexico: $219.1 million (2.4%)
- Netherlands: $215.5 million (2.4%)
- Kazakhstan: $215.2 million (2.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 67.4% of globally exported lead in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of lead since 2020 were: mainland China (up 549%), Netherlands (up 139.5%), Kazakhstan (up 132.6%) and Belgium (up 90.5%).
South Korea posted the smallest year-over-year increase in its international sales of lead, up 7.9%.
Countries Earning Best Trade Surpluses from Lead
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for lead 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 lead and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Australia: US$824.7 million (net export surplus up 24.3% since 2020)
- Canada: $449.3 million (up 27.8%)
- South Korea: $316.7 million (down -15.1%)
- Belgium: $297.6 million (up 554.1%)
- Russia: $242.6 million (up 52.8%)
- Kazakhstan: $205.4 million (up 132.1%)
- China: $159.1 million (reversing a -$78.6 million deficit)
- Sweden: $130 million (down -6.7%)
- Mexico: $129.8 million (down -1.2%)
- Bulgaria: $117 million (up 13.6%)
- Netherlands: $116.5 million (reversing a -$24.9 million deficit)
- Nigeria: $94 million (up 257.5%)
- Iran: $92.7 million (up 73.5%)
- Saudi Arabia: $85.7 million (up 89%)
- Malaysia: $81.5 million (up 91.4%)
Australia generated the highest surplus in the international trade of lead. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Australia’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Facing Worst Trade Deficits from Lead
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for lead 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 lead purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$1.2 billion (net export deficit up 90.3% since 2020)
- Vietnam: -$404.9 million (down -2.4%)
- Turkey: -$316.7 million (up 36.2%)
- Spain: -$286 million (up 27.9%)
- Czech Republic: -$275.9 million (up 73.8%)
- India: -$238.5 million (down -15.6%)
- Brazil: -$186.2 million (up 157.9%)
- Thailand: -$174.4 million (up 3.2%)
- Indonesia: -$126.2 million (up 76.2%)
- Greece: -$123 million (up 131.4%)
- Taiwan: -$100 million (down -12.9%)
- Slovenia: -$95.4 million (up 57.7%)
- Kuwait: -$79.2 million (reversing a $494,000 surplus)
- Philippines: -$78.6 million (up 26.3%)
- Italy: -$56.4 million (down -28.7%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of lead. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for lead-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Lead Exporting Companies
Below are lead businesses that represent established players engaged in the international trade of lead. Their home country is shown within parenthesis.
- EaglePicher Technologies (United States)
- Glencore plc (United Kingdom/Switzerland)
- NL Industries (United States)
- Ryazan Plant (Russia)
Searchable List of Lead Exporting Countries
By dollar value, the 100 suppliers highlighted in the automated database below sold 99.8% of globally exported lead in 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Lead Exports | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Australia | $841,319,000 | +24.9% |
| 2. | South Korea | $721,978,000 | +7.9% |
| 3. | United Kingdom | $605,974,000 | +22.5% |
| 4. | Germany | $557,960,000 | +60.3% |
| 5. | Canada | $476,351,000 | +28.5% |
| 6. | India | $460,560,000 | +36.4% |
| 7. | Belgium | $454,706,000 | +90.5% |
| 8. | China | $273,645,000 | +549% |
| 9. | United States | $270,426,000 | +78.6% |
| 10. | Russia | $263,826,000 | +51.4% |
| 11. | France | $248,635,000 | +66.2% |
| 12. | Poland | $228,739,000 | +39.5% |
| 13. | Mexico | $219,072,000 | +24.2% |
| 14. | Netherlands | $215,521,000 | +139.5% |
| 15. | Kazakhstan | $215,163,000 | +132.6% |
| 16. | Bulgaria | $210,146,000 | +19.6% |
| 17. | Malaysia | $185,099,000 | +43.6% |
| 18. | Sweden | $179,709,000 | +14.2% |
| 19. | Italy | $172,996,000 | +65.7% |
| 20. | Czech Republic | $154,685,000 | +18.3% |
| 21. | United Arab Emirates | $136,381,000 | +190.1% |
| 22. | Japan | $112,641,000 | -3% |
| 23. | Saudi Arabia | $99,196,000 | +87.7% |
| 24. | Iran | $94,812,000 | +75.8% |
| 25. | Nigeria | $94,134,000 | +256.5% |
| 26. | Taiwan | $68,576,000 | +20.3% |
| 27. | Ireland | $62,220,000 | +94.3% |
| 28. | Lebanon | $57,053,000 | +29.6% |
| 29. | Austria | $56,692,000 | +27.3% |
| 30. | Vietnam | $54,958,000 | -17.6% |
| 31. | Philippines | $54,657,000 | +138.4% |
| 32. | Israel | $52,808,000 | +21.2% |
| 33. | Ecuador | $48,583,000 | +7.7% |
| 34. | Spain | $48,014,000 | +55.5% |
| 35. | Romania | $41,929,000 | +14.1% |
| 36. | Singapore | $41,217,000 | +13.6% |
| 37. | Turkey | $40,199,000 | +37.3% |
| 38. | Estonia | $40,188,000 | +79.8% |
| 39. | Ukraine | $36,764,000 | +47% |
| 40. | Myanmar | $34,490,000 | +137% |
| 41. | South Africa | $31,805,000 | +20.8% |
| 42. | Portugal | $31,770,000 | +49% |
| 43. | Greece | $31,769,000 | +43.6% |
| 44. | Chile | $30,461,000 | +31.3% |
| 45. | Thailand | $30,300,000 | +45.2% |
| 46. | Ghana | $29,964,000 | +9.1% |
| 47. | Iraq | $27,950,000 | +51.4% |
| 48. | Serbia | $27,187,000 | +18.4% |
| 49. | Tanzania | $25,040,000 | +89.5% |
| 50. | Pakistan | $22,798,000 | +167.7% |
| 51. | Qatar | $22,727,000 | +95.7% |
| 52. | Costa Rica | $18,974,000 | +45% |
| 53. | Sudan | $18,116,000 | +47.5% |
| 54. | Peru | $16,680,000 | +52% |
| 55. | Sri Lanka | $16,563,000 | +92.8% |
| 56. | Zambia | $16,062,000 | +19.5% |
| 57. | Jordan | $15,716,000 | +69.5% |
| 58. | Croatia | $13,686,000 | +23.2% |
| 59. | Uzbekistan | $12,535,000 | +76.1% |
| 60. | Azerbaijan | $12,323,000 | +20.5% |
| 61. | Lithuania | $11,813,000 | +127% |
| 62. | Cambodia | $11,487,000 | +914.8% |
| 63. | Slovenia | $11,263,000 | +62.4% |
| 64. | Indonesia | $10,773,000 | +12.4% |
| 65. | Senegal | $10,554,000 | +44.1% |
| 66. | Algeria | $10,451,000 | +2600.5% |
| 67. | Georgia | $10,087,000 | +53.4% |
| 68. | Hungary | $9,651,000 | +82.6% |
| 69. | Brazil | $9,516,000 | -69% |
| 70. | Libya | $9,458,000 | +258.7% |
| 71. | Switzerland | $9,174,000 | +36.2% |
| 72. | Cameroon | $9,113,000 | +63.8% |
| 73. | Laos | $8,988,000 | +36% |
| 74. | Kyrgyzstan | $8,569,000 | +167.7% |
| 75. | Slovakia | $8,512,000 | +28.2% |
| 76. | Finland | $8,302,000 | +9.9% |
| 77. | Belarus | $7,867,000 | -45.7% |
| 78. | Tajikistan | $7,319,000 | +731800% |
| 79. | Albania | $6,798,000 | +44.4% |
| 80. | Mozambique | $6,766,000 | -19.4% |
| 81. | Yemen | $6,469,000 | +660.2% |
| 82. | Nepal | $6,294,000 | +133.1% |
| 83. | Denmark | $5,784,000 | +26.1% |
| 84. | Kuwait | $5,297,000 | +386% |
| 85. | Venezuela | $4,971,000 | -27.6% |
| 86. | Paraguay | $4,895,000 | +39.2% |
| 87. | Hong Kong | $4,784,000 | +14.6% |
| 88. | Dominican Republic | $4,703,000 | -18.2% |
| 89. | Rwanda | $4,578,000 | +1.5% |
| 90. | Syria | $4,532,000 | +449.3% |
| 91. | Colombia | $4,460,000 | -34.5% |
| 92. | Panama | $4,316,000 | +72.6% |
| 93. | Dem. Rep. Congo | $4,037,000 | +775.7% |
| 94. | New Zealand | $2,956,000 | +42.8% |
| 95. | Oman | $2,829,000 | +37.3% |
| 96. | Mali | $2,655,000 | +591.4% |
| 97. | Norway | $2,356,000 | -10.6% |
| 98. | Gabon | $2,344,000 | +30.7% |
| 99. | Guatemala | $2,209,000 | -19.5% |
| 100. | Tunisia | $2,064,000 | -39.8% |
Focusing on the top 100 major exporters of lead, the fastest growers from 2020 to 2021 were Tajikistan (up 731,800%), Algeria (up 2,601%), Cambodia (up 914.8%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (up 775.7%), Yemen (up 660.2%), Mali (up 591.4%), then mainland China (up 549%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icons at the top of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2020 data was unavailable.
See also Top Stainless Steel Exporters by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Aluminum Exporters by Country, Copper Ore Exports by Country, Top Nickel Exporters by Country and Iron Ore Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 26, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 26, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 26, 2022
Royal Society of Chemistry, Periodic Table: Lead. Accessed on August 26, 2022
Wikipedia, Lead. Accessed on August 26, 2022
