How much nickel does China produce and export?
China is the nullth largest producer of nickel: 120,000 tonnes in 2025, 3.1% of the world's 3.9 million tonnes (USGS MCS). It is the 5th largest exporter by value: $1.2 billion in 2024, 8.3% of world exports of unwrought nickel (HS 7502) (CEPII BACI). Its biggest customer is Other Asia, nes, which takes 48% of its nickel exports by value.
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China's nickel production
| World rank | Production (tonnes) | Share of world | Ten-year growth | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120,000 tonnes | 3.1% | — | 2025 |
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, MCS 2026.
China's nickel exports
| World rank | Export value | Share of world exports | Quantity (tonnes) | Average value per tonne | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $1.2 billion | 8.3% | 60,117 t | $19,770 | 2024 |
CEPII BACI international trade database (HS22, V202601), HS 7502 (Unwrought nickel).
Where China's nickel goes
| Destination | Value | Share of China's exports |
|---|---|---|
| Other Asia, nes | $575M | 48% |
| Singapore | $305M | 26% |
| Netherlands | $79M | 6.7% |
| South Korea | $44M | 3.7% |
| India | $43M | 3.6% |
China as a buyer of nickel
China imported $1.9 billion of unwrought nickel (HS 7502) in 2024, 13% of world imports, ranked #1. Of its $1.9 billion of nickel imports in 2024, 42% came from Russia and 19% from Indonesia, among 29 suppliers. Largest sources: Russia (42%), Indonesia (19%), Canada (7.2%), Japan (6.7%), United Kingdom (4.7%).
The nickel price China sells into
The benchmark price, LME cash, was $16,324/t in September 2026, up 8% over twelve months. Its five-year volatility is 28% a year, calmer in 74% of its earlier five-year windows. A single country's export price can differ from the benchmark: see trade price against benchmark. Monthly averages lag the market and are not investment advice. Nickel price history.
Cite as: Commodity Origins, "China nickel: production, exports and prices", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/CHN/nickel/ (CC BY 4.0). Rankings count only countries reporting to the sources named; this page is shown only for top-five producers or exporters with at least 3% of the world total. Report an issue with this page.