🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia imports of iron ore: 2024 trade data
Saudi Arabia imported $980.6 million of iron ore in 2024 (5.73 million tonnes). Its share of world imports was 1%. Value fell 32% from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2022, at $1.74 billion.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of iron ore by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $980.6M | 5.73M t |
| 2023 | $1.44B | 8.55M t |
| 2022 | $1.74B | 8.16M t |
| 2021 | $1.38B | 5.81M t |
| 2020 | $993.9M | 7.19M t |
| 2019 | $1.10B | 7.51M t |
| 2018 | $1.06B | 8.57M t |
| 2017 | $996.9M | 8.53M t |
Where Saudi Arabia imports iron ore from
One supplier dominates: Bahrain accounted for 54% of the value.
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $526.9M | 54% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $260.3M | 27% |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | $144.8M | 15% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $30.0M | 3.1% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $12.4M | 1.3% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $6.1M | 0.6% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $125K | 0% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $31K | 0% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $2K | 0% |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | $1K | 0% |
Types of iron ore under HS 2601
| 2601.12 | Iron ores and concentrates: agglomerated (excluding roasted iron pyrites) | 98% |
| 2601.11 | Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated | 1.9% |
| 2601.20 | Iron pyrites: roasted | 0% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 2601.
Average import price of iron ore
The average declared value was about $0.17 per kg, 70% above the world average of $0.10. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
Saudi Arabia also exports iron ore
In 2024, Saudi Arabia exported iron ore worth $20.2 million (205.7 thousand tonnes). China alone took 95% of it. Among the main buyer markets, China grew fastest (+405% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | $19.1M | 95% |
| 🇯🇴 Jordan | $947K | 4.7% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $147K | 0.7% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $2K | 0% |
Who is behind these numbers in Saudi Arabia?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Mirror data: built from the shipment records of the countries that trade with it.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 2601: Iron ores and concentrates; including roasted iron pyrites.
Iron ore trade in Saudi Arabia: questions
What is the value of iron ore imported by Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia imported iron ore worth $980.6 million in 2024 (5.73 million tonnes).
Where does Saudi Arabia import iron ore from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Bahrain (54%), Sweden (27%), Oman (15%).
What is the average import price of iron ore in Saudi Arabia?
The average declared import value was about $0.17 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $0.10 per kg.
Does Saudi Arabia export iron ore?
Yes. Saudi Arabia exported iron ore worth $20.2 million in 2024, mainly to China, Jordan, Malaysia.
What is the HS code for iron ore?
Iron ore falls under HS heading 2601 (Iron ores and concentrates; including roasted iron pyrites). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading iron ore with Saudi Arabia?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX builds Saudi Arabia trade from the records of its trading partners, updated weekly, so you can see who ships this product there.
Iron ore trade in other countries
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