🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates imports of iron ore: 2024 trade data
Imports of iron ore by the United Arab Emirates reached $565.6 million in 2024 (3.33 million tonnes). Value fell 39% from 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2022, at $1.18 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 | $565.6M | 3.33M t |
| 2023 | $933.8M | 5.59M t |
| 2022 | $1.18B | 5.40M t |
| 2021 | $1.18B | 5.16M t |
| 2020 | $476.6M | 4.13M t |
| 2019 | $759.4M | 5.16M t |
| 2018 | $592.0M | 5.24M t |
| 2017 | $572.9M | 5.86M t |
Where the United Arab Emirates imports iron ore from
One supplier dominates: Bahrain accounted for 65% of the value. Among the main suppliers, Brazil grew fastest (+139% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $369.6M | 65% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $89.3M | 16% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $83.9M | 15% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $9.2M | 1.6% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $7.3M | 1.3% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $6.2M | 1.1% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $127K | 0% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $4K | 0% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $3K | 0% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $0K | 0% |
Types of iron ore under HS 2601
| 2601.12 | Iron ores and concentrates: agglomerated (excluding roasted iron pyrites) | 99% |
| 2601.11 | Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated | 1.1% |
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.
The United Arab Emirates also exports iron ore
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates exported iron ore worth $97.6 million (957.7 thousand tonnes). The largest buyer markets were China (47%), Malaysia (42%), Indonesia (9%).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | $45.4M | 47% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $41.1M | 42% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $8.9M | 9.2% |
| 🇰🇪 Kenya | $1.9M | 2% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $117K | 0.1% |
| 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $53K | 0.1% |
| 🇲🇼 Malawi | $3K | 0% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $1K | 0% |
| 🇨🇱 Chile | $0K | 0% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $0K | 0% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Arab Emirates?
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 the United Arab Emirates: questions
What is the value of iron ore imported by the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates imported iron ore worth $565.6 million in 2024 (3.33 million tonnes).
Where does the United Arab Emirates import iron ore from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Bahrain (65%), Sweden (16%), Brazil (15%).
What is the average import price of iron ore in the United Arab Emirates?
The average declared import value was about $0.17 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $0.10 per kg.
Does the United Arab Emirates export iron ore?
Yes. The United Arab Emirates exported iron ore worth $97.6 million in 2024, mainly to China, Malaysia, Indonesia.
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 the United Arab Emirates?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX builds the United Arab Emirates 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
More trade data for the United Arab Emirates
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