🇬🇧 United Kingdom imports of iron ore: 2024 trade data
Imports of iron ore by the United Kingdom reached $493.1 million in 2024 (4.05 million tonnes). That is 51% less than in 2023. Over 2017-2024 it shrank by about 7% a year on average. The peak in this period was 2021, at $1.41 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 | $493.1M | 4.05M t |
| 2023 | $1.01B | 8.30M t |
| 2022 | $781.8M | 6.97M t |
| 2021 | $1.41B | 9.30M t |
| 2020 | $677.8M | 7.22M t |
| 2019 | $826.3M | 8.70M t |
| 2018 | $839.5M | 10.17M t |
| 2017 | $841.2M | 10.19M t |
Where the United Kingdom imports iron ore from
Most of the value came from Canada (23%), Sweden (20%), United States (13%).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $113.7M | 23% |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | $99.2M | 20% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $63.5M | 13% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $47.2M | 9.6% |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | $42.7M | 8.7% |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $27.8M | 5.6% |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | $24.6M | 5% |
| 🇱🇷 Liberia | $21.2M | 4.3% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $17.7M | 3.6% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $12.4M | 2.5% |
Types of iron ore under HS 2601
| 2601.11 | Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated | 43% |
| 2601.20 | Iron pyrites: roasted | 40% |
| 2601.12 | Iron ores and concentrates: agglomerated (excluding roasted iron pyrites) | 17% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 2601.
Average import price of iron ore
The average declared value was about $0.12 per kg, close to the world average of $0.10.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Kingdom also exports iron ore
The United Kingdom exported $1.9 million of iron ore in 2024 (18.6 thousand tonnes). One buyer market dominates: Netherlands accounted for 51% of the value. Among the main buyer markets, Australia grew fastest (+179% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $951K | 51% |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | $505K | 27% |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $141K | 7.5% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $52K | 2.8% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $52K | 2.8% |
| 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $40K | 2.1% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $39K | 2.1% |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | $34K | 1.8% |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | $17K | 0.9% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $14K | 0.8% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Kingdom?
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.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
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 Kingdom: questions
What is the value of iron ore imported by the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom imported iron ore worth $493.1 million in 2024 (4.05 million tonnes).
Where does the United Kingdom import iron ore from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Canada (23%), Sweden (20%), United States (13%).
What is the average import price of iron ore in the United Kingdom?
The average declared import value was about $0.12 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $0.10 per kg.
Does the United Kingdom export iron ore?
Yes. The United Kingdom exported iron ore worth $1.9 million in 2024, mainly to Netherlands, Finland, Czech Republic.
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 Kingdom?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United Kingdom with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Iron ore trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Kingdom
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