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Strategic Lens

Critical minerals: China and South Africa

First country

Second country

In 2025, China sold USD 1.4 million of critical minerals and metals to South Africa and bought USD 3.24 billion from it.

Constraints

  • BothFlows are one-sided: in 2025, South Africa sold USD 3.24 billion of critical minerals and metals, against USD 1.4 million the other way.

Sources: UN Comtrade (public preview API), annual goods trade, HS classification (retrieved 26 September 2026)

Last updated on 26 September 2026

The numbers

China's imports from South Africa: critical minerals and metals

USD billion · 2019 to 2025, calendar years, as reported by China

2019: 2.8Low 2.3 / High 3.512025: 3.24

20192.8
20202.3
20212.91
20223.51
20232.72
20242.97
20253.24

Sources: UN Comtrade (public preview API), annual goods trade, HS classification (retrieved 26 September 2026)

Data retrieved 26 September 2026

← China and South Africa