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Strategic Lens

Critical minerals: Japan and South Africa

First country

Second country

In 2025, Japan sold USD 1.3 million of critical minerals and metals to South Africa and bought USD 127 million from it.

Constraints

  • BothTwo-way trade in critical minerals and metals fell 52 percent, from USD 268 million in 2019 to USD 128 million in 2025.
  • BothFlows are one-sided: in 2025, South Africa sold USD 127 million of critical minerals and metals, against USD 1.3 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

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

USD million · 2019 to 2025, calendar years, as reported by Japan

2019: 267.4Low 126.9 / High 267.42025: 126.9

2019267.4
2020136.5
2021160.5
2022202.1
2023175.7
2024158.4
2025126.9

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

Data retrieved 26 September 2026

← Japan and South Africa