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Strategic Lens

Critical minerals: China and United Arab Emirates

First country

Second country

In 2025, China sold USD 5.7 million of critical minerals and metals to United Arab Emirates and bought USD 550 million from it.

Benefits

  • BothTwo-way trade in critical minerals and metals grew about 4.8 times, from USD 115 million in 2019 to USD 556 million in 2025.

Constraints

  • BothFlows are one-sided: in 2025, United Arab Emirates sold USD 550 million of critical minerals and metals, against USD 5.7 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 exports to United Arab Emirates: critical minerals and metals

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

2019: 2.5Low 2.5 / High 12.82025: 5.7

20192.5
20208.1
202110.9
202211.3
202312.8
20247.9
20255.7

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

Data retrieved 26 September 2026

China's imports from United Arab Emirates: critical minerals and metals

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

2019: 112.5Low 111.1 / High 5502025: 550

2019112.5
2020111.1
2021135.9
2022141.3
2023231.5
2024493.6
2025550

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

Data retrieved 26 September 2026

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