China supplies about 70% of the world’s iron ore demand and 40% of its copper. According to a recent study by PwC, Chinese mining companies account for almost a third of the world’s 40 largest companies in the industry. The strong growth in China’s mining production capacity had a notable impact on commodity prices, which have been falling for the past decade. China supplies 40% of all global demand for metals and minerals, and this number has increased in recent years. While most emerging groups around the world saw growth declines in 2016 and 2017, China’s major players were stable and growing.

In terms of imports, mineral fuels (including oils) ranked second on the list of highest value import purchases for 2019, with almost USD $343 billion, this number represents more than 16.6% of total imports. Minerals, slags and ash totaled 163 billion and ranked fourth on the list with 7.9% of total imports.