Chains
China leads the chokepoint stage of five of the ten chains
Ten product chains traced through customs records from ore to product, with each stage’s world trade, its most concentrated exporters and the economies that both import and export it.
- 10chains
- 89stages, on ladders of 4 to 8 rungs
- 7chains with a chokepoint in 2024
- 68stages with a two-way trader among the top five
13 stages
Lithium-ion batteries and electric cars
China ships three-fifths of lithium-ion cells and three-quarters of lithium hydroxide (2024)
- Largest stage
- $199.6bn · Battery-electric and plug-in cars
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Lithium hydroxide · CHN 77% · HHI 0.61
- Most two-way stage
- Lithium-ion cells and packs: Korea, GL 0.99
14 stages
Chips and electronics
China ships two-thirds of the world’s phones, and Taiwan leads chip exports (2024)
- Largest stage
- $1.1tn · Integrated circuits
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Smartphones · CHN 65% · HHI 0.44
- Most two-way stage
- Flat panel display modules: China, GL 0.99
7 stages
Solar photovoltaics
China ships most solar modules, Germany and the US most polysilicon (2024)
- Largest stage
- $94.5bn · Static converters (incl. solar inverters)
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Solar modules · CHN 57% · HHI 0.35
- Most two-way stage
- Wafers: United States, GL 0.92
12 stages
Steel and cars
Australia ships half the iron ore, and China’s flat-steel share doubled (2024)
- Largest stage
- $961.9bn · Passenger cars
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Iron ore (fines, lump, pellets) · AUS 52% · HHI 0.33
- Most two-way stage
- Semi-finished steel (slabs, billets): Indonesia, GL 0.98
7 stages
Aluminium
Guinea ships two-thirds of the bauxite, nine-tenths of it to China (2024)
- Largest stage
- $81.4bn · Bars, profiles, sheet and foil
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Bauxite · GIN 68% · HHI 0.51
- Most two-way stage
- Aluminium scrap: Germany, GL 0.93
7 stages
Copper and electrification
No exporter holds 30% of any stage of the copper chain (2024)
- Largest stage
- $167.3bn · Insulated wire and cable
- Chokepoint, 2024
- None above HHI 0.25
- Most two-way stage
- Wire, strip and foil: China, GL 0.92
6 stages
Rare earths, magnets and motors
China ships nearly two-thirds of the world’s permanent magnets (2024)
- Largest stage
- $20.4bn · Electric motors (multi-phase AC, large DC)
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Permanent magnets of metal (NdFeB, SmCo) · CHN 64% · HHI 0.42
- Most two-way stage
- Rare-earth compounds (oxides, carbonates): Japan, GL 0.99
9 stages
Oil and gas to plastics
No exporter holds more than 26% of any stage of the plastics chain (2024)
- Largest stage
- $334.4bn · Light oils (naphtha, with gasoline)
- Chokepoint, 2024
- None above HHI 0.25
- Most two-way stage
- Polymers (PE, PP, PVC, PET, PS): Germany, GL 0.95
6 stages
Cotton and polyester to clothing
China ships more than half the world’s fabric, up from 44% (2024)
- Largest stage
- $445.9bn · Clothing (knitted and woven)
- Chokepoint, 2024
- Woven and knitted fabric · CHN 53% · HHI 0.29
- Most two-way stage
- Raw cotton: India, GL 0.97
8 stages
Gas and minerals to fertilisers and crops
Canada leads potash, Russia nitrogen and Morocco phosphates (2024)
- Largest stage
- $171.1bn · Wheat, maize and soybeans
- Chokepoint, 2024
- None above HHI 0.25
- Most two-way stage
- Phosphate fertilisers (DAP, MAP): United States, GL 0.93
Numbers for 2024, the latest complete year. Chokepoint: the stage worth at least $1bn with the highest exporter HHI, when that HHI is above 0.25. Source: UN Comtrade, Final data, HS6; mirror rule.