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Nickel
Follow Nickel on My deskMiningBridge Indicative Price
Free public sources, with source and period. Indicative only - not a trading price, not an offer, not advice. "Not published" means no free, current price exists; MiningBridge does not copy paid prices.
| Product | Price | Source and period | Freshness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Nickel Cathode (Class 1 99.8%) | $16,324 $/MT | World Bank, Sep 2026 monthly average | Current for its source |
| Nickel Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP 38% Ni payable) | $13,059.2 $/DMT Ni Contained | World Bank, Sep 2026 monthly average | Current for its source |
- Largest producer
- Indonesia 67%
- Concentration (HHI)
- 4,650
- Producing countries
- 10
- Export measures
- 3
Global Production by Country
USGS MCS 2026 ground truthTop producing jurisdictions, annual metric output (metric tons), and modeled global production shares.
| Country | Production (metric tons) | Global Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 2,600,000 | 66.9% |
| Other producers | 290,000 | 7.5% |
| Philippines | 270,000 | 6.9% |
| Russia | 200,000 | 5.1% |
| Canada | 140,000 | 3.6% |
| New Caledonia | 140,000 | 3.6% |
| China | 120,000 | 3.1% |
| Brazil | 70,000 | 1.8% |
| Australia | 45,000 | 1.2% |
| United States | 10,000 | 0.3% |
Export Controls & Trade Restrictions
3 Active Sovereign MeasuresStatutory export bans, quotas, and licensing regimes documented by the USGS (effective January 2026) and national trade ministries affecting physical nickel trade corridors.
Indonesia maintains an export ban covering Bauxite (2023), copper concentrates (2023), and nickel ore (2020), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Laos maintains an export ban covering Raw minerals, including copper, gold, iron, nickel, potassium, silver, and zinc (2024), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Tanzania maintains an export ban covering Ore concentrates of copper, gold, nickel, and silver (2017), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.
Research
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Analytics for nickel
Opens with Refined Nickel Briquettes (Class 1 Ni 99.8%) selected and its usual route suggested: Rail from Sudbury to Port of Montreal + Ocean vessel to Rotterdam.
Sale price: $16,751 $/MT (MiningBridge Indicative Price, World Bank, Aug 2026 monthly average). Every input can be changed. Illustrative calculation, not advice.
Open Trade Desk for nickel →- Supply shocks & export rules →Take out a producer or apply a quota; see concentration and supply move.
- Processing economics →Grade, recovery and costs from feed to margin.
- By-products & tailings →What is left in a residue and what it could be worth.
- Mine closure →Rehabilitation liability and when it falls due.
- Haulage & carbon →Freight cost and emissions by route and mode.
- Smelter catchments →Which mines can feed a plant, or which plants can take your concentrate.
- Secondary recovery →Critical minerals in red mud, slag, fly ash and tailings, and who holds them.
Ask Victoria
Victoria answers from MiningBridge’s public research and cites her sources.
“What are the main supply risks and price drivers for nickel right now, and which countries matter most?”
Ask this question →Supply map
Open the supply model →Frequently Asked Questions: Nickel
Sourced & EmpiricalEmpirical intelligence on nickel production concentration, sovereign trade controls, and import reliance.
How concentrated is global mine production of nickel?▼
Global nickel extraction is highly concentrated with a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) of 4,650. The leading producer is Indonesia, representing 67% of global mine output, with 10 countries reporting commercial production, based on USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS 2026).
Which jurisdictions enforce export controls or bans on nickel?▼
There are 3 documented sovereign export control regimes affecting nickel trade corridors: Indonesia (Indonesia maintains an export ban covering Bauxite (2023), copper concentrates (2023), and nickel ore (2020), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Laos (Laos maintains an export ban covering Raw minerals, including copper, gold, iron, nickel, potassium, silver, and zinc (2024), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.); Tanzania (Tanzania maintains an export ban covering Ore concentrates of copper, gold, nickel, and silver (2017), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.).
What is the net import reliance and critical supply vulnerability for nickel?▼
US net import reliance for nickel is recorded at 41%, with primary foreign supply originating from Canada, Norway, Australia, Brazil. It is classified as an essential strategic mineral across US and Indian criticality lists.