World Energy Outlook 2007

total coal use in 2005, and the second-largest consumer of oil (Figure 3.4).
China consumes about 30% of the world’s output of minerals and other raw
materials and was responsible for two-thirds of the increase in world metals
consumption between 1999 and 2005 (Streifel, 2006). China is also the largest
consumer of several types of agricultural products including wheat, rice, palm
oil, cotton and rubber. India is also among the largest consumers of agricultural
goods and is the world’s biggest consumer of sugar. It is the third-biggest
market for coal, fifth for electricity and sixth for oil. China and India continue
to meet the bulk of their food and energy needs from domestic production, but
imports of some items – notably oil – have been growing rapidly. Imports
continue to meet most of their demand for metals.
Figure 3.4: Share of China, India and the United States in World Primary
Commodity Consumption in 2005
Sugar
Corn
Rice
Wheat
Oil
Coal
Zinc
Nickel
Lead
Copper
Aluminium
Iron ore
6
12
8
17
15
11
6
8
4
6
5
3
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
United States
India China World ranking
Sources: IEA databases; Streifel (2006).
Rising demand in China, India and elsewhere has contributed to the higher
prices of most commodities in recent years, though supply-side constraints and
dollar depreciation have played a part. The prices of copper, iron ore, lead,
nickel and zinc, of which China is the leading consumer, have increased most.
China is a net importer of all these metals. By contrast, China is a modest net
exporter of aluminium, the price of which has increased much less in
percentage terms. For example, the price of copper increased almost five-fold
between the beginning of 2002 and the middle of 2006, while aluminium
prices rose by 80%.
142 World Energy Outlook 2007 - GLOBAL ENERGY PROSPECTS: IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINA & INDIA