China stands as the world's largest consumer and buyer of cobalt by a wide margin, driven by its massive domestic dominance in lithium-ion battery manufacturing, electronics production, and electric vehicle supply chains. Chinese industrial conglomerates import vast quantities of raw cobalt hydroxide and refined metal—primarily sourced from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo—to process into cathode materials for global technology and automotive markets. Other major economic regions, including the United States, members of the European Union, South Korea, and Japan, also purchase substantial amounts of cobalt to support their respective aerospace, defense, and advanced energy manufacturing sectors.