Carbonatites are regarded as a kind of probe rocks to study the geochemistry of the continental mantle. The studies of this type of rocks have important theoretical and practical significances on such aspects as the mantle composition and evolution, mantle metasomatism, mantle heterogeneity, geodynamic setting of forming magmas, magma source and evolution, and related mineralization. Platinum-group elements (PGE) have crucial implications on studying the differentiation of the core and mantle, mantle composition and evolution, tectonic settings of mantle-derived rocks (mainly mafic and ultramafic rocks) , the origin and evolution of magmas, the interface of K/T and meteorite impact events, and so on. At present geochemical study of the platinum-group elements of carbonatites is rarely known. Based on a summary of the research status on geochemistry of platinum-group elements and carbonatites, combined with geological facts and geochemical conclusions, we conclude that carbonatites are capable of carrying platinum-group elements so that the PGE geochemistry of carbonatites can be used to trace the characteristics of their mantle source region and the processes of magma formation and evolution. At the same time, there are many unsolved scientific problems on geochemistry of the platinum-group elements of carbonatites.