Heavy metal ions can be selectively transported under the concentration gradient across a cation-exchange membrane with a chelating agent in the receiving phase. The selectivity depends on the complex formation constants of the ions with the agent. Metal ions are adsorbed into a cation-exchange membrane via the ion-exchange reaction and diffuse across the membrane. The desorption process is facilitated by the complexation in the receiving phase, which causes a large transport rate across the membrane. A transport equation was established and the theoretical values estimated by the equation and the permeation characteristics values obtained experimentally agreed well with the measured ion· flux. The selectivity of the metal ions in the mixed solution is increased in the adequate concentration of the chelating agent in the receiving phase, when the chelate formation reaction may occur competitively between the ions with the agent in the receiving phase. The metal ions in the complex solution can be stripped as free ions across a cation-exchange membrane via the ion-exchange reaction with protons under a concentration gradient of acid.heavy metal ions were selectively transported efficiently and the anions, the chelate and the chelating agent, were not backtransported to the feed solution across the cation-exchange membrane.In this paper, we will report the permeation characteristics of the ions in the system, the transport equation, the mutual separation between heavy metal ions, and the recovery of the metal ions as free ions from the complex solution.