Ammonium sulphate: Movement
How China came to supply most of the world's trade
How China came to supply most of the world's trade What this tab covers How it moves between countries: share of output traded, physical form and transport, the largest exporters and importers, main routes, India's trade, and handling rules in transit.Trade in 2024 UN Comtrade, HS 310221
World exports $3.43 bn 72 reporting exporters · about 20.8 m t Largest exporter China 74.2% of world exports Largest importer Brazil 28.2% of world imports India imports $80.3 mexports $1.51 m #12 importer · #34 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 310221: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 310221: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 74.2% | $2.54 bn | 17.1 m |
| Belgium | 6.8% | $233.6 m | 1.13 m |
| Canada | 4.4% | $151.2 m | 409k |
| United States | 2.8% | $96.2 m | 470k |
| Netherlands | 1.8% | $62.4 m | 382k |
| Germany | 1.8% | $60.2 m | 271k |
| Spain | 1.3% | $45.5 m | – |
| Japan | 0.9% | $32.4 m | 270k |
HS 310221: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 28.2% | $1.08 bn | – |
| United States | 9.4% | $360.0 m | 1.07 m |
| Indonesia | 4.5% | $171.1 m | 1.10 m |
| Türkiye | 3.9% | $150.7 m | – |
| Malaysia | 3.5% | $133.0 m | 880k |
| Ukraine | 2.8% | $108.3 m | – |
| Philippines | 2.7% | $102.6 m | – |
| Nigeria | 2.7% | $102.2 m | 389k |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | high, probably over 60% of output (indicative, basis: China's 21.4 Mt exports in 2025 against about 33 Mt world output in 2024) | ||
| How it moves | Dry bulk crystals or granules in bulk carriers; bagged for retail. Not hazardous, so shipping is cheap, but low N content makes freight a large share of delivered cost. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | East China to Brazil (around the Cape or via Malacca and the Cape), to Southeast Asia and to Europe via Suez. | ||
| India | India imported 545 kt worth $80.3 million in 2024 (UN Comtrade), up from 339 kt ($59 million) in 2023 and 393 kt in 2022; China supplied 86% of volume and South Korea 26 kt (IndexBox for 2022-2023). | ||
| Handling in transit | Not regulated as dangerous goods. Releases ammonia if mixed with alkalis or heated. |