# Antibiotic intermediates (6-APA, 7-ACA): Movement

Why penicillin powders need dedicated handling in transit

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/movement/

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 294110
 World exports $1.86 bn 60 reporting exporters · about 48k t Largest exporter China 50.6% of world exports Largest importer India 34.4% of world imports India imports $761.7 m
exports $319.6 m #1 importer · #2 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 294110: 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 294110: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | 50.6% | $941.0 m | 30k |
| **India** | 17.2% | $319.6 m | 8,425 |
| **Spain** | 11.7% | $217.0 m | 5,530 |
| **Italy** | 5.6% | $103.2 m | 680 |
| **Austria** | 5.2% | $96.7 m | 1,665 |
| **Singapore** | 3.9% | $73.1 m | – |
| **Netherlands** | 1.4% | $26.7 m | 746 |
| **United Kingdom** | 0.8% | $15.6 m | 278 |

#### HS 294110: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **India** | 34.4% | $761.7 m | – |
| **Austria** | 6.8% | $151.4 m | 2,917 |
| **Brazil** | 4% | $88.6 m | 2,596 |
| **United Kingdom** | 4% | $87.8 m | 2,025 |
| **Italy** | 3.9% | $87.3 m | 3,377 |
| **Algeria** | 3.9% | $86.3 m | 2,101 |
| **United States** | 3.6% | $79.1 m | 1,493 |
| **Thailand** | 3.2% | $71.2 m | 2,154 |

 UN Comtrade 2024, reported by each country (exports by exporters, imports by importers), all partners. Some countries (for example Russia and Iran) do not report, so their shares are missing. HS codes can be broader than the tile: check the code before reading a share as the whole market.

#### How it moves

| Measure | Figure |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Share traded** | high for India (most 6-APA and 7-ACA imported) |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Powders in drums by container; dedicated handling to avoid penicillin cross-contamination |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Northern Chinese plants to Indian ports. HS 294110. |  |  |
| **India** | 87% of India's antibiotic imports from China (Trade Map via ORF, Dec 2025). |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | Generally not dangerous goods; respiratory sensitisers requiring dust control. |  |  |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/trading/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/antibiotic_intermediates/links/index.md)