# Bio-based polyethylene and MEG: Movement

From southern Brazil to packaging lines worldwide

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bio_pe/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 390110
 World exports $24.8 bn 107 reporting exporters · about 15.5 m t Largest exporter Saudi Arabia 18.7% of world exports Largest importer China 14.8% of world imports India imports $1.04 bn
exports $171.4 m #4 importer · #23 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 390110: 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 390110: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Saudi Arabia** | 18.7% | $4.63 bn | 4.58 m |
| **United States** | 16.1% | $3.99 bn | – |
| **Qatar** | 9% | $2.24 bn | 2.09 m |
| **Netherlands** | 5.1% | $1.26 bn | 896k |
| **Belgium** | 4.9% | $1.22 bn | – |
| **Germany** | 4.7% | $1.16 bn | 733k |
| **Singapore** | 3.6% | $905.5 m | 780k |
| **South Korea** | 3.6% | $895.2 m | 687k |

#### HS 390110: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | 14.8% | $3.48 bn | 2.96 m |
| **Türkiye** | 5.7% | $1.34 bn | 1.13 m |
| **Germany** | 5.5% | $1.30 bn | 865k |
| **India** | 4.4% | $1.04 bn | 895k |
| **Italy** | 4.4% | $1.04 bn | – |
| **Poland** | 3.4% | $807.3 m | 575k |
| **United States** | 3.3% | $780.7 m | – |
| **Mexico** | 3.1% | $736.9 m | 618k |

 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: almost all bio-PE is made in Brazil and much is exported (indicative); not separately coded in trade data |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Pellets in 25 kg bags and big bags by container, like fossil PE. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) to Europe, the US, Japan and Asia. |  |  |
| **India** | Bio-PE imports are not separately recorded under HS 390110 (indicative). |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | Not dangerous goods; pellet loss to the sea is the main environmental risk. |  |  |

## Other sections

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