# Citric acid: Movement

A safe white powder that ships easily worldwide

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/citric_acid/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 291814
 World exports $1.52 bn 99 reporting exporters · about 1.65 m t Largest exporter China 55.8% of world exports Largest importer United States 20.6% of world imports India imports $105.2 m
exports $9.21 m #3 importer · #14 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 291814: 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 291814: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | 55.8% | $847.9 m | 1.25 m |
| **Thailand** | 10.9% | $166.0 m | 103k |
| **Belgium** | 7.5% | $113.7 m | 79k |
| **Germany** | 4.5% | $68.1 m | 35k |
| **Colombia** | 3.1% | $46.3 m | 26k |
| **United States** | 2.8% | $43.2 m | 18k |
| **Netherlands** | 2.7% | $41.4 m | 30k |
| **Ireland** | 2.4% | $36.4 m | 13k |

#### HS 291814: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **United States** | 20.6% | $425.0 m | – |
| **Germany** | 8.5% | $174.5 m | 148k |
| **India** | 5.1% | $105.2 m | 142k |
| **Mexico** | 5% | $102.4 m | – |
| **Guatemala** | 4% | $82.0 m | 9,639 |
| **Italy** | 3.5% | $73.0 m | 54k |
| **France** | 3.4% | $69.5 m | 50k |
| **Poland** | 2.9% | $58.8 m | 63k |

 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: probably over a third of world output crosses borders, mainly Chinese exports (indicative; to be confirmed with UN Comtrade HS 291814) |  |  |
| **How it moves** | White crystalline powder in 25 kg bags and 1 t big bags in containers; it is stable and not dangerous, so it moves easily from a few large plants to many small users. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | China to Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Russia; Europe and North America largely supplied regionally because of duties. |  |  |
| **India** | . India is a net importer, mainly from China (indicative). HS 291814: India imported $105 million (5.1% of world imports, rank 3) and exported $9 million (0.6% of world exports, rank 14) (UN Comtrade 2024). |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | Not regulated as dangerous goods; eye irritant; dust can form explosive mixtures in silos. |  |  |

## Other sections

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