# Ethylene oxide: Movement

Why EO almost never goes to sea

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/ethylene_oxide/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 291010
 World exports $416.4 m 39 reporting exporters · about 298k t Largest exporter Germany 44.1% of world exports Largest importer Germany 24% of world imports India imports $1.38 m
exports $2.00 m #22 importer · #6 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 291010: 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 291010: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Germany** | 44.1% | $183.6 m | 137k |
| **Netherlands** | 26.4% | $110.1 m | 88k |
| **Belgium** | 20.1% | $83.7 m | 60k |
| **United States** | 5.6% | $23.5 m | 7,005 |
| **Spain** | 1.1% | $4.79 m | 3,461 |
| **India** | 0.5% | $2.00 m | 1,194 |
| **China** | 0.5% | $1.98 m | 971 |
| **Singapore** | 0.4% | $1.56 m | 445 |

#### HS 291010: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Germany** | 24% | $108.0 m | 88k |
| **Italy** | 23.7% | $106.4 m | 72k |
| **France** | 11.1% | $49.7 m | 40k |
| **Belgium** | 10.6% | $47.8 m | 38k |
| **Poland** | 5.4% | $24.4 m | 19k |
| **Slovakia** | 4% | $17.9 m | 13k |
| **United Kingdom** | 3.4% | $15.2 m | 8,645 |
| **Spain** | 2.9% | $13.2 m | 10k |

 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** | under 2% of output crosses borders as EO (indicative); it moves as glycols, ethoxylates and amines |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Pressurised liquid under nitrogen blanket in insulated rail cars or ISO tanks, refrigerated below about 10°C. Long voyages are avoided because of explosion and polymerisation risk. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Short regional rail and road lanes; no major seaborne lanes. |  |  |
| **India** | India's EO trade is negligible; HS 291010 data not retrieved. |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | UN1040 ethylene oxide (with nitrogen), Class 2.3 toxic gas with 2.1 flammable subsidiary risk; strict temperature control. |  |  |

## Other sections

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