Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Flame retardants: Movement

How bromine products flow from the Dead Sea to Asia

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 382499

World exports $43.3 bn 126 reporting exporters · about 14.8 m t Largest exporter China 13.7% of world exports Largest importer China 15.4% of world imports India imports $1.15 bn
exports $342.8 m #12 importer · #21 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 382499: 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 382499: largest exporters

CountryShareValue (US$)Tonnes
China13.7%$5.93 bn4.86 m
Germany13.5%$5.82 bn2.14 m
United States12.3%$5.32 bn1.03 m
Japan10.5%$4.54 bn416k
Ireland7.5%$3.25 bn80k
South Korea5%$2.17 bn388k
France4.7%$2.02 bn–
Netherlands4.3%$1.84 bn749k

HS 382499: largest importers

CountryShareValue (US$)Tonnes
China15.4%$6.83 bn2.17 m
United States14.1%$6.24 bn874k
Germany6.6%$2.93 bn1.30 m
Hungary4.4%$1.95 bn132k
Mexico3.9%$1.72 bn–
South Korea3.8%$1.70 bn–
France3.2%$1.42 bn561k
Japan3.1%$1.37 bn631k
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

MeasureFigure
Share tradedhigh for brominated and phosphorus FRs (indicative)
How it movesPowders in bags and big bags; liquids (TCPP) in drums, IBCs and ISO tanks
Routes and chokepointsIsrael and Jordan to Asia and Europe; China to Asia; US Gulf to the world.
India. HS 382499 is a broad residual code and many FRs are classified under HS 29 or 2818 (ATH). HS 382499: India imported $1.15 billion (2.6% of world imports, rank 12) and exported $343 million (0.8% of world exports, rank 21) (UN Comtrade 2024).
Handling in transitMost solid FRs not dangerous goods; some are marine pollutants (UN3077, class 9).