High-density polyethylene: Movement
Gulf pellets to India through Hormuz
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 390120
World exports $24.5 bn 107 reporting exporters · about 21.2 m t Largest exporter United States 21.4% of world exports Largest importer China 19.9% of world imports India imports $1.24 bnexports $140.9 m #4 importer · #29 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 390120: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 390120: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 21.4% | $5.23 bn | 4.89 m |
| Saudi Arabia | 16.7% | $4.10 bn | 4.20 m |
| South Korea | 7.3% | $1.79 bn | 1.66 m |
| Germany | 5.9% | $1.45 bn | 932k |
| Canada | 5.4% | $1.33 bn | 1.25 m |
| Thailand | 4.4% | $1.08 bn | 1.01 m |
| Belgium | 3.7% | $913.6 m | 637k |
| Singapore | 3% | $738.8 m | 719k |
HS 390120: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 19.9% | $5.56 bn | 5.68 m |
| United States | 5.4% | $1.50 bn | – |
| Germany | 5% | $1.39 bn | 988k |
| India | 4.4% | $1.24 bn | – |
| Türkiye | 3.8% | $1.07 bn | 1.00 m |
| Italy | 3.5% | $976.4 m | 770k |
| Mexico | 3.4% | $947.0 m | 873k |
| Brazil | 3% | $824.3 m | 696k |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | about 35-40% of output crosses borders (indicative, as for all PE) | ||
| How it moves | Pellets in 25 kg bags or big bags in containers, or bulk rail cars in North America. Easy to ship, so made at cheap-ethylene sites and exported. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | Gulf to India, China and Africa through Hormuz; US Gulf to Latin America and Europe; Singapore and Korea to China. In Aug 2026 CFR India HDPE carried a premium of about $150/t over Far East Asia (Polymerupdate). | ||
| India | India imports HDPE mainly from the Gulf, Singapore and Korea; PE and PP imports together cover about one-fifth of demand (CareEdge 2025). HS 390120: India imported $1.24 billion (4.4% of world imports, rank 4) and exported $141 million (0.6% of world exports, rank 29) (UN Comtrade 2024). | ||
| Handling in transit | Not dangerous goods (no UN number). Risks are pellet spills and dust in handling. |