# High-density polyethylene: Movement

Gulf pellets to India through Hormuz

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hdpe/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 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 bn
exports $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 |

 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** | 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. |  |  |

## Other sections

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