Hydrofluoric acid: Movement

Too deadly to ship far, so it is made next door

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 281111

World exports $694.3 m 47 reporting exporters · about 382k t Largest exporter China 55.7% of world exports Largest importer South Korea 22.9% of world imports India imports $8.13 m
exports $2.42 m #16 importer · #12 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 281111: 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 281111: largest exporters

Country	Share	Value (US$)	Tonnes
China	55.7%	$386.8 m	256k
Germany	13.3%	$92.2 m	31k
Mexico	10%	$69.3 m	26k
Japan	6.9%	$47.9 m	23k
United States	6.8%	$47.2 m	28k
South Korea	1.8%	$12.7 m	–
Singapore	1.4%	$9.64 m	3,311
France	0.9%	$6.49 m	4,718

HS 281111: largest importers

Country	Share	Value (US$)	Tonnes
South Korea	22.9%	$188.8 m	–
United States	21.1%	$174.1 m	69k
Japan	15.6%	$128.5 m	68k
France	8.6%	$71.2 m	26k
China	3.9%	$32.5 m	12k
Canada	3.6%	$29.7 m	7,681
Germany	2.5%	$20.5 m	6,735
Netherlands	2.1%	$17.7 m	6,631

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	small; US imported 76 kt HF in 2025 against domestic use near 0.3 Mt (indicative), and most HF is used where made
How it moves	AHF moves in specially built steel ISO tanks and rail cars under strict rules; aqueous HF (40-70%) in lined drums and tanks; electronic grade in high-purity containers. Most fluorine moves as fluorspar or as finished fluorochemicals instead.
Routes and chokepoints	Mexico to the US Gulf by rail; China and Japan to Korea and Taiwan for electronic grades; fluorspar moves from Mexico, Mongolia, South Africa and Vietnam to HF plants.
India	India makes HF from imported acidspar (27.0% of world acid-grade import value, 2024); HF trade is small: India imported $8.1 million (about 5 kt) under HS 281111 in 2024 and exported $2.4 million (UN Comtrade).
Handling in transit	UN1052 hydrogen fluoride, anhydrous, class 8 with subsidiary 6.1 (toxic); UN1790 hydrofluoric acid solution, class 8 (6.1). Penetrates skin and binds calcium; exposures need calcium gluconate treatment.