# Hydrofluoric acid: Movement

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

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/hydrofluoric_acid/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 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. |  |  |

## Other sections

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