Pharma starting materials and intermediates: Movement
How chemicals sail from Chinese ports to Indian clusters
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 2933
World exports $91.5 bn 100 reporting exporters · about 2.87 m t Largest exporter Switzerland 36.4% of world exports Largest importer Slovenia 21.5% of world imports India imports $2.27 bnexports $5.31 bn #10 importer · #4 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 2933: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 2933: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 36.4% | $33.3 bn | – |
| Ireland | 18.2% | $16.7 bn | 4,840 |
| China | 12.4% | $11.3 bn | 1.88 m |
| India | 5.8% | $5.31 bn | 113k |
| Germany | 3.7% | $3.41 bn | 131k |
| France | 3.5% | $3.16 bn | 34k |
| Spain | 3.3% | $3.03 bn | 50k |
| United States | 2.5% | $2.30 bn | 122k |
HS 2933: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | 21.5% | $20.2 bn | 33k |
| United States | 13.3% | $12.4 bn | 272k |
| Germany | 12.8% | $12.0 bn | – |
| Italy | 9.5% | $8.87 bn | 187k |
| Ireland | 4.6% | $4.34 bn | 5,913 |
| Brazil | 4% | $3.72 bn | 240k |
| United Kingdom | 3% | $2.85 bn | – |
| China | 2.9% | $2.72 bn | 222k |
HS 2934: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 27.3% | $8.14 bn | 973 |
| China | 16.8% | $5.00 bn | 251k |
| Singapore | 9.2% | $2.75 bn | 1,946 |
| Switzerland | 8.7% | $2.58 bn | – |
| Germany | 5.7% | $1.69 bn | 45k |
| Spain | 4.7% | $1.39 bn | 10k |
| United States | 4.6% | $1.39 bn | 20k |
| Japan | 3.8% | $1.12 bn | 15k |
HS 2934: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 22.9% | $7.02 bn | 84k |
| Germany | 20.8% | $6.36 bn | 19k |
| Canada | 6% | $1.85 bn | 6,035 |
| Ireland | 4.8% | $1.48 bn | 3,199 |
| Japan | 4.4% | $1.33 bn | 22k |
| Italy | 3.8% | $1.17 bn | 13k |
| Brazil | 3.7% | $1.14 bn | 37k |
| Switzerland | 3.6% | $1.09 bn | 2,330 |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | high for India (most KSMs imported); not published globally | ||
| How it moves | Powders and liquids in drums and IBCs by container; some liquids in ISO tanks | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | Chinese east-coast ports to Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Chennai and Visakhapatnam. HS 2933, 2934. | ||
| India | India's HS 29 imports were about $26 billion in 2024, and organic chemical imports from China over $11.1 billion (Trade Map via ORF, Dec 2025). | ||
| Handling in transit | Many intermediates are toxic or corrosive (UN2811, UN2810, UN1759); nitroaromatics may be class 6.1. |