# Pharma starting materials and intermediates: Movement

How chemicals sail from Chinese ports to Indian clusters

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

 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** | 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. |  |  |

## Other sections

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