Oilfield and mining chemicals: Movement

Why barite crosses oceans but blended chemicals stay local

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 382499

World exports $43.3 bn 126 reporting exporters · about 14.8 m t Largest exporter China 13.7% of world exports Largest importer China 15.4% of world imports India imports $1.15 bn
exports $342.8 m #12 importer · #21 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 382499: 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 382499: largest exporters

Country	Share	Value (US$)	Tonnes
China	13.7%	$5.93 bn	4.86 m
Germany	13.5%	$5.82 bn	2.14 m
United States	12.3%	$5.32 bn	1.03 m
Japan	10.5%	$4.54 bn	416k
Ireland	7.5%	$3.25 bn	80k
South Korea	5%	$2.17 bn	388k
France	4.7%	$2.02 bn	–
Netherlands	4.3%	$1.84 bn	749k

HS 382499: largest importers

Country	Share	Value (US$)	Tonnes
China	15.4%	$6.83 bn	2.17 m
United States	14.1%	$6.24 bn	874k
Germany	6.6%	$2.93 bn	1.30 m
Hungary	4.4%	$1.95 bn	132k
Mexico	3.9%	$1.72 bn	–
South Korea	3.8%	$1.70 bn	–
France	3.2%	$1.42 bn	561k
Japan	3.1%	$1.37 bn	631k

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 barite and guar (exported from India, China, Morocco to oil regions); low for blended chemicals, which are made near basins; no published share
How it moves	Barite moves as bulk lump or ground powder in bags and bulk carriers; liquid chemicals in drums, IBCs and ISO tanks; muds are mixed at shore bases.
Routes and chokepoints	India and China to the US Gulf Coast and the Middle East for barite; US and Europe to all producing regions for specialty chemicals. Hormuz is a chokepoint for Gulf-bound supply.
India	. India exports barite and guar gum and imports specialty oilfield chemicals (indicative). HS 382499: India imported $1.15 billion (2.6% of world imports, rank 12) and exported $343 million (0.8% of world exports, rank 21) (UN Comtrade 2024).
Handling in transit	Methanol UN1230 (class 3, toxic); hydrochloric acid UN1789 (class 8); many inhibitors flammable or corrosive; xanthates self-heating (class 4.2) and can release carbon disulphide; sodium cyanide UN1689 (class 6.1).