Paraxylene: Movement
Tankers from Korea, India and the Gulf to China
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 290243
World exports $11.7 bn 31 reporting exporters · about 6.18 m t Largest exporter South Korea 39.8% of world exports Largest importer China 65.1% of world imports India imports $948.4 mexports $230.2 m #3 importer · #9 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 290243: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 290243: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 39.8% | $4.67 bn | – |
| Japan | 17.3% | $2.03 bn | 2.16 m |
| Brunei Darussalam | 11% | $1.29 bn | 1.34 m |
| Singapore | 8.9% | $1.05 bn | – |
| United States | 6.8% | $796.0 m | 827k |
| Saudi Arabia | 5.7% | $670.5 m | 668k |
| Malaysia | 3% | $356.2 m | 387k |
| Netherlands | 2.2% | $252.4 m | 246k |
HS 290243: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 65.1% | $9.05 bn | 9.38 m |
| United States | 11.2% | $1.56 bn | 1.65 m |
| India | 6.8% | $948.4 m | – |
| Indonesia | 4.2% | $578.4 m | 583k |
| Malaysia | 2.5% | $344.1 m | 342k |
| Pakistan | 2.2% | $308.6 m | 294k |
| Thailand | 1.8% | $246.5 m | – |
| Brazil | 1.7% | $229.7 m | 216k |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | about 20% of world output crosses borders (indicative); China's 9.61 Mt of 2025 imports alone were about 17% of world demand (derived) | ||
| How it moves | Liquid in chemical tankers (5,000-40,000 t). PX freezes at 13.3 C, so tanks and lines need heating in cold weather. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | Korea, Japan, Taiwan and India to East China; Brunei and Southeast Asia to China; Gulf to China via Hormuz, disrupted in 2026. | ||
| India | India is a PX exporter, mainly from Jamnagar, but official HS 290243 figures for 2024-2025 were not reached. | ||
| Handling in transit | UN1307 (xylenes), Class 3 flammable liquid, packing group III; heating to prevent freezing. |