# Phosphoric acid: Movement

The tanker route from Morocco and Jordan to India

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/phosphoric_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 280920
 World exports $6.38 bn 81 reporting exporters · about 9.03 m t Largest exporter Morocco 44.9% of world exports Largest importer India 36.5% of world imports India imports $1.99 bn
exports $5.47 m #1 importer · #27 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 280920: 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 280920: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Morocco** | 44.9% | $2.86 bn | 4.36 m |
| **China** | 10.2% | $648.0 m | 887k |
| **Jordan** | 9.5% | $607.5 m | 1.17 m |
| **Senegal** | 6.8% | $434.8 m | 499k |
| **Israel** | 5.8% | $368.2 m | 334k |
| **United States** | 4.5% | $285.0 m | 742k |
| **Belgium** | 4.2% | $266.0 m | 238k |
| **Tunisia** | 3.3% | $212.8 m | 193k |

#### HS 280920: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **India** | 36.5% | $1.99 bn | – |
| **Pakistan** | 7.6% | $414.3 m | 791k |
| **United States** | 5.9% | $322.0 m | 335k |
| **Netherlands** | 5.2% | $283.5 m | 312k |
| **Germany** | 4.9% | $266.4 m | 228k |
| **Türkiye** | 4.4% | $237.7 m | – |
| **Spain** | 3.9% | $213.1 m | – |
| **Belgium** | 3.4% | $184.3 m | – |

 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** | about 10% of P2O5 output traded as merchant acid (indicative); the rest is converted on site |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Merchant acid (52-54% P2O5) ships in rubber-lined or stainless chemical tankers. Most acid is turned into DAP and MAP at the mine because solid fertiliser is cheaper to ship and store. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Jorf Lasfar and Safi (Morocco), Aqaba (Jordan) and Gabes (Tunisia) to Indian east and west coast ports; through Suez and Bab el-Mandeb for Atlantic origins, which made the 2024-26 Red Sea and Gulf disruptions costly. |  |  |
| **India** | India is the largest buyer of merchant phosphoric acid ($1.99 billion in 2024, 36.5% of world import value, UN Comtrade) and of phosphate rock (40.4% of rock import value, 2024, Comtrade via phosphate tile). Acid comes mainly from Morocco, Jordan, Senegal and Tunisia, often through joint ventures. |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | UN1805 phosphoric acid solution, class 8, packing group III. Corrosive but not volatile; tanks need rubber or stainless lining. |  |  |

## Other sections

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