Polyester fibre: Movement
Why polyester mostly travels as fabric and garments
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 550320
World exports $3.70 bn 85 reporting exporters · about 3.32 m t Largest exporter China 35.6% of world exports Largest importer United States 15.6% of world imports India imports $79.1 mexports $273.7 m #15 importer · #4 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 550320: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 550320: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 35.6% | $1.32 bn | 1.32 m |
| South Korea | 18.1% | $668.0 m | 560k |
| Thailand | 11.5% | $426.2 m | 405k |
| India | 7.4% | $273.7 m | 259k |
| Indonesia | 5.9% | $217.7 m | 217k |
| Türkiye | 4.4% | $163.5 m | 138k |
| Malaysia | 3.6% | $131.5 m | 129k |
| United States | 1.7% | $61.8 m | 30k |
HS 550320: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 15.6% | $577.9 m | – |
| Türkiye | 6.6% | $245.7 m | 204k |
| Germany | 6.1% | $226.6 m | 162k |
| Brazil | 5.2% | $192.9 m | – |
| Poland | 3.9% | $145.8 m | 124k |
| Italy | 3.8% | $141.3 m | 105k |
| Spain | 3.8% | $139.4 m | – |
| Mexico | 3.6% | $132.0 m | 95k |
HS 540247: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 61.4% | $723.3 m | 575k |
| South Korea | 14.1% | $166.1 m | 83k |
| Indonesia | 7.7% | $91.0 m | 52k |
| Malaysia | 5.3% | $62.0 m | 53k |
| Thailand | 1.9% | $22.4 m | 8,816 |
| Greece | 1.8% | $21.3 m | 18k |
| Türkiye | 1.4% | $16.2 m | 4,966 |
| Switzerland | 1.1% | $13.4 m | 2,084 |
HS 540247: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 24.3% | $288.0 m | 136k |
| Türkiye | 13.3% | $158.2 m | 101k |
| Pakistan | 11.3% | $133.8 m | 103k |
| South Korea | 7.7% | $91.3 m | – |
| India | 6.4% | $75.8 m | 44k |
| Indonesia | 5.4% | $63.9 m | 44k |
| Japan | 5.2% | $62.0 m | 22k |
| China | 3.4% | $40.1 m | 13k |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | not published; most polyester is spun and woven in the country where it is made, and trades onward as fabric and garments (indicative) | ||
| How it moves | Staple fibre in compressed bales of about 250-350 kg; filament yarn on bobbins in cartons on pallets; shipped in containers. Not dangerous goods. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | China to South and Southeast Asia, Turkey and Africa; India to Turkey, Bangladesh, the US and Europe (yarn and fabric). | ||
| India | Before November 2025, BIS QCOs required certification for imported polyester yarn and inputs, which curbed Chinese supply (CRISIL). HS 550320: India imported $79 million (2.1% of world imports, rank 15) and exported $274 million (7.4% of world exports, rank 4); HS 540247: India imported $76 million (6.4% of world imports, rank 5) and exported $10 million (0.8% of world exports, rank 11) (UN Comtrade 2024). | ||
| Handling in transit | Not regulated as dangerous goods; bales are combustible. |