# Polyester fibre: Movement

Why polyester mostly travels as fabric and garments

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polyester_fibre/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 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 m
exports $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 |

 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** | 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. |  |  |

## Other sections

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