# Propylene: Movement

Why propane and plastic travel more than propylene

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/propylene/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 290122
 World exports $5.04 bn 47 reporting exporters · about 5.57 m t Largest exporter South Korea 28.2% of world exports Largest importer China 34.2% of world imports India imports $267k
exports $2,771 #43 importer · #41 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 290122: 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 290122: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **South Korea** | 28.2% | $1.42 bn | 1.75 m |
| **Netherlands** | 16% | $807.0 m | 757k |
| **Japan** | 8.5% | $426.6 m | 568k |
| **Germany** | 8% | $401.7 m | 399k |
| **United States** | 7.5% | $376.7 m | 380k |
| **Spain** | 3.8% | $191.2 m | 203k |
| **Malaysia** | 3.6% | $183.6 m | 223k |
| **Italy** | 3.1% | $156.7 m | 197k |

#### HS 290122: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | 34.2% | $1.74 bn | 2.02 m |
| **Germany** | 12.6% | $640.2 m | 590k |
| **Netherlands** | 8.9% | $451.4 m | 440k |
| **France** | 6.6% | $336.4 m | 347k |
| **Belgium** | 5.7% | $291.8 m | 278k |
| **Indonesia** | 5.1% | $258.4 m | 285k |
| **Colombia** | 4.5% | $227.0 m | 205k |
| **Mexico** | 2.7% | $139.5 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 5% of output (indicative: about 6-8 Mt seaborne versus about 137 Mt); much more moves as propane and PP |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Liquefied under pressure or semi-refrigerated (boiling point -48°C) in LPG-type carriers, pipelines and rail tank cars. Most is used on site or by pipeline. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Korea and Japan to China; US Gulf to Asia via Panama; propane from US, Middle East (through Hormuz) and Canada to Chinese PDH plants. |  |  |
| **India** | India imports small volumes of propylene and large volumes of PP; HS 290122 trade data not retrieved. |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | UN1077, Class 2.1 flammable gas; pressurised containment. |  |  |

## Other sections

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