PVC: Movement
Bags of white powder bound for India
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 390410
World exports $10.7 bn 86 reporting exporters · about 10.2 m t Largest exporter United States 23.9% of world exports Largest importer India 23.3% of world imports India imports $2.59 bnexports $3.83 m #1 importer · #34 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 390410: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 390410: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 23.9% | $2.54 bn | 3.11 m |
| China | 18.6% | $1.98 bn | 2.73 m |
| Germany | 8% | $847.5 m | 728k |
| France | 6.8% | $721.4 m | – |
| Belgium | 5.1% | $540.9 m | – |
| South Korea | 4.5% | $480.2 m | 632k |
| Japan | 4.4% | $474.0 m | – |
| Netherlands | 4.2% | $447.7 m | 499k |
HS 390410: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 23.3% | $2.59 bn | – |
| Türkiye | 6.3% | $696.5 m | – |
| Italy | 5.2% | $577.3 m | – |
| Germany | 4.8% | $530.2 m | 520k |
| Brazil | 4.3% | $477.9 m | 550k |
| Canada | 4.1% | $456.9 m | 480k |
| United States | 3% | $332.6 m | 267k |
| China | 2.8% | $306.8 m | 328k |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | about 20-25% of output crosses borders (indicative, basis: US exports, China exports and India's about 3 Mt of imports) | ||
| How it moves | White powder in 25 kg bags or 1 t big bags in containers, or bulk rail cars in the US. Shipped long distances because it is stable and non-hazardous. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | China and Taiwan to India and Southeast Asia; US Gulf to Latin America, India, Turkey and Africa; Japan and Korea to Asia. Freight from China to India was $280-300/t in early 2022 (antidumping.vn); Hormuz matters less for PVC than for PE and PP. | ||
| India | India imports about 3 Mt a year (FY2025-26, Adani Enterprises); China supplied 1.17 Mt of suspension PVC in 2025, 47% of suspension imports (S&P Global). HS 390410: India imported $2.59 billion (23.3% of world imports, rank 1) and exported $4 million (0.0% of world exports, rank 34) (UN Comtrade 2024). | ||
| Handling in transit | PVC resin is not dangerous goods (no UN number). Its precursor VCM is UN1086 (Class 2.1) and moves in pressurised tankers. |