Starch and cellulose derivatives: Movement
India's maize starch and Thailand's tapioca go global
India's maize starch and Thailand's tapioca go global 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 350510
World exports $4.30 bn 103 reporting exporters · about 3.25 m t Largest exporter Thailand 22.1% of world exports Largest importer China 11.4% of world imports India imports $82.6 mexports $54.3 m #17 importer · #13 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 350510: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 350510: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 22.1% | $948.7 m | 1.06 m |
| Netherlands | 17.5% | $753.8 m | 447k |
| Germany | 12.3% | $527.4 m | 275k |
| United States | 10.9% | $466.9 m | 276k |
| France | 7.9% | $337.7 m | 254k |
| China | 5.3% | $228.9 m | 199k |
| Belgium | 3.4% | $144.3 m | 119k |
| Italy | 3.1% | $132.1 m | 118k |
HS 350510: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 11.4% | $540.0 m | 515k |
| Germany | 8.7% | $414.3 m | 299k |
| Japan | 8.3% | $394.7 m | 397k |
| United States | 8% | $380.4 m | 178k |
| Indonesia | 3.6% | $172.3 m | 168k |
| France | 3.5% | $165.6 m | 99k |
| United Kingdom | 3.4% | $160.7 m | – |
| South Korea | 3.4% | $159.2 m | – |
HS 391231: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 27.3% | $280.0 m | 118k |
| Finland | 14.4% | $147.8 m | 49k |
| France | 7.5% | $77.1 m | 14k |
| Germany | 7.5% | $76.7 m | 15k |
| Türkiye | 7.2% | $74.0 m | 52k |
| Netherlands | 6.8% | $69.8 m | 11k |
| Ireland | 4.9% | $50.5 m | 2,904 |
| Japan | 4.2% | $43.4 m | 4,118 |
HS 391231: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 11.7% | $118.6 m | 30k |
| India | 8.9% | $90.2 m | 21k |
| China | 5.5% | $56.1 m | 6,841 |
| Germany | 5% | $50.9 m | 14k |
| South Africa | 3.9% | $39.8 m | 17k |
| Brazil | 3.1% | $31.2 m | 8,139 |
| Japan | 2.9% | $29.2 m | 6,458 |
| Netherlands | 2.9% | $28.9 m | 7,350 |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | moderate: India alone exported about 478 kt of maize starch in 2022; Thai tapioca starch is widely traded (Sanstar DRHP data; cassava tile) | ||
| How it moves | Powder in 25-50 kg bags and big bags by container; glucose syrups in tankers and flexitanks. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | Thailand and Vietnam to China and Asia; India to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa (indicative); US and EU mostly regional. | ||
| India | India exported about 478 kt of maize starch in 2022, up about 15% from 2018 (Sanstar DRHP data). HS 350510: India imported $83 million (1.7% of world imports, rank 17) and exported $54 million (1.3% of world exports, rank 13); HS 391231: India imported $90 million (8.9% of world imports, rank 2) and exported $15 million (1.4% of world exports, rank 14) (UN Comtrade 2024). | ||
| Handling in transit | Not dangerous goods; starch dust is a combustible dust explosion hazard in silos. |