# Starch and cellulose derivatives: Movement

India's maize starch and Thailand's tapioca go global

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/starch_derivatives/movement/

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 m
exports $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 |

 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** | 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. |  |  |

## Other sections

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