Titanium dioxide: Movement
Why India buys more pigment than any other country
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 282300
World exports $581.8 m 75 reporting exporters · about 188k t Largest exporter China 19.3% of world exports Largest importer Germany 9.5% of world imports India imports $57.1 mexports $77.3 m #3 importer · #2 exporter
Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024
Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, HS 282300: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.HS 282300: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 19.3% | $112.3 m | 54k |
| India | 13.3% | $77.3 m | 61k |
| Germany | 12.5% | $72.6 m | 15k |
| France | 11.7% | $68.2 m | – |
| Japan | 11.5% | $66.9 m | 16k |
| South Korea | 9% | $52.4 m | – |
| United States | 6.6% | $38.4 m | 14k |
| Belgium | 3.5% | $20.1 m | 4,953 |
HS 282300: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 9.5% | $72.2 m | 17k |
| United States | 8.9% | $66.9 m | – |
| India | 7.6% | $57.1 m | 18k |
| Saudi Arabia | 5.8% | $43.9 m | – |
| Brazil | 5.3% | $40.1 m | 17k |
| Canada | 5.1% | $38.6 m | 12k |
| Egypt | 4.5% | $33.8 m | 12k |
| Spain | 4.1% | $30.6 m | – |
HS 320611: largest exporters
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 45.8% | $4.19 bn | 1.91 m |
| United States | 11.7% | $1.07 bn | 342k |
| Germany | 8.5% | $780.8 m | 243k |
| Australia | 5.7% | $521.7 m | 163k |
| United Kingdom | 5.4% | $497.5 m | 178k |
| Canada | 3.5% | $317.1 m | 110k |
| Belgium | 3% | $272.8 m | 85k |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.3% | $209.8 m | 79k |
HS 320611: largest importers
| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 13.1% | $1.14 bn | 441k |
| United States | 7% | $606.5 m | 198k |
| Germany | 5.7% | $494.3 m | 163k |
| Italy | 4.9% | $422.5 m | 140k |
| Brazil | 4.8% | $418.0 m | 157k |
| Türkiye | 4.8% | $416.0 m | 152k |
| South Korea | 4.4% | $377.4 m | – |
| France | 4.1% | $357.6 m | – |
How it moves
| Measure | Figure | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share traded | roughly a third of output crosses borders (indicative, basis: China's large exports, US exports of 330 kt of 1.0 Mt) | ||
| How it moves | Dry powder in 25 kg bags and 1 t big bags in containers; some slurry by tanker. High value per tonne makes long-distance container shipping economic, unlike most inorganics. | ||
| Routes and chokepoints | China to India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Brazil and Europe by container; US Gulf and Mexico to Latin America and Europe; Canada to the US. | ||
| India | India imported 226,869 t from China in the DGTR period, 57% of demand; domestic capacity is 91 kt (USGS). By value India was the largest importer of TiO2 pigment in 2024 (HS 320611: 441 kt, $1.14 billion, 13.1% of world imports; UN Comtrade). Duties have been on, off and back on since 2025. | ||
| Handling in transit | Not regulated as dangerous goods for transport. Dust handling and combustible packaging are the main concerns. |