# Titanium dioxide: Movement

Why India buys more pigment than any other country

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/titanium_dioxide/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 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 m
exports $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 | – |

 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** | 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. |  |  |

## Other sections

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