# Toluene: Movement

Why India's solvent makers must import

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

Why India's solvent makers must import 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 290230
 World exports $2.42 bn 62 reporting exporters · about 2.40 m t Largest exporter South Korea 21.9% of world exports Largest importer India 19.3% of world imports India imports $510.6 m
exports $31.2 m #1 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 290230: 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 290230: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **South Korea** | 21.9% | $531.1 m | 591k |
| **China** | 19.4% | $470.1 m | 553k |
| **Japan** | 11.8% | $284.6 m | 344k |
| **Thailand** | 10.5% | $254.5 m | 234k |
| **Germany** | 8.7% | $209.9 m | 220k |
| **Belgium** | 6.3% | $153.0 m | – |
| **United States** | 4.2% | $102.1 m | 112k |
| **Singapore** | 2.7% | $64.5 m | 72k |

#### HS 290230: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **India** | 19.3% | $510.6 m | 539k |
| **United States** | 18.4% | $487.8 m | 520k |
| **South Korea** | 14.6% | $385.6 m | 453k |
| **Singapore** | 6.4% | $170.5 m | 190k |
| **Indonesia** | 5.2% | $137.2 m | 149k |
| **Netherlands** | 4.6% | $121.6 m | 137k |
| **Mexico** | 2.8% | $72.9 m | 74k |
| **Saudi Arabia** | 2.6% | $69.2 m | 66k |

 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** | not published; Asian intra-regional trade is active but most toluene is used in the producing refinery (indicative) |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Liquid in chemical tankers, barges, road tankers and drums for solvent users. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Korea and Japan to China, India and Southeast Asia; US Gulf to Latin America. |  |  |
| **India** | India's 2017 output of 127,000 t (DCPC) was well below solvent and chemical use, implying significant imports; HS 290230 import totals were not reached. |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | UN1294, Class 3 flammable liquid, packing group II. |  |  |

## Other sections

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