# Urea: Movement

Gulf exporters, Brazilian and Indian buyers

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/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 310210
 World exports $11.4 bn 98 reporting exporters · about 30.7 m t Largest exporter Saudi Arabia 14.3% of world exports Largest importer Brazil 14.7% of world imports India imports $2.16 bn
exports $20.9 m #2 importer · #32 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 310210: 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 310210: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Saudi Arabia** | 14.3% | $1.62 bn | 4.44 m |
| **Egypt** | 12.4% | $1.41 bn | 3.22 m |
| **Oman** | 9.6% | $1.10 bn | 3.49 m |
| **Algeria** | 8.3% | $941.7 m | 2.17 m |
| **Nigeria** | 7.5% | $850.3 m | 3.08 m |
| **Malaysia** | 6% | $681.6 m | 2.03 m |
| **Indonesia** | 4.3% | $488.8 m | 1.48 m |
| **Germany** | 4.2% | $475.4 m | 1.49 m |

#### HS 310210: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Brazil** | 14.7% | $2.95 bn | 8.33 m |
| **India** | 10.8% | $2.16 bn | – |
| **United States** | 9.3% | $1.87 bn | 5.10 m |
| **Australia** | 7.2% | $1.45 bn | 3.85 m |
| **Thailand** | 4.8% | $971.1 m | 2.63 m |
| **Türkiye** | 4.4% | $886.9 m | – |
| **France** | 3% | $608.4 m | – |
| **Canada** | 2.7% | $536.6 m | 1.30 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** | about a quarter of output (indicative, basis: reported import value of $20.1 billion in 2024 (UN Comtrade) at about $370/t delivered is about 54 Mt, against 201 Mt; reported exports were 30.7 Mt, excluding non-reporters such as Russia, Qatar and Iran) |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Dry bulk in handysize to panamax ships, bagged or bulk; granular urea travels best. Made next to ammonia plants on cheap gas, then shipped to farm regions. |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Middle East Gulf to India, Brazil, Australia and East Africa through Hormuz; Egypt and Algeria to Europe; Russia via the Baltic and Black Sea; Nigeria to Brazil and the US. Hormuz carries about 40% of seaborne urea (Kpler via farmdoc daily, 2026). Export shares above exclude Russia, Qatar and Iran, which do not report, so true Gulf and Russian shares are higher. |  |  |
| **India** | India imported 10.38 Mt in FY2026, up from 5.65 Mt in FY2025 (Chambal MD&A), worth $2.16 billion in 2024 (Comtrade); Russian and Egyptian cargoes rose during the 2026 Hormuz disruption. Exports are negligible ($21 million in 2024). |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | Not classified as dangerous goods for transport (no UN number). Hygroscopic: cakes if wet; dust is an irritant. |  |  |

## Other sections

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