# Vinyl chloride monomer: Movement

Pressurised gas carriers from Northeast Asia to India

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/vcm/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 290321
 World exports $2.34 bn 21 reporting exporters · about 2.92 m t Largest exporter United States 40% of world exports Largest importer China 19.1% of world imports India imports $351.6 m
exports $301 #2 importer · #19 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 290321: 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 290321: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **United States** | 40% | $938.3 m | 1.32 m |
| **Japan** | 21.8% | $512.1 m | 943k |
| **Belgium** | 13% | $305.1 m | – |
| **Netherlands** | 6% | $140.9 m | – |
| **South Korea** | 5.7% | $133.6 m | 225k |
| **Germany** | 4.6% | $108.1 m | 157k |
| **China** | 3.7% | $87.6 m | 155k |
| **France** | 2.5% | $58.0 m | 94k |

#### HS 290321: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | 19.1% | $449.9 m | 771k |
| **India** | 14.9% | $351.6 m | 510k |
| **Colombia** | 12.9% | $303.5 m | 472k |
| **France** | 10.2% | $239.6 m | 315k |
| **Canada** | 9.2% | $216.8 m | 234k |
| **Netherlands** | 5.8% | $136.5 m | 181k |
| **Portugal** | 5.3% | $123.8 m | 169k |
| **United Kingdom** | 4.7% | $110.0 m | 151k |

 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 10% of VCM output (indicative); much more chlorine-and-ethylene value moves as PVC resin and EDC |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Liquefied under pressure or semi-refrigerated in LPG-type gas carriers; EDC moves as a liquid in chemical tankers, which is easier and cheaper |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | NE Asia to India via the Malacca Strait; US Gulf to Asia via Panama or the Cape; Middle East to India. |  |  |
| **India** | India imports VCM for plants without ethylene and 2.5 Mt of suspension PVC a year (2025, derived from 1.17 Mt from China = 47%); VCM import data not retrieved here. |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | UN1086 (vinyl chloride, stabilised), class 2.1 flammable gas; carcinogen. |  |  |

## Other sections

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