# Kaolin & clays: Movement

Why the US is a net exporter of clay

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/movement/

What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.

Clays trade under HS 2507 (kaolin) and HS 2508 (other clays), and flows here are described from USGS trade data. The United States is a net exporter. In 2025 it shipped about 1.6 million t of kaolin, mainly to Mexico, Japan and China, and 640,000 t of bentonite to Canada, Japan and Mexico. Imports are small and come mostly from Brazil, which supplied 56% in 2021-24. US imports fell by more than half to 140,000 t in 2025, possibly after a 2024 acquisition of a large Brazilian kaolin operation.

No distinct HS trade code for this commodity, so trade flows are not charted.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/trading/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/clays/links/index.md)