# Lime: Movement

Why a 420 Mt industry trades only a sliver

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/lime/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.

Comtrade valued world exports of quicklime, slaked lime and hydraulic lime (HS 2522) at about $1.3 billion in 2024, a sliver of a 420 million t industry. Germany (13.4%) and France (12.7%) led exporters, followed by Malaysia, Belgium and China at about 5% each. Imports are diffuse: the Netherlands (7.8%), Indonesia (7.4%), Chile (7.1%), India (6.4%), France and Finland. Chile's share likely reflects copper mining, since nonferrous mining is a major lime market. US imports were about 360,000 t in 2025, mainly from Canada and Mexico (76% and 19% over 2021-24), and US net import reliance was below 1%.

#### Main trade routes, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
 Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Largest bilateral flows (width = value) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, reported exports by the top four exporters of each traded form to their partners (US$). Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Hover a line or circle for values.

#### Lime · HS 2522
 World exports 2024 $1.27 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $1.35 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Germany 13.4% France 12.7% Malaysia 5.7% Belgium 5.2% China 5.1% United Kingdom 4.2% Top importers, share of value Netherlands 7.8% Indonesia 7.4% Chile 7.1% India 6.4% France 5.9% Finland 5.8% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.

## Other sections

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