# Mercury: Movement

How a country with no mines became a trading hub

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/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 records $49.4 million of mercury exports (HS 2805.40) in 2023. Tajikistan led with 45.9%, followed by the UAE (39.7%), Peru (4.8%) and Thailand (3.2%). The UAE mines no mercury, so it acts as a trading hub. Imports in 2024 totalled $21.7 million, led by South Africa (42.7%), India (19.9%), Togo (14.6%), Argentina (5.7%) and Guyana (2.7%). Several of these are likely gateways to artisanal gold fields. The US has banned elemental mercury exports since 2013, and its imports are tiny.

#### Where it is exported from and imported to, 2023

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows
 Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2023. Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.

#### Mercury · HS 280540
 World exports 2023 $49.4 m sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $21.7 m sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Tajikistan 45.9% United Arab Emirates 39.7% Peru 4.8% Thailand 3.2% Japan 2.6% Switzerland 0.9% Top importers, share of value South Africa 42.7% India 19.9% Togo 14.6% Argentina 5.7% Guyana 2.7% Brazil 2.2% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. 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/mercury/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/trading/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/mercury/links/index.md)