Perlite: Movement

A trade code that lumps perlite with vermiculite

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 groups perlite with vermiculite and chlorites, unexpanded, under HS 2530.10, worth only $208 million of exports in 2024. Turkey and South Africa each supply about 20%, Greece 15% and China 11%. South Africa's share is mostly vermiculite, not perlite. The United States is the largest importer (21%), then South Korea (9%) and Canada (6%). US perlite imports in 2021–24 came 94% from Greece. Ore moves in bulk carriers from Aegean ports to North American and Asian expansion plants.

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. 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.

Vermiculite and perlite · HS 253010

World exports 2024 $207.9 m sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $233.0 m sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Turkey 19.9% South Africa 19.9% Greece 15% China 11.3% Brazil 5.2% United States 3.6% Top importers, share of value United States 21.2% South Korea 9.1% Canada 5.5% India 5% Spain 4.9% France 4.7% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.