Salt: Movement

A $3 billion trade in a mineral found everywhere

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.

Salt trades under HS 2501. In 2024 world exports were worth $3.14 billion, led by India (13.7%), Germany (11.9%), the Netherlands (10.5%) and the United States (7.8%). Imports of $4.38 billion were spread widely: China (13.7%), the United States (13.6%), Japan (7.7%) and South Korea (5.8%). No country dominates, because salt is cheap and bulky and most is used near where it is made. Net imports covered 31% of US apparent consumption in 2025, mainly from Mexico (26%), Chile (23%) and Canada (21%) in 2021-24. US tariffs are zero.

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.

Salt · HS 2501

World exports 2024 $3.14 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $4.38 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value India 13.7% Germany 11.9% Netherlands 10.5% United States 7.8% Spain 5.6% Chile 4.5% Top importers, share of value China 13.7% United States 13.6% Japan 7.7% South Korea 5.8% Germany 5.3% Belgium 4.4% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.