Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Selenium: Movement

Why Hong Kong appears on both sides of the trade

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 $94.7 million of selenium exports (HS 2804.90) in 2024. Japan led with 16.6%, then the Philippines (13.9%), Hong Kong (13.6%), China (11.4%) and Belgium (8.0%). Imports of $86.9 million went mainly to China (28.5%), Hong Kong (17.6%), India (13.8%) and the US (7.4%). The exporters are copper refiners, so selenium trade follows the copper map. China is both the top producer and the top importer. Hong Kong appears on both sides as a re-export hub. US imports, which are tariff-free, come mostly from the Philippines, Mexico, Chile and Poland (USGS).

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.

Selenium · HS 280490

World exports 2024 $94.7 m sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $86.9 m sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Japan 16.6% Philippines 13.9% Hong Kong 13.6% China 11.4% Belgium 8% Canada 7.6% Top importers, share of value China 28.5% Hong Kong 17.6% India 13.8% United States 7.4% Germany 4.2% Italy 2.9% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.