# Thorium: Movement

How monazite flows to China and compounds to the US

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

Monazite, the main carrier of thorium, trades under HS 2612.20, and thorium compounds under HS 2844.30, where the US tariff is 5.5%. China is the leading importer of monazite, taking it mainly from Nigeria, Madagascar, Thailand and Indonesia, in that order. In 2021-24 all US monazite imports came from China, while US thorium compound imports came from France (51%) and India (47%). Flows are small and sporadic. The material is politically sensitive. India, once the main supplier from Kerala beach sands, blocked monazite exports in 1946 to build its own industry (Scheyder).

No distinct HS trade code for this commodity, so trade flows are not charted.

## Other sections

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