# Low-carbon hydrogen and e-fuels: Movement

Why hydrogen travels the world disguised as ammonia

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/movement/

What this tab covers How it moves between countries: share of output traded, physical form and transport, the largest exporters and importers, main routes, India's trade, and handling rules in transit.

#### Trade in 2024 UN Comtrade, HS 280410
 World exports $195.1 m 64 reporting exporters · about 107k t Largest exporter Canada 34.3% of world exports Largest importer United States 31.2% of world imports India imports $872k
exports $17k #24 importer · #48 exporter

#### 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, HS 280410: shares of reported world exports and imports by value. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.

#### HS 280410: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Canada** | 34.3% | $66.9 m | 34k |
| **Netherlands** | 14.5% | $28.2 m | 3,801 |
| **Iraq** | 14.3% | $27.9 m | 55k |
| **United States** | 10.2% | $19.8 m | 2,078 |
| **Germany** | 6.8% | $13.3 m | 2,022 |
| **France** | 4.3% | $8.44 m | 5,115 |
| **Belgium** | 3.3% | $6.46 m | 1,569 |
| **Malaysia** | 2.8% | $5.46 m | 572 |

#### HS 280410: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **United States** | 31.2% | $67.5 m | 5,862 |
| **Netherlands** | 22.7% | $49.2 m | 15k |
| **France** | 10% | $21.7 m | 4,505 |
| **Canada** | 3.7% | $7.99 m | 4,119 |
| **United Kingdom** | 3.6% | $7.77 m | 564 |
| **Germany** | 3.3% | $7.13 m | 584 |
| **Mexico** | 3% | $6.49 m | 57k |
| **Czechia** | 2.4% | $5.30 m | 511 |

#### HS 290511: largest exporters

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Trinidad and Tobago** | 18.5% | $1.36 bn | 4.49 m |
| **Saudi Arabia** | 17.5% | $1.28 bn | 4.33 m |
| **United States** | 13.7% | $1.01 bn | – |
| **Netherlands** | 11.2% | $825.8 m | 2.27 m |
| **Oman** | 8.4% | $614.7 m | 2.20 m |
| **Malaysia** | 6.3% | $460.7 m | 1.64 m |
| **Chile** | 4.2% | $312.1 m | 1.02 m |
| **Belgium** | 3.8% | $280.7 m | – |

#### HS 290511: largest importers

| Country | Share | Value (US$) | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | 32.1% | $3.99 bn | 13.5 m |
| **Netherlands** | 8.5% | $1.06 bn | 3.24 m |
| **India** | 7.1% | $877.8 m | – |
| **Brazil** | 5.7% | $706.4 m | – |
| **Germany** | 5.5% | $685.2 m | 2.09 m |
| **South Korea** | 5.4% | $672.9 m | – |
| **Japan** | 4% | $498.0 m | 1.50 m |
| **Belgium** | 3.5% | $428.7 m | – |

 UN Comtrade 2024, reported by each country (exports by exporters, imports by importers), all partners. Some countries (for example Russia and Iran) do not report, so their shares are missing. HS codes can be broader than the tile: check the code before reading a share as the whole market.

#### How it moves

| Measure | Figure |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Share traded** | almost none for hydrogen itself; derivatives (ammonia, methanol) are traded internationally |  |  |
| **How it moves** | Hydrogen by pipeline or compressed tube trailers over short distances; ammonia in refrigerated gas carriers; methanol in chemical tankers; e-SAF blended into jet fuel systems |  |  |
| **Routes and chokepoints** | Planned lanes: India (Kandla, Paradip, Kakinada) and the Gulf to Europe, Japan and Korea as ammonia; Hormuz is a chokepoint for Gulf exports. HS 280410 (hydrogen) and 290511 (methanol). |  |  |
| **India** | India plans green ammonia exports from east and west coast ports; current trade under HS 280410 and 290511. HS 280410: India imported $872 thousand (0.4% of world imports, rank 24) and exported $17 thousand (0.0% of world exports, rank 48); HS 290511: India imported $878 million (7.1% of world imports, rank 3) and exported $22 million (0.3% of world exports, rank 19) (UN Comtrade 2024). |  |  |
| **Handling in transit** | Hydrogen UN1049 (compressed) and UN1966 (refrigerated liquid), class 2.1; ammonia UN1005, class 2.3 (toxic); methanol UN1230, class 3. |  |  |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/index.md)
- [Energy overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/energy/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and limits](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/science/index.md)
- [Value chain](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/valuechain/index.md)
- [Unit economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/economics/index.md)
- [Engineering methods](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/methods/index.md)
- [Equipment and suppliers](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/equipment/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/overview/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/trading/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/green_hydrogen_carriers/links/index.md)