Latest trade
$62.8BGlobal sector valueHS2 sector intelligence
Salt, sulphur, earths and stone
sector trade overview
A clear view of the salt, sulphur, earths and stone economy: scale, momentum, market concentration, leading routes, and the products within it.
Explore the workspace Reported trade intelligence
Refreshed 2026-07-20
Refreshed 2026-07-20
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+1.6%Latest year on yearExporters
198Active reporting countriesImporters
200Active reporting countriesHS6 products
68Classifications in sectorThe sector read
$62.8B in trade, with +2.2% annualized growth over three years.
Salt, sulphur, earths and stone is recorded across 10,209 active corridors, with 198 exporters and 200 importers in the latest available year.
Market signalStable+4.6% five-year CAGR
Annual trend
Momentum across three decades
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Missing years remain unavailable rather than estimated. Read the methodology ↗
Top trade corridors
Where this sector moves
The leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported sector trade value. See data sources ↗
Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AustraliaAUS | ChinaCHN | $3.1B | +37.6% | 32 | 8,024 km | Yes |
| 2 | CanadaCAN | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $1.4B | -1.5% | 58 | 556 km | Yes |
| 3 | IndiaIND | ChinaCHN | $898.5M | +2.4% | 44 | 4,252 km | No |
| 4 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | CanadaCAN | $880.2M | +6.2% | 67 | 556 km | Yes |
| 5 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | ChinaCHN | $853.3M | +20.7% | 60 | 11,883 km | No |
| 6 | United Arab EmiratesARE | IndiaIND | $681.8M | +1.2% | 42 | 2,204 km | No |
| 7 | JordanJOR | IndiaIND | $671.7M | +15.9% | 5 | 3,963 km | No |
| 8 | GermanyDEU | NetherlandsNLD | $647.6M | -0.3% | 64 | 579 km | Yes |
| 9 | TurkeyTUR | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $575.8M | +10.5% | 48 | 8,087 km | No |
| 10 | TurkeyTUR | ChinaCHN | $555.0M | -11.7% | 41 | 8,004 km | No |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings are separated so scale on one side of the market is not mistaken for demand on the other. Check coverage ↗
Top exporters2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AustraliaAUS | $4.0B | 136 | 66 |
| 2 | ChinaCHN | $3.7B | 197 | 68 |
| 3 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $3.7B | 176 | 68 |
| 4 | TurkeyTUR | $3.3B | 181 | 66 |
| 5 | GermanyDEU | $2.7B | 171 | 68 |
| 6 | IndiaIND | $2.3B | 185 | 67 |
| 7 | United Arab EmiratesARE | $2.2B | 145 | 68 |
| 8 | Viet NamVNM | $1.9B | 103 | 67 |
| 9 | SpainESP | $1.8B | 169 | 68 |
| 10 | CanadaCAN | $1.8B | 134 | 68 |
Top importers2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $10.1B | 149 | 68 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $5.1B | 132 | 68 |
| 3 | IndiaIND | $3.9B | 118 | 67 |
| 4 | NetherlandsNLD | $2.1B | 125 | 67 |
| 5 | GermanyDEU | $2.0B | 132 | 68 |
| 6 | ItalyITA | $1.7B | 113 | 67 |
| 7 | FranceFRA | $1.5B | 159 | 68 |
| 8 | BelgiumBEL | $1.3B | 104 | 67 |
| 9 | JapanJPN | $1.3B | 95 | 66 |
| 10 | Democratic Republic of the CongoCOD | $1.2B | 82 | 63 |
HS6 product coverage
The classifications inside this sector
Explore the six-digit product classifications that make up HS2 25.
85 classifications shownBrowse the product workspace ↗
Salt (including table salt and denatured salt): pure sodium chloride whether or not in aqueous solution: sea waterHS6 250100
Iron pyrites: unroastedHS6 250200
Sulphur of all kinds: other than sublimed, precipitated and colloidal sulphurHS6 250300
Sulphur: crude or unrefinedHS6 250310
Sulphur: other kinds excluding crude, unrefined, sublimed, precipitated and colloidalHS6 250390
Graphite: natural, in powder or in flakesHS6 250410
Graphite: natural, in other forms, excluding powder or flakesHS6 250490
Sands: natural, silica and quartz sands, whether or not colouredHS6 250510
Sands: natural, (other than silica and quartz sands), whether or not coloured, (other than metal-bearing sands of chapter 26)HS6 250590
Quartz: other than natural sandsHS6 250610
Quartzite: whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 250620
Quartzite: crude or roughly trimmedHS6 250621
Quartzite: cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape, (excluding crude or roughly trimmed)HS6 250629
Kaolin and other kaolinic clays: whether or not calcinedHS6 250700
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): bentonite, whether or not calcinedHS6 250810
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): decolourisingHS6 250820
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): fireclay, whether or not calcinedHS6 250830
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): n.e.c. in heading no. 2508, whether or not calcinedHS6 250840
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite, whether or not calcinedHS6 250850
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): mulliteHS6 250860
Clays (excluding expanded clays of heading no. 6806): chamotte or dinas earthsHS6 250870
ChalkHS6 250900
Natural calcium phosphates, natural aluminium calcium phosphates and phosphatic chalk: ungroundHS6 251010
Natural calcium phosphates, natural aluminium calcium phosphates and phosphatic chalk: groundHS6 251020
Barium sulphate (barytes): naturalHS6 251110
Barium carbonate (witherite): natural, whether or not calcined, other than barium oxide of heading no. 2816HS6 251120
Siliceous fossil meals (eg kieselguhr, tripolite and diatomite) and similar siliceous earths: whether or not calcined, of an apparent specific gravity of 1 or lessHS6 251200
Pumice stone, whether or not heat treatedHS6 251310
Pumice stone: crude or in irregular pieces, including crushed pumice (bimskies), whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251311
Pumice stone: in forms other than specified in item no. 2513.11, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251319
Emery, natural corundum, natural garnet and other natural abrasives, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251320
Emery, corundum, garnet and other abrasives: natural, crude or in irregular pieces, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251321
Emery, corundum, garnet and other abrasives: natural, in other forms excluding crude or in irregular pieces, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251329
Slate: whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251400
Marble and travertine: having a specific gravity of 2.5 or more, crude or roughly trimmed by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251511
Marble and travertine: merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape, having a specific gravity of 2.5 or moreHS6 251512
Ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone: alabaster, having a specific gravity of 2.5 or moreHS6 251520
Granite: crude or roughly trimmedHS6 251611
Granite: merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251612
Sandstone:. whether or not roughly trimmed, cut, by sawing etc, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251620
Sandstone: crude or roughly trimmedHS6 251621
Sandstone: merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251622
Monumental or building stone: n.e.c. in heading no. 2516, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251690
Pebbles, gravel, broken or crushed stone: of a kind commonly used for concrete aggregates, for road metalling or for railway or other ballast, shingle and flint, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251710
Macadam of slag, dross or similar industrial waste: whether or not incorporating the materials in item no. 2517.10HS6 251720
Tarred macadamHS6 251730
Stones: of marble, in granules, chippings and powder, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251741
Stones: of heading no. 2515 or 2516 (excluding marble), in granules, chippings and powder, whether or not heat-treatedHS6 251749
Dolomite, not calcined or sintered: including dolomite roughly trimmed, or merely cut by sawing or otherwise into blocks or slabs of rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251810
Dolomite, calcined or sintered: including dolomite roughly trimmed, or merely cut by sawing or otherwise into blocks or slabs of rectangular (including square) shapeHS6 251820
Dolomite ramming mixHS6 251830
Magnesium carbonate (magnesite): naturalHS6 251910
Magnesia, fused or dead-burned (sintered): whether or not containing small quantities of other oxides added before sintering, other magnesium oxide, whether or not pure, (not natural magnesium carbonate)HS6 251990
Gypsum: anhydriteHS6 252010
Plasters: (consisting of calcined gypsum or calcium sulphate), whether or not coloured, with or without small quantities of accelerators or retardersHS6 252020
Limestone flux: limestone and other calcareous stone, of a kind used for the manufacture of lime or cementHS6 252100
Quicklime: excluding calcium oxide and hydroxide of heading no. 2825HS6 252210
Slaked lime: excluding calcium oxide and hydroxide of heading no. 2825HS6 252220
Hydraulic lime: excluding calcium oxide and hydroxide of heading no. 2825HS6 252230
Cement clinkers (whether or not coloured)HS6 252310
Cement: portland, white, whether or not artificially colouredHS6 252321
Cement: portland, other than white, whether or not artificially colouredHS6 252329
Cement: aluminous (ciment fondu), whether or not coloured or in the form of clinkersHS6 252330
Cement: hydraulic kinds n.e.c. in heading no. 2523HS6 252390
AsbestosHS6 252400
Asbestos: crocidolite (blue asbestos)HS6 252410
Asbestos: other than crocidolite (blue asbestos)HS6 252490
Mica: crude and rifted into sheets or splittingsHS6 252510
Mica: powderHS6 252520
Mica: wasteHS6 252530
Steatite: natural, (not crushed or powdered), whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape: talcHS6 252610
Steatite: natural, crushed, powdered, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape: talcHS6 252620
Cryolite and chiolite: naturalHS6 252700
Natural borates and concentrates thereof (whether or not calcined), but not including borates separated from natural brine: natural boric acid containing not more than 85 % of H3BO3 calculated on the dry weightHS6 252800
Sodium borates: natural, whether or not calcinedHS6 252810
Borates: natural, and concentrates thereof, n.e.s. in heading no. 2528, excluding borates separated from natural brine: natural boric acid containing not more than 85% of H3Bo3 calculated on the dry weightHS6 252890
FeldsparHS6 252910
Fluorspar: containing by weight 97% or less of calcium fluorideHS6 252921
Fluorspar: containing by weight more than 97% of calcium fluorideHS6 252922
Leucite: nepheline and nepheline syeniteHS6 252930
Vermiculite, perlite and chlorites: unexpandedHS6 253010
Kieserite, epsomite (natural magnesium sulphates)HS6 253020
Earth coloursHS6 253030
Natural micaceous iron oxidesHS6 253040
Mineral substances: n.e.c. in chapter 25HS6 253090
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Clear definitions keep reported observations and calculated indicators in their proper context. Read our Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS2 classification. They are not company-level sales, retail quotes, or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations and should be read with their coverage period.
Missing data
A missing observation remains unavailable. It is not filled, interpolated, or presented as a forecast.
Coverage: 1995–2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:08
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-27). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.