# Inorganic chemicals (HS2 28) Sector Trade Overview | Yugalinks

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Inorganic chemicals at HS2 28, with reported global trade through 2024.

Canonical: https://www.yugalinks.com/trade/sector/hs2/28

## Answer

The inorganic chemicals sector recorded $188.8B in reported global trade in 2024, with +0.3% annual change.

## Key figures

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Latest reported trade | $188.8B |
| Latest annual change | +0.3% |
| Active exporters | 191 |
| Active importers | 200 |
| Active HS6 products | 174 |

## Annual trend

| Year | Global trade | Corridors | HS6 products |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1995 | $35.5B | 6,174 | 174 |
| 1996 | $36.8B | 6,339 | 174 |
| 1997 | $37.5B | 6,411 | 174 |
| 1998 | $35.8B | 6,636 | 174 |
| 1999 | $38.4B | 7,063 | 174 |
| 2000 | $44.6B | 7,729 | 174 |
| 2001 | $44.0B | 7,831 | 174 |
| 2002 | $43.3B | 8,034 | 174 |
| 2003 | $50.2B | 8,209 | 174 |
| 2004 | $61.1B | 8,406 | 174 |
| 2005 | $72.8B | 8,466 | 174 |
| 2006 | $85.8B | 8,601 | 174 |
| 2007 | $103.9B | 8,868 | 174 |
| 2008 | $132.7B | 9,215 | 174 |
| 2009 | $91.8B | 9,360 | 174 |
| 2010 | $118.1B | 9,290 | 174 |
| 2011 | $146.0B | 9,707 | 174 |
| 2012 | $133.8B | 9,770 | 174 |
| 2013 | $128.2B | 9,745 | 174 |
| 2014 | $126.9B | 10,010 | 174 |
| 2015 | $115.6B | 9,921 | 174 |
| 2016 | $104.2B | 9,969 | 174 |
| 2017 | $119.1B | 10,253 | 174 |
| 2018 | $143.6B | 10,322 | 174 |
| 2019 | $129.3B | 10,244 | 174 |
| 2020 | $119.4B | 10,197 | 174 |
| 2021 | $162.2B | 10,381 | 174 |
| 2022 | $228.9B | 10,497 | 174 |
| 2023 | $204.2B | 10,562 | 174 |
| 2024 | $188.8B | 10,730 | 174 |

## Growth and market structure

- Trend: Growing
- Three-year CAGR: +5.2%
- Five-year CAGR: +7.9%
- Historical peak: $228.9B in 2,022
- Positive-growth years: 72.4%
- Exporter concentration HHI: 2,236.4
- Importer concentration HHI: 1,107.7
- Trade volatility coefficient: 0.5

## Leading corridors

| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 products | Distance | FTA |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | --- |
| 1 | China | Republic of Korea | $7.3B | +2.8% | 154 | 867 km | Yes |
| 2 | Canada | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | $4.4B | +17.3% | 148 | 556 km | Yes |
| 3 | Republic of Korea | China | $2.8B | -2.1% | 131 | 867 km | Yes |
| 4 | China | Japan | $2.7B | -5.2% | 147 | 1,763 km | No |
| 5 | Chile | China | $2.6B | +61.6% | 14 | 18,861 km | Yes |
| 6 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | China | $2.4B | +24% | 2 | 11,798 km | No |
| 7 | Kazakhstan | Russia | $2.2B | +57% | 103 | 3,112 km | Yes |
| 8 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | Mexico | $2.1B | -6% | 167 | 3,359 km | Yes |
| 9 | Japan | India | $1.7B | +5.1% | 126 | 5,846 km | Yes |
| 10 | Kazakhstan | China | $1.7B | +36.2% | 18 | 4,117 km | No |

## Leading exporters

| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 products |
| ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | China | $28.9B | 197 | 173 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | $14.5B | 182 | 174 |
| 3 | Germany | $12.5B | 183 | 174 |
| 4 | Republic of Korea | $8.9B | 156 | 172 |
| 5 | Japan | $8.0B | 145 | 172 |
| 6 | Canada | $7.5B | 150 | 173 |
| 7 | Australia | $6.7B | 140 | 172 |
| 8 | France | $6.6B | 180 | 174 |
| 9 | Netherlands | $6.1B | 179 | 174 |
| 10 | Kazakhstan | $5.5B | 66 | 164 |

## Leading importers

| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 products |
| ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | China | $20.8B | 122 | 173 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | $20.6B | 129 | 174 |
| 3 | Republic of Korea | $13.0B | 100 | 172 |
| 4 | India | $8.8B | 106 | 173 |
| 5 | Germany | $8.4B | 111 | 174 |
| 6 | Japan | $7.3B | 81 | 172 |
| 7 | Canada | $6.5B | 122 | 173 |
| 8 | France | $6.2B | 132 | 174 |
| 9 | Russia | $5.2B | 57 | 173 |
| 10 | Netherlands | $5.1B | 123 | 174 |

## HS6 products

- Chlorine (HS6 280110)
- Iodine (HS6 280120)
- Fluorine: bromine (HS6 280130)
- Sulphur: sublimed or precipitated, colloidal sulphur (HS6 280200)
- Carbon: carbon blacks and other forms of carbon n.e.s. (HS6 280300)
- Hydrogen (HS6 280410)
- Gases, rare: argon (HS6 280421)
- Gases, rare: other than argon (HS6 280429)
- Nitrogen (HS6 280430)
- Oxygen (HS6 280440)
- Boron: tellurium (HS6 280450)
- Silicon: containing by weight not less than 99.99% of silicon (HS6 280461)
- Silicon: containing by weight less than 99.99% of silicon (HS6 280469)
- Phosphorus (HS6 280470)
- Arsenic (HS6 280480)
- Selenium (HS6 280490)
- Alkali or alkali-earth metals: sodium (HS6 280511)
- Alkali or alkali-earth metals: calcium (HS6 280512)
- Alkali or alkali-earth metals: other than sodium and calcium (HS6 280519)
- Alkaline-earth metals: calcium (HS6 280521)
- Alkaline-earth metals: strontium and barium (HS6 280522)
- Earth-metals, rare: scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or interalloyed (HS6 280530)
- Mercury (HS6 280540)
- Hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid) (HS6 280610)
- Chlorosulphuric acid (HS6 280620)
- Sulphuric acid: oleum (HS6 280700)
- Nitric acid: sulphonitric acids (HS6 280800)
- Diphosphorus pentoxide (HS6 280910)
- Phosphoric acid and polyphosphoric acids (HS6 280920)
- Oxides of boron: boric acids (HS6 281000)
- Hydrogen fluoride (hydrofluoric acid) (HS6 281111)
- Hydrogen cyanide (hydrocyanic acid) (HS6 281112)
- Inorganic acids: other than hydrogen fluoride (HS6 281119)
- Carbon dioxide (HS6 281121)
- Silicon dioxide (HS6 281122)
- Sulphur dioxide (HS6 281123)
- Inorganic oxygen compounds: of non-metals, n.e.c. in item no. 2811.2 (HS6 281129)
- Chlorides and chloride oxides (HS6 281210)
- Carbonyl dichloride (phosgene) (HS6 281211)
- Phosphorus oxychloride (HS6 281212)
- Phosphorus trichloride (HS6 281213)
- Phosphorus pentachloride (HS6 281214)
- Sulphur monochloride (HS6 281215)
- Sulphur dichloride (HS6 281216)
- Thionyl chloride (HS6 281217)
- Arsenic trichloride and other chlorides and chloride oxides, n.e.c. in item no. 2812 (HS6 281219)
- Halides and halide oxides of non-metals: excluding chloride (HS6 281290)
- Carbon disulphide (HS6 281310)
- Sulphides of non-metals, (excluding carbon): commercial phosphorus trisulphide (HS6 281390)
- Ammonia: anhydrous (HS6 281410)
- Ammonia: in aqueous solution (HS6 281420)
- Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda): solid (HS6 281511)
- Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda): in aqueous solution (soda lye or liquid soda) (HS6 281512)
- Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) (HS6 281520)
- Peroxides of sodium or potassium (HS6 281530)
- Hydroxide and peroxide of magnesium (HS6 281610)
- Oxide, hydroxide and peroxide of strontium (HS6 281620)
- Oxide, hydroxide and peroxide of barium (HS6 281630)
- Oxides, hydroxides and peroxides, of strontium or barium (HS6 281640)
- Zinc: oxide and peroxide (HS6 281700)
- Aluminium oxide: artificial corundum (HS6 281810)
- Aluminium oxide: other than artificial corundum (HS6 281820)
- Aluminium hydroxide (HS6 281830)
- Chromium trioxide (HS6 281910)
- Chromium oxides and hydroxides: excluding chromium trioxide (HS6 281990)
- Manganese dioxide (HS6 282010)
- Manganese oxides: excluding manganese dioxide (HS6 282090)
- Iron oxides and hydroxides (HS6 282110)
- Earth colours: containing 70% or more by weight of combined iron evaluated as Fe2o3 (HS6 282120)
- Cobalt oxides and hydroxides: commercial cobalt oxides (HS6 282200)
- Titanium oxides (HS6 282300)
- Lead: lead monoxide (litharge, massicot) (HS6 282410)
- Lead: red and orange (HS6 282420)
- Lead oxides: n.e.c. in heading no. 2824 (HS6 282490)
- Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and their inorganic salts (HS6 282510)
- Lithium oxide and hydroxide (HS6 282520)
- Vanadium oxides and hydroxides (HS6 282530)
- Nickel oxides and hydroxides (HS6 282540)
- Copper oxides and hydroxides (HS6 282550)
- Germanium oxides and zirconium dioxide (HS6 282560)
- Molybdenum oxides and hydroxides (HS6 282570)
- Antimony oxides (HS6 282580)
- Inorganic bases, metal oxides, hydroxides and peroxides: n.e.s. in heading no. 2825 (HS6 282590)
- Fluorides: of ammonium or of sodium (HS6 282611)
- Fluorides: of aluminium (HS6 282612)
- Fluorides: other than of ammonium or sodium or aluminium (HS6 282619)
- Fluorosilicates of sodium or of potassium (HS6 282620)
- Sodium hexafluoroaluminate (synthetic cryolite) (HS6 282630)
- Fluorides: fluorosilicates, fluoroaluminates and other complex fluorine salts, n.e.s. in heading no. 2826 (HS6 282690)
- Chlorides: of ammonium (HS6 282710)
- Chlorides: of calcium (HS6 282720)
- Chlorides: of magnesium (HS6 282731)
- Chlorides: of aluminium (HS6 282732)
- Chlorides: of iron (HS6 282733)
- Chlorides: of cobalt (HS6 282734)
- Chlorides: of nickel (HS6 282735)
- Chlorides: of zinc (HS6 282736)
- Chlorides: of tin (HS6 282737)
- Chlorides: of barium (HS6 282738)
- Chlorides: other than of ammonium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, iron, cobalt, nickel and zinc (HS6 282739)
- Chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides: of copper (HS6 282741)
- Chloride oxides and chloride hydroxides: other than of copper (HS6 282749)
- Bromides: of sodium or of potassium (HS6 282751)
- Bromides and bromide oxides: other than item no. 2827.51 (HS6 282759)
- Iodides and iodide oxides (HS6 282760)
- Hypochlorites: commercial calcium hypochlorite and other calcium hypochlorites (HS6 282810)
- Hypochlorites: n.e.c. in heading no. 2828 (HS6 282890)
- Chlorates: of sodium (HS6 282911)
- Chlorates: other than sodium (HS6 282919)
- Perchlorates: bromates and perbromates: iodates and periodates (HS6 282990)
- Sulphides: of sodium (HS6 283010)
- Sulphides: of zinc (HS6 283020)
- Sulphides: of cadmium (HS6 283030)
- Sulphides and polysulphides: n.e.c. in heading no. 2830 (HS6 283090)
- Dithionites and sulphoxylates: of sodium (HS6 283110)
- Dithionites and sulphoxylates: other than sodium (HS6 283190)
- Sulphites: of sodium (HS6 283210)
- Sulphites: other than of sodium (HS6 283220)
- Thiosulphates (HS6 283230)
- Sodium sulphates: disodium sulphate (HS6 283311)
- Sodium sulphates: other than disodium sulphate (HS6 283319)
- Sulphates: of magnesium (HS6 283321)
- Sulphates: of aluminium (HS6 283322)
- Sulphates: of chromium (HS6 283323)
- Sulphates: of nickel (HS6 283324)
- Sulphates: of copper (HS6 283325)
- Sulphates: of zinc (HS6 283326)
- Sulphates: of barium (HS6 283327)
- Sulphates: n.e.s. in item no. 2833.2 (HS6 283329)
- Alums (HS6 283330)
- Peroxosulphates (persulphates) (HS6 283340)
- Nitrites (HS6 283410)
- Nitrates: of potassium (HS6 283421)
- Nitrates: of bismuth (HS6 283422)
- Nitrates: of other than potassium or bismuth (HS6 283429)
- Phosphinates (hypophosphites) and phosphonates (phosphites) (HS6 283510)
- Phosphates: of triammonium (HS6 283521)
- Phosphates: of mono- or disodium (HS6 283522)
- Phosphates: of trisodium (HS6 283523)
- Phosphates: of potassium, whether or not chemically defined (HS6 283524)
- Phosphates: calcium hydrogenorthophosphate (dicalcium phosphate), whether or not chemically defined (HS6 283525)
- Phosphates: of calcium n.e.c. in item no. 2835.25, whether or not chemically defined (HS6 283526)
- Phosphates: (other than of mono- or disodium, other than of potassium or of calcium hydrogenorthophosphate (dicalcium phosphate) and excluding other phosphates of calcium), whether or not chemically defined (HS6 283529)
- Polyphosphates: sodium triphosphate (sodium tripolyphosphate) (HS6 283531)
- Polyphosphates: other than sodium triphosphate (sodium tripolyphosphate), whether or not chemically defined (HS6 283539)
- Carbonates: commercial ammonium carbonate and other ammonium carbonates (HS6 283610)
- Carbonates: disodium carbonate (HS6 283620)
- Carbonates: sodium hydrogencarbonate (sodium bicarbonate) (HS6 283630)
- Carbonates: potassium carbonate (HS6 283640)
- Carbonates: calcium carbonate (HS6 283650)
- Carbonates: barium carbonate (HS6 283660)
- Carbonates: lead carbonate (HS6 283670)
- Carbonates: lithium carbonate (HS6 283691)
- Carbonates: strontium carbonate (HS6 283692)
- Carbonates: bismuth carbonate (HS6 283693)
- Carbonates: n.e.s. in heading no. 2836 and other than lithium or strontium (HS6 283699)
- Cyanides and cyanide oxides: of sodium (HS6 283711)
- Cyanides and cyanide oxides: other than of sodium (HS6 283719)
- Complex cyanides (HS6 283720)
- Fulminates, cyanates and thiocyanates (HS6 283800)
- Silicates: sodium metasilicates (HS6 283911)
- Silicates: of sodium (excluding sodium metasilicates) (HS6 283919)
- Silicates: of potassium (HS6 283920)
- Silicates: commercial alkali metal silicates, other than of sodium or potassium (HS6 283990)
- Borates: disodium tetraborate (refined borax), anhydrous (HS6 284011)
- Borates: disodium tetraborate (refined borax), other than anhydrous (HS6 284019)
- Borates: n.e.c. in heading no. 2840 (HS6 284020)
- Peroxoborates (perborates) (HS6 284030)
- Salts: aluminates (HS6 284110)
- Salts: chromates of zinc or of lead (HS6 284120)
- Salts: sodium dichromate (HS6 284130)
- Salts: potassium dichromate (HS6 284140)
- Salts: chromates, dichromates, peroxochromates: n.e.c. in heading no. 2841 (HS6 284150)
- Salts: manganites, manganates and permanganates (HS6 284160)
- Salts: of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids, manganites, manganates and permanganates, potassium permanganate (HS6 284161)
- Salts: of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids, manganites, manganates and permanganates, other than potassium permanganate (HS6 284169)
- Salts: molybdates (HS6 284170)
- Salts: tungstates (wolframates) (HS6 284180)
- Salts of oxometallic or peroxometallic acids: n.e.c. in heading no. 2841 (HS6 284190)
- Salts: double or complex silicates, including aluminosilicates, whether or not chemically defined (HS6 284210)
- Salts: of inorganic acids or peroxoacids, other than double or complex silicates, including aluminosilicates, whether or not chemically, excluding azides (HS6 284290)
- Colloidal precious metals: whether or not chemically defined (HS6 284310)
- Silver compounds: silver nitrates (HS6 284321)
- Silver compounds: excluding silver nitrates (HS6 284329)
- Gold compounds (HS6 284330)
- Inorganic or organic compounds: of precious metals (excluding gold and silver), whether or not chemically defined, amalgams of precious metals (HS6 284390)
- Uranium: natural uranium and its compounds, alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing natural uranium or natural uranium compounds (HS6 284410)
- Uranium: enriched in U235, plutonium, their compounds, alloys dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing uranium enriched in U235, plutonium or compounds of these products (HS6 284420)
- Uranium: depleted in U235, thorium, their compounds, alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing uranium depleted in U235, thorium: compounds of these products (HS6 284430)
- Radioactive elements, isotopes, compounds, n.e.c. in heading no. 2844 alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing these elements, isotopes or compounds: radioactive residues (HS6 284440)
- Radioactive elements: tritium and its compounds: alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing tritium or its compounds (HS6 284441)
- Radioactive elements: actinium-225, 227, californium-253, curium-240, 241, 242, 243, 244, einsteinium-253, 254, gadolinium-148, polonium-208, 209, 210, radium-223, uranium-230 or 232, compounds: alloys, dispersions, ceramic products and mixtures (HS6 284442)
- Radioactive elements, isotopes and compounds: other alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products and mixtures containing these elements, isotopes or compounds (HS6 284443)
- Radioactive elements, isotopes, compounds n.e.c. in heading no. 2844, alloys, dispersions (including cermets), ceramic products, mixtures containing the elements, isotopes, compounds: radioactive residues (HS6 284444)
- Spent (irradiated) fuel elements (cartridges) of nuclear reactors (HS6 284450)
- Heavy water (deuterium oxide) (HS6 284510)
- Boron enriched in boron-10 and its compounds (HS6 284520)
- Lithium enriched in lithium-6 and its compounds (HS6 284530)
- Helium-3 (HS6 284540)
- Isotopes (excluding those of heading no. 2844): compounds, inorganic or organic, of such isotopes, whether or not chemically defined (HS6 284590)
- Cerium compounds (HS6 284610)
- Compounds, inorganic or organic (excluding cerium), of rare-earth metals, of yttrium, scandium or of mixtures of these metals (HS6 284690)
- Hydrogen peroxide: whether or not solidified with urea (HS6 284700)
- Phosphides: whether or not chemically defined, excluding ferrophosphorus (HS6 284800)
- Phosphides: of copper (phosphor copper), containing more than 15% by weight of phosphorus, whether or not chemically defined, excluding ferrophosphorus (HS6 284810)
- Phosphides: of metals or non-metals (excluding copper), whether or not chemically defined (excluding ferrophosphorus) (HS6 284890)
- Carbides: of calcium, whether or not chemically defined (HS6 284910)
- Carbides: of silicon, whether or not chemically defined (HS6 284920)
- Carbides: whether or not chemically defined, other than of calcium or silicon (HS6 284990)
- Hydrides, nitrides, azides, silicides and borides, whether or not chemically defined, other than compounds which are also carbides of heading no. 2849 (HS6 285000)
- Inorganic compounds n.e.s. (including distilled or conductivity water and water of similar purity): liquid air (rare gases removed or not): compressed air: amalgams, other than precious metal amalgams (HS6 285100)
- Compounds, inorganic or organic, of mercury, excluding amalgams (HS6 285200)
- Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury, excluding amalgams, chemically defined (HS6 285210)
- Inorganic or organic compounds of mercury: excluding amalgams, not chemically defined, (HS6 285290)
- Inorganic compounds n.e.c. (including distilled or conductivity water and water of similar purity): liquid air (rare gases removed or not): compressed air: amalgams, other than precious metal amalgams (HS6 285300)
- Inorganic compounds: cyanogen chloride (chlorcyan) (HS6 285310)
- Phosphides, chemically defined or not, not ferrophosphorus: other inorganic compounds n.e.c. (including distilled, conductivity water and water of like purity): liquid air, rare gases removed or not: compressed air: amalgams, not precious metal amalgams (HS6 285390)

## Definitions and coverage

Merchandise trade observations aggregated to HS2. Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons calculated from reported observations. Missing values remain unavailable and are not imputed.

Reported observations cover 1995-2024. The data release was refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:08.

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## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-27). [OECD Data Explorer](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) · [OECD Terms & Conditions](https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/)
- CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601): [dataset page](https://www.cepii.fr/CEPII/en/bdd_modele/bdd_modele_item.asp?id=37) · [BACI documentation](https://www.cepii.fr/DATA_DOWNLOAD/baci/doc/baci_webpage.html) · [Etalab 2.0 Open Licence](https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/open-licence.pdf)

This page presents derived Yugalinks views of reported observations and calculated indicators.