Latest trade
$29.9BGlobal subsector valueHS4 subsector intelligence
Optical fibres, optical fibre bundles and cables
HS4 9001 trade overview
A focused view of this HS4 subsector: market scale, momentum, leading routes, countries, and the HS6 classifications inside it.
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+2.6%Latest year on yearExporters
176Active reporting countriesImporters
198Active reporting countriesHS6 products
6Classifications inside HS4The subsector read
$29.9B in trade, with -3.5% annualized growth over three years.
Optical fibres, optical fibre bundles and cables is recorded across 6,507 active corridors, with 176 exporters and 198 importers.
Annual trend
Subsector momentum over time
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Read the methodology ↗
Top trade corridors
Where the subsector moves
Leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported value. See data sources ↗
Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JapanJPN | ChinaCHN | $1.6B | -12.6% | 6 | 1,763 km | No |
| 2 | Republic of KoreaKOR | ChinaCHN | $1.4B | -15.1% | 6 | 867 km | Yes |
| 3 | TaiwanTWN | ChinaCHN | $1.2B | -14.1% | 6 | 688 km | No |
| 4 | MexicoMEX | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $719.5M | +11.4% | 6 | 3,359 km | Yes |
| 5 | ChinaCHN | TaiwanTWN | $579.4M | +16% | 6 | 688 km | No |
| 6 | ChinaCHN | JapanJPN | $459.0M | -2.2% | 6 | 1,763 km | No |
| 7 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | ChinaCHN | $447.5M | -4.2% | 6 | 11,883 km | No |
| 8 | IrelandIRL | JapanJPN | $423.9M | -9.1% | 4 | 9,610 km | Yes |
| 9 | JapanJPN | Viet NamVNM | $408.9M | +6.2% | 6 | 4,327 km | Yes |
| 10 | ChinaCHN | Viet NamVNM | $407.6M | +11.3% | 6 | 2,732 km | Yes |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings show the two sides of the subsector separately. Check coverage ↗
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $5.2B | 196 | 6 |
| 2 | JapanJPN | $3.2B | 125 | 6 |
| 3 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $3.0B | 161 | 6 |
| 4 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $2.5B | 131 | 6 |
| 5 | GermanyDEU | $2.3B | 160 | 6 |
| 6 | TaiwanTWN | $1.9B | 112 | 6 |
| 7 | ThailandTHA | $1.5B | 122 | 6 |
| 8 | IrelandIRL | $1.4B | 106 | 6 |
| 9 | MexicoMEX | $848.6M | 95 | 6 |
| 10 | United KingdomGBR | $804.0M | 145 | 6 |
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $6.0B | 76 | 6 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $3.0B | 93 | 6 |
| 3 | JapanJPN | $2.4B | 60 | 6 |
| 4 | GermanyDEU | $1.7B | 95 | 6 |
| 5 | Viet NamVNM | $1.2B | 43 | 6 |
| 6 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $1.1B | 78 | 6 |
| 7 | TaiwanTWN | $1.1B | 51 | 6 |
| 8 | FranceFRA | $1.0B | 99 | 6 |
| 9 | MexicoMEX | $819.7M | 67 | 6 |
| 10 | United KingdomGBR | $814.7M | 78 | 6 |
HS6 product coverage
The products inside HS4 9001
Six-digit classifications make the subsector specific. Browse the product workspace ↗
6 classifications shownOptical fibres, optical fibre bundles and cables
Optical fibres, optical fibre bundles and cables: excluding those of heading no. 8544HS6 900110
Optical elements: polarising material, sheets and plates thereofHS6 900120
Lenses, contact: unmounted, of any material, excluding elements of glass not optically workedHS6 900130
Lenses, spectacle: unmounted, of glass, excluding elements of glass not optically workedHS6 900140
Lenses, spectacle: unmounted, of materials other than glassHS6 900150
Optical elements: lenses n.e.c. in heading no. 9001, prisms, mirrors and other optical elements, unmounted, of any material (excluding elements of glass not optically worked)HS6 900190
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Reported observations and calculated indicators should be read with their coverage period. Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS4 classification, not company-level sales or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations.
Missing data
Unavailable observations remain unavailable. They are not filled, interpolated, or presented as forecasts.
Coverage: 1995-2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:09
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.