Top Imported Chemicals Countries

Overall imports for both organic and inorganic chemicals totaled US$592.6 billion during 2014, up 13.9% since 2010. The following countries account for 99.4% of the value of global chemical purchases for 2014.

Most Valuable Chemical Imports 2014

Below are the most valuable chemicals imported during 2014, listed in descending order by dollar value.  Also shown is the increase in value  for each chemical  since 2010.

African Importers

Africa imported $10.1 billion worth of chemicals representing 1.7% of international purchases led by the following items:

 1. Aluminum oxide: $560.5 million  2. Anhydrous ammonia: $468 million  3. Isocyanates: $455.6 million  4. Sulphuric acid, oleum: $260.4 million  5. Disodium carbonate: $230.2 million  6. Terephthalic acid, salts: $193.8 million  7. Sodium hydroxide: $187.9 million  8. Antibiotics in bulk: $187.9 million  9. Penicillins, salts in bulk: $180.9 million 10. Glutamic acid, salts: $167.8 million

Asian Importers

Asia imported $200 billion worth of chemicals representing 33.7% of international purchases led by the following items:

 1. P-xylene: $17 billion  2. Ethylene glycol (ethanediol): $11.4 billion  3. Styrene: $10.3 billion  4. Propene (propylene): $5.6 billion  5. Methanol (methyl alcohol): $5.6 billion  6. Silicon: $5.5 billion  7. Aluminum oxide: $4.7 billion  8. Ethylene: $4.3 billion  9. Benzene: $3.8 billion 10. Terephthalic acid, salts: $3.8 billion

European Importers

Europe imported $219 billion worth of chemicals representing 37% of international purchases led by the following items:

 1. Uranium U235/plutonium: $3.2 billion  2. Natural uranium compounds: $2.4 billion  3. Precious metal compounds: $2.4 billion  4. Anhydrous ammonia: $2.3 billion  5. Carbon: $2.3 billion  6. Aluminum oxide: $1.6 billion  7. Miscellaneous silicon: $1.5 billion  8. Sodium hydroxide: $1.2 billion  9. Silicon dioxide: $1 billion 10. Phosphoric acid: $1.1 billion

Latin American and Caribbean Importers

Latin America imported $16.6 billion worth of chemicals representing 3% of global purchases led by the following items:

 1. Nucleic acids, salts: $1.9 billion  2. Acyclic ethers: $1.5 billion  3. Organo-inorganic compounds: $1.5 billion  4. P-xylene: $1.5 billion  5. Styrene: $1.4 billion  6. Heterocyclics with unfused pyridine ring: $1.2 billion  7. Organo-sulphur compounds: $1.1 billion  8. Heterocyclics (nitrogen hetero-atoms): $856.4 million  9. Disodium carbonate: $794.1 million 10. Vinyl chloride (chloroethylene): $723.1 million

Middle Eastern Importers

he Middle East imported $12.9 billion worth of chemicals representing 2.2% of international purchases led by the following items:

 2. Aluminum oxide: $1.3 billion  3. Benzene: $823.6 million  4. Ethylene glycol (ethanediol): $585.9 million  5. Antibiotics in bulk: $484.1 million  7. Phosphoric acid: $403.3 million  8.  Styrene: $401.2 million  9. Anhydrous ammonia: $356.9 million

North American Importers

North America imported $91.6 billion worth of chemicals representing 15.4% of international purchases led by the following items:

 1. Nucleic acids, salts: $8 billion  2. Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $4.1 billion  3. Sulphonamides in bulk: $3.7 billion  4. Lactams: $3.1 billion  5.  Anhydrous ammonia: $2.9 billion  6. Heterocyclics (nitrogen hetero-atoms): $2.8 billion  7. Benzene: $2.5 billion  8. Uranium U235/plutonium: $2.3 billion  9. Heterocyclics (unfused pyridine ring): $2.2 billion 10. Methanol (methyl alcohol): $2 billion

Oceanian Importers

Oceania imported $4.7 billion worth of  chemicals representing 0.8% of international purchases led by the following items:

 1. Sodium hydroxide: $678.7 million  2. Aluminum oxide: $217.1 million  3. Adrenal cortical hormones: $196.6 million  4. Heterocyclics, pyridine ring: $149.6 million  5. Organo-inorganic compounds: $127.4 million  6. Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $118.9 million  7. Heterocyclics, hetero-atom: $90.4 million  8. Adrenal cortical hormones: $85.6 million  9. Antibiotics in bulk: $77.2 million 10. Disodium carbonate: $75.9 million

Data source: Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis