UN Comtrade • Latest complete year: 2024
28 - Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes (HS 28)
Global exports
$168.08B
Global imports
$167.89B
Top exporter share
15.8%
Top importer share
11.4%
- Global exports of HS2 28, which includes inorganic chemicals and compounds of precious metals, reached $168.1B in 2024.
- Worldwide imports for HS2 28 stood at $167.9B during the same year.
- China was the leading exporter in this category, accounting for 15.8% of global exports.
- The United States was a significant importer of HS2 28 products, with imports valued at $19.0B.
- Rep. of Korea features among the top five exporters and importers for HS2 28.
Overview of HS2 28 Global Trade in 2024
In 2024, the global trade for HS2 28, encompassing inorganic chemicals and compounds of precious metals, isotopes, and related elements, recorded total exports of $168.1B and imports of $167.9B. China led the world in exports, contributing 15.8% of the global market. Other major exporters included the United States, with exports valued at $14.5B, and Germany, exporting $11.7B. On the import side, China was also the largest destination for these products, importing $19.2B. The United States followed as a key importer with $19.0B, and Rep. of Korea's imports amounted to $12.2B.
See also: ChinaUnited StatesGermanyRep. of Korea
Leading International Trade Routes for HS2 28
Analysis of trade flows in 2024 reveals key partnerships in the HS2 28 sector. The most substantial export route was from China to Rep. of Korea, valued at $6.4B. Another significant route involved Canada exporting $4.3B worth of these goods to the United States. Rep. of Korea also maintained a robust export relationship with China, with trade amounting to $2.8B. On the import side, the largest flow was China's imports from Rep. of Korea at $6.7B, while the United States imported $4.4B from Canada. Additionally, the United States exported $2.0B to Mexico in this product category.
Quick insights
- China is the top exporter (15.8% of reported exports).
- China is the top importer (11.4% of reported imports).
- Top 3 exporter concentration: 31.4%.
- Top 5 exporter concentration: 41.7%.
Notes: Shares are relative to reported totals in the dataset for the selected year.
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Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes - product groups (4-digit) by top countries (Exports), 2024 (USD)
Top 10 countries with the leading 6 product groups (4-digit); remainder grouped as Other.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes - country rank by trade value (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)
Ranks show the top 10 countries by latest-year value (rank 1 is largest).
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
Global export trend
Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes - exports over time (Exports), 2015-2024 (USD)
Annual reported exports across available years.
Flow: Exports | Years: 2015-2024 | Unit: USD | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
HS4 drilldown
Built: 2026-01-12T08:07:46Z • Snapshot: 20251222
HS4 subcategories within HS 28 for 2024 (partner = World). Values are summed across reporting economies; coverage varies by reporter and year.
Exports
Coverage vs HS2: 96.0%
Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes - top 4-digit product groups by export share (Exports), 2024 (USD)
Leading 4-digit product groups by export value.
Flow: Exports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
| HS4 | Subcategory | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2818 | Aluminium oxide (including arti… | $20.76B | 12.3% |
| 2844 | Radioactive chemical elements a… | $18.75B | 11.2% |
| 2804 | Hydrogen, rare gases and other… | $11.86B | 7.1% |
| 2836 | Carbonates; peroxocarbonates (p… | $10.40B | 6.2% |
| 2841 | Salts of oxometallic or peroxom… | $9.65B | 5.7% |
| 2843 | Colloidal precious metals; inor… | $9.18B | 5.5% |
| 2825 | Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and… | $7.62B | 4.5% |
| 2803 | Carbon; carbon blacks and other… | $5.84B | 3.5% |
| 2809 | Diphosphorus pentaoxide; phosph… | $5.83B | 3.5% |
| 2811 | Inorganic acids and other inorg… | $5.81B | 3.5% |
| 2815 | Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)… | $5.73B | 3.4% |
| 2814 | Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueou… | $5.59B | 3.3% |
Subcategory names are truncated; hover to see the full description.
Fastest-growing HS4 (CAGR 2019–2024)
Filter: start-year value ≥ $1.00M
| HS4 | Subcategory | CAGR | 2024 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2845 | Isotopes other than those of he… | 41.4% | $2.81B |
| 2844 | Radioactive chemical elements a… | 22.2% | $18.75B |
| 2802 | Sulphur; sublimed or precipitat… | 20.0% | $544.09M |
| 2801 | Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and… | 15.7% | $2.84B |
| 2842 | Salts of inorganic acids or per… | 15.3% | $3.46B |
| 2841 | Salts of oxometallic or peroxom… | 13.2% | $9.65B |
| 2825 | Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and… | 9.5% | $7.62B |
| 2830 | Sulphides; polysulphides whethe… | 8.6% | $669.09M |
Imports
Coverage vs HS2: 97.3%
Inorganic chemicals; organic and inorganic compounds of precious metals; of rare earth metals, of radio-active elements and of isotopes - top 4-digit product groups by import share (Imports), 2024 (USD)
Leading 4-digit product groups by import value.
Flow: Imports | Year: 2024 | Unit: USD | Snapshot: 20251222 | Source: UN Comtrade
Generated by TradeVedia.comSource: UN Comtrade
| HS4 | Subcategory | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2844 | Radioactive chemical elements a… | $21.44B | 12.8% |
| 2818 | Aluminium oxide (including arti… | $16.45B | 9.8% |
| 2836 | Carbonates; peroxocarbonates (p… | $11.92B | 7.1% |
| 2804 | Hydrogen, rare gases and other… | $11.09B | 6.6% |
| 2825 | Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and… | $9.06B | 5.4% |
| 2814 | Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueou… | $8.35B | 5.0% |
| 2815 | Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)… | $7.18B | 4.3% |
| 2843 | Colloidal precious metals; inor… | $6.76B | 4.0% |
| 2803 | Carbon; carbon blacks and other… | $6.16B | 3.7% |
| 2811 | Inorganic acids and other inorg… | $5.98B | 3.6% |
| 2809 | Diphosphorus pentaoxide; phosph… | $5.44B | 3.2% |
| 2841 | Salts of oxometallic or peroxom… | $5.24B | 3.1% |
Subcategory names are truncated; hover to see the full description.
Fastest-growing HS4 (CAGR 2019–2024)
Filter: start-year value ≥ $1.00M
| HS4 | Subcategory | CAGR | 2024 value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2845 | Isotopes other than those of he… | 29.5% | $1.86B |
| 2846 | Compounds, inorganic or organic… | 17.0% | $2.27B |
| 2844 | Radioactive chemical elements a… | 15.5% | $21.44B |
| 2801 | Fluorine, chlorine, bromine and… | 14.4% | $2.91B |
| 2841 | Salts of oxometallic or peroxom… | 11.5% | $5.24B |
| 2842 | Salts of inorganic acids or per… | 9.7% | $3.78B |
| 2825 | Hydrazine and hydroxylamine and… | 9.4% | $9.06B |
| 2814 | Ammonia; anhydrous or in aqueou… | 9.0% | $8.35B |
Explore country profiles
Jump from this HS2 product to the country trade pages for the largest exporters and importers.
Top exporters
Top trade routes
Top exporter → importer routes among the largest exporters (bounded at build-time).
| Exporter | Importer | Value | Share of exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (CHN) | Rep. of Korea (KOR) | $6.43B | 3.8% |
| Canada (CAN) | USA (USA) | $4.32B | 2.6% |
| Rep. of Korea (KOR) | China (CHN) | $2.84B | 1.7% |
| China (CHN) | Japan (JPN) | $2.80B | 1.7% |
| Chile (CHL) | China (CHN) | $2.67B | 1.6% |
| Kazakhstan (KAZ) | Russian Federation (RUS) | $2.25B | 1.3% |
| USA (USA) | Mexico (MEX) | $2.02B | 1.2% |
| Japan (JPN) | USA (USA) | $1.96B | 1.2% |
| Kazakhstan (KAZ) | China (CHN) | $1.78B | 1.1% |
| USA (USA) | Canada (CAN) | $1.72B | 1.0% |
| Rep. of Korea (KOR) | Hungary (HUN) | $1.71B | 1.0% |
| Brazil (BRA) | Canada (CAN) | $1.65B | 1.0% |
| France (FRA) | USA (USA) | $1.57B | 0.9% |
| China (CHN) | Russian Federation (RUS) | $1.49B | 0.9% |
| China (CHN) | USA (USA) | $1.46B | 0.9% |
Data notes & methodology
Source: UN Comtrade
Exports total: $168.08B • Imports total: $167.89B
Canonical: https://tradevedia.com/product/hs2/28/