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Antibiotics: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in antibiotics totaled $11.3 billion (154 thousand tonnes). The top exporters were China (46%), India (9%) and Italy (8%); the top importers were India (17%), Italy (11%) and the United States (6%). Compared with 2019, the value fell 14%.

Summary

World trade
$11.3billion
Tonnes
154thousand tonnes
Price per tonne
$73,348
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. China$5.2 billion · 45.7%
  2. India$1 billion · 9.1%
  3. Italy$918 million · 8.1%
  4. Switzerland$772 million · 6.8%
  5. United States$576 million · 5.1%
  6. Spain$499 million · 4.4%
  7. Belgium$309 million · 2.7%
    re-exports
  8. Netherlands$277 million · 2.5%
    re-exports
  9. South Korea$178 million · 1.6%
  10. Denmark$173 million · 1.5%
  11. Singapore$144 million · 1.3%
    re-exports
  12. Germany$141 million · 1.3%
  13. France$137 million · 1.2%
  14. Ireland$113 million · 1%
  15. Austria$110 million · 0.98%
  16. Japan$92 million · 0.82%
  17. Hungary$80 million · 0.7%
  18. Mexico$70 million · 0.62%
  19. Croatia$69 million · 0.62%
  20. Bulgaria$65 million · 0.58%

Top importers

  1. India$1.9 billion · 17.1%
  2. Italy$1.2 billion · 10.8%
  3. United States$668 million · 5.9%
  4. China$616 million · 5.5%
  5. France$401 million · 3.6%
  6. Brazil$393 million · 3.5%
  7. Germany$353 million · 3.1%
  8. Netherlands$334 million · 3%
    re-exports
  9. Spain$314 million · 2.8%
  10. Vietnam$302 million · 2.7%
  11. Japan$260 million · 2.3%
  12. South Korea$237 million · 2.1%
  13. Turkey$230 million · 2%
  14. Austria$206 million · 1.8%
  15. Egypt$198 million · 1.8%
  16. Bangladesh$194 million · 1.7%
  17. United Kingdom$187 million · 1.7%
  18. Indonesia$172 million · 1.5%
  19. Belgium$163 million · 1.4%
    re-exports
  20. Canada$159 million · 1.4%

Trend

Who sells it

China has been the top exporter since 2006

Value in USD billions. The five largest exporters in 2024.

  • China 5.2
  • India 1
  • Italy 0.92
  • Switzerland 0.77
  • United States 0.58

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
China0.585.2
India0.211
Italy1.10.92
Switzerland0.340.77
United States1.10.58

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 10% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $73,348

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$66,414
1996$42,951
1997$74,145
1998$75,417
1999$60,540
2000$77,243
2001$68,332
2002$69,151
2003$71,678
2004$75,813
2005$86,741
2006$62,080
2007$79,357
2008$86,916
2009$107,801
2010$92,608
2011$68,515
2012$85,432
2013$82,806
2014$77,098
2015$69,044
2016$85,224
2017$75,591
2018$87,256
2019$86,607
2020$79,464
2021$74,341
2022$81,592
2023$80,289
2024$73,348

What it includes

  • 2941 · Antibiotics

Products in the same chapter

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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