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Ballpoint pens, markers and fountain pens: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in ballpoint pens, markers and fountain pens totaled $6.7 billion (533 thousand tonnes). The top exporters were China (38%), Japan (14%) and Germany (10%); the top importers were the United States (17%), Germany (6%) and France (6%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 7%.

Summary

World trade
$6.7billion
Tonnes
533thousand tonnes
Price per tonne
$12,588
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. China$2.6 billion · 38%
  2. Japan$934 million · 13.9%
  3. Germany$680 million · 10.1%
  4. France$369 million · 5.5%
  5. Mexico$326 million · 4.9%
  6. United States$272 million · 4%
  7. India$239 million · 3.6%
  8. Italy$147 million · 2.2%
  9. Czechia$115 million · 1.7%
  10. Netherlands$92 million · 1.4%
    re-exports
  11. Malaysia$90 million · 1.3%
  12. Switzerland$88 million · 1.3%
  13. Tunisia$77 million · 1.1%
  14. Poland$71 million · 1.1%
  15. South Korea$67 million · 1%
  16. Vietnam$66 million · 0.99%
  17. Taiwan$57 million · 0.84%
  18. Spain$46 million · 0.69%
  19. Thailand$40 million · 0.59%
  20. Slovakia$34 million · 0.51%

Top importers

  1. United States$1.2 billion · 17.1%
  2. Germany$398 million · 5.9%
  3. France$396 million · 5.9%
  4. Mexico$339 million · 5%
  5. United Kingdom$251 million · 3.7%
  6. China$228 million · 3.4%
  7. Netherlands$182 million · 2.7%
    re-exports
  8. Spain$180 million · 2.7%
  9. Italy$175 million · 2.6%
  10. Canada$150 million · 2.2%
  11. Poland$150 million · 2.2%
  12. Vietnam$141 million · 2.1%
  13. Japan$133 million · 2%
  14. South Korea$125 million · 1.9%
  15. Slovakia$116 million · 1.7%
  16. Russia$116 million · 1.7%
  17. Czechia$112 million · 1.7%
  18. United Arab Emirates$99 million · 1.5%
  19. Australia$99 million · 1.5%
  20. India$94 million · 1.4%

Trend

Who sells it

China has been the top exporter since 2003

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

  • China 2.6
  • Japan 0.93
  • Germany 0.68
  • France 0.37
  • Mexico 0.33

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
China0.142.6
Japan0.740.93
Germany0.530.68
France0.240.37
Mexico0.040.33

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne fell 17% since 1995

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

  • 2024: $12,588

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$15,256
1996$13,477
1997$13,043
1998$12,224
1999$10,447
2000$12,878
2001$12,017
2002$12,463
2003$7,644
2004$8,133
2005$13,114
2006$12,706
2007$12,713
2008$14,767
2009$15,724
2010$14,647
2011$14,838
2012$13,345
2013$14,750
2014$13,523
2015$15,217
2016$14,562
2017$16,167
2018$14,207
2019$16,051
2020$14,649
2021$15,635
2022$13,705
2023$13,164
2024$12,588

What it includes

  • 9608 · Ballpoint pens, markers and fountain pens

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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