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Natural sand: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in natural sand totaled $2.5 billion (105 million tonnes). The top exporters were the United States (18%), Australia (11%) and Cambodia (9%); the top importers were China (15%), Canada (11%) and Vietnam (9%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 18%.

Summary

World trade
$2.5billion
Tonnes
105million tonnes
Price per tonne
$23
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. United States$465 million · 18.4%
  2. Australia$266 million · 10.5%
  3. Cambodia$218 million · 8.6%
  4. Germany$182 million · 7.2%
  5. Netherlands$157 million · 6.2%
    re-exports
  6. Malaysia$132 million · 5.2%
  7. Belgium$118 million · 4.7%
    re-exports
  8. Mozambique$105 million · 4.2%
  9. China$86 million · 3.4%
  10. Indonesia$83 million · 3.3%
  11. Egypt$60 million · 2.4%
  12. Saudi Arabia$58 million · 2.3%
  13. France$58 million · 2.3%
  14. Canada$46 million · 1.8%
  15. Portugal$43 million · 1.7%
  16. Vietnam$40 million · 1.6%
  17. United Kingdom$28 million · 1.1%
  18. Spain$27 million · 1.1%
  19. Denmark$25 million · 0.98%
  20. Italy$25 million · 0.98%

Top importers

  1. China$387 million · 15.3%
  2. Canada$282 million · 11.2%
  3. Vietnam$225 million · 8.9%
  4. Belgium$146 million · 5.8%
    re-exports
  5. Netherlands$130 million · 5.2%
    re-exports
  6. Taiwan$91 million · 3.6%
  7. Germany$90 million · 3.6%
  8. Japan$77 million · 3.1%
  9. Italy$74 million · 3%
  10. United States$70 million · 2.8%
  11. Singapore$69 million · 2.7%
    re-exports
  12. Mexico$64 million · 2.6%
  13. Turkey$59 million · 2.3%
  14. Switzerland$50 million · 2%
  15. South Korea$49 million · 1.9%
  16. France$44 million · 1.7%
  17. United Kingdom$41 million · 1.6%
  18. Malaysia$34 million · 1.3%
  19. United Arab Emirates$32 million · 1.3%
  20. Spain$25 million · 1%

Trend

Who sells it

The United States has been the top exporter since 2010

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

  • United States 465
  • Australia 266
  • Cambodia 218
  • Germany 182
  • Netherlands 157

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
United States102465
Australia99.3266
Cambodia0218
Germany95.5182
Netherlands100157

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 325% since 1995

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

  • 2024: $23

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$6
1996$7
1997$6
1998$6
1999$9
2000$9
2001$5
2002$10
2003$15
2004$21
2005$15
2006$14
2007$23
2008$24
2009$14
2010$24
2011$25
2012$26
2013$24
2014$17
2015$20
2016$21
2017$9
2018$35
2019$29
2020$25
2021$25
2022$30
2023$25
2024$23

What it includes

  • 2505 · Natural sand

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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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