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Optical fibers and lenses: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in optical fibers and lenses totaled $30.6 billion (459 thousand tonnes). The top exporters were China (17%), Japan (11%) and the United States (10%); the top importers were China (18%), the United States (10%) and Japan (8%). Compared with 2019, the value was stable.

Summary

World trade
$30.6billion
Tonnes
459thousand tonnes
Price per tonne
$66,052
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. China$5.2 billion · 17.1%
  2. Japan$3.2 billion · 10.5%
  3. United States$3 billion · 9.9%
  4. South Korea$2.5 billion · 8%
  5. Germany$2.2 billion · 7.2%
  6. Taiwan$2.1 billion · 6.9%
  7. Thailand$1.8 billion · 5.9%
  8. Ireland$1.7 billion · 5.7%
  9. United Kingdom$839 million · 2.7%
  10. Mexico$831 million · 2.7%
  11. Philippines$643 million · 2.1%
  12. Singapore$570 million · 1.9%
    re-exports
  13. Malaysia$519 million · 1.7%
  14. France$470 million · 1.5%
  15. Netherlands$452 million · 1.5%
    re-exports
  16. Vietnam$448 million · 1.5%
  17. Hong Kong$375 million · 1.2%
    re-exports
  18. India$375 million · 1.2%
  19. Hungary$347 million · 1.1%
  20. Czechia$332 million · 1.1%

Top importers

  1. China$5.6 billion · 18.3%
  2. United States$3.1 billion · 10.2%
  3. Japan$2.5 billion · 8%
  4. Germany$1.7 billion · 5.6%
  5. Hong Kong$1.5 billion · 4.8%
    re-exports
  6. Vietnam$1.4 billion · 4.5%
  7. South Korea$1.2 billion · 3.9%
  8. France$1.2 billion · 3.8%
  9. Taiwan$978 million · 3.2%
  10. United Kingdom$844 million · 2.8%
  11. Netherlands$818 million · 2.7%
    re-exports
  12. Italy$751 million · 2.5%
  13. Thailand$719 million · 2.4%
  14. Mexico$632 million · 2.1%
  15. Poland$492 million · 1.6%
  16. Singapore$482 million · 1.6%
    re-exports
  17. Canada$471 million · 1.5%
  18. Czechia$403 million · 1.3%
  19. India$344 million · 1.1%
  20. Switzerland$327 million · 1.1%

Trend

Who sells it

China has been the top exporter since 2021

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

  • China 5.2
  • Japan 3.2
  • United States 3
  • South Korea 2.5
  • Germany 2.2

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
China0.055.2
Japan0.633.2
United States0.843
South Korea0.032.5
Germany0.382.2

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne stayed close to $66,052 since 1995

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

  • 2024: $66,052

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$63,736
1996$46,886
1997$76,035
1998$70,203
1999$53,548
2000$96,533
2001$100,021
2002$91,783
2003$92,576
2004$87,793
2005$104,201
2006$87,377
2007$83,930
2008$74,693
2009$65,350
2010$57,994
2011$66,271
2012$61,020
2013$60,815
2014$60,108
2015$57,912
2016$71,333
2017$61,073
2018$58,418
2019$59,543
2020$60,471
2021$65,918
2022$65,698
2023$65,936
2024$66,052

What it includes

  • 9001 · Optical fibers and lenses

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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