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Photographic chemicals: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in photographic chemicals totaled $6.6 billion (237 thousand tonnes). Japan accounted for 58% of exports, followed by South Korea (11%) and the United States (8%); the top importers were China (35%), Taiwan (15%) and South Korea (8%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 7%.

Summary

World trade
$6.6billion
Tonnes
237thousand tonnes
Price per tonne
$27,939
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. Japan$3.9 billion · 58.5%
  2. South Korea$755 million · 11.4%
  3. United States$545 million · 8.2%
  4. Taiwan$365 million · 5.5%
  5. China$242 million · 3.7%
  6. Belgium$225 million · 3.4%
    re-exports
  7. Germany$147 million · 2.2%
  8. Netherlands$102 million · 1.6%
    re-exports
  9. France$45 million · 0.68%
  10. Spain$43 million · 0.66%
  11. Singapore$32 million · 0.48%
    re-exports
  12. Hungary$31 million · 0.47%
  13. Vietnam$20 million · 0.3%
  14. United Kingdom$19 million · 0.29%
  15. Italy$17 million · 0.26%
  16. Mexico$17 million · 0.26%
  17. Greece$13 million · 0.2%
  18. Poland$13 million · 0.2%
  19. Canada$12 million · 0.18%
  20. Malaysia$12 million · 0.17%

Top importers

  1. China$2.3 billion · 35%
  2. Taiwan$1 billion · 15.2%
  3. South Korea$505 million · 7.6%
  4. United States$504 million · 7.6%
  5. Germany$320 million · 4.8%
  6. United Kingdom$233 million · 3.5%
  7. France$196 million · 3%
  8. Hong Kong$114 million · 1.7%
    re-exports
  9. Singapore$108 million · 1.6%
    re-exports
  10. Vietnam$95 million · 1.4%
  11. Netherlands$82 million · 1.2%
    re-exports
  12. Ireland$82 million · 1.2%
  13. Belgium$80 million · 1.2%
    re-exports
  14. Mexico$76 million · 1.1%
  15. Italy$69 million · 1.1%
  16. Japan$68 million · 1%
  17. Thailand$54 million · 0.82%
  18. Poland$51 million · 0.77%
  19. Israel$49 million · 0.74%
  20. Russia$38 million · 0.57%

Trend

Who sells it

Japan was the top exporter throughout the period

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

  • Japan 3.9
  • South Korea 0.76
  • United States 0.55
  • Taiwan 0.37
  • China 0.24

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
Japan1.93.9
South Korea0.020.76
United States0.550.55
Taiwan0.010.37
China0.030.24

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 192% since 1995

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

  • 2024: $27,939

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$9,564
1996$8,936
1997$8,650
1998$8,438
1999$9,010
2000$8,510
2001$7,856
2002$8,468
2003$8,221
2004$9,141
2005$10,342
2006$11,126
2007$12,449
2008$13,346
2009$12,497
2010$13,182
2011$16,461
2012$18,497
2013$18,952
2014$19,810
2015$19,729
2016$19,886
2017$20,225
2018$21,252
2019$20,609
2020$25,150
2021$27,296
2022$24,077
2023$25,148
2024$27,939

What it includes

  • 3707 · Photographic chemicals

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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