Toluene Trade Analysis 2015-2024 (Full Report)
This report offers clients a comprehensive analysis of the global and regional trade of Toluene. Toluene is an aromatic hydrocarbon used as a solvent in paints and coatings, a feedstock for benzene and xylenes, in the production of TNT and polyurethane foams, and as a gasoline octane booster. The analysis in this report is based exclusively on statistical data and covers the period from 2015 to 2024.
The raw statistical data has been systematically transformed into clear and reliable insights, encompassing the net trade balance, trade flows, transaction prices, means of transportation, and transportation cost analyses. Furthermore, key transit hubs have been identified and highlighted under the trade flow analysis section. Given the consistency of data across years, trade flow and transportation analyses are limited to 2024 to best represent current conditions and reduce analytical complexity. However, the transportation cost analysis may incorporate up to five years of data if a single year does not provide adequate information.
The transformed trade data is provided separately in accompanying MS Excel file.
Between 2015 and 2024, Northeast Asia emerged as the leading net exporter of toluene, overtaking Southeast Asia, which shifted to a net import position. Western Europe remained a stable net exporter throughout the period. Meanwhile, the Indian Subcontinent and North America continued as major net importers, with their deficits deepening over time. Other regions experienced smaller, yet noteworthy, changes in their trade balances.
Northeast Asia was the largest global exporter of toluene, with Western Europe and Southeast Asia also recording large exports, mostly within their own regions but with significant inter-regional trade to North America, the Indian Subcontinent, and elsewhere.
The toluene trade network in 2024 was characterized by the movement of toluene from China and Japan, through South Korea and Chinese Taipei as transit hubs, and onward to a variety of end destinations, including the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, India, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Vietnam.
The price of toluene between 2015 and 2024 ranged from a low of 437 USD per metric ton to a high of 1,327 USD per metric ton. Price fluctuations included declines after 2015, lows in 2016 and 2020, and subsequent increases leading up to peaks in either 2022 or 2023, followed by some decreases or steady values in 2024.
Globally, the movement of toluene in 2024 was dominated by sea transport, which accounted for the overwhelming share of recorded transport across all regions. Road and rail transport were present in several regions but always represented smaller proportions compared to sea, and air transport had almost no recorded share in any region.
The global transportation cost analysis for toluene during 2020 and 2024 indicated that the overall weighted average cost was 64 USD per metric ton. The average cost was based on weighted average CIF-FOB price differences, which reflects the costs of freight, insurance, port handling, and other ancillary fees associated with bilateral trades between exporting and importing countries. Some data points may have been unavailable or excluded as outliers during the data cleaning process.
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