Natural steatite; whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape; talc

2526 (Harmonized System 1992 for 4-digit)

About

Overview This page contains the latest trade data of Soapstone. In 2022, Soapstone were the world's 915th most traded product, with a total trade of $1.16B. Between 2021 and 2022 the exports of Soapstone grew by 0.32%, from $1.16B to $1.16B. Trade in Soapstone represent 0.0049% of total world trade.

Soapstone are a part of Salt, sulphur, cement, lime, stone, & plaster. They include Natural steatite, crushed or powdered and Natural steatite, not crushed or powdered.

Exports In 2022 the top exporters of Soapstone  were China ($195M), United States ($116M), Pakistan ($113M), France ($109M), and India ($85.5M).

Imports In 2022 the top importers of Soapstone were Germany ($124M), United States ($123M), Japan ($83.6M), Netherlands ($59.9M), and Belgium ($57.5M).

Ranking Soapstone ranks 553rd in the Product Complexity Index (PCI).

Description Natural steatite, also known as soapstone, is a metamorphic rock that can be used for a variety of purposes. The most common use of natural steatite is in the production of kitchen countertops, sinks, and other fixtures because it is extremely heat-resistant.

Latest Data

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The following visualization shows the latest trends on Soapstone. Countries are shown based on data availability.

For a full breakdown of trade patterns, visit the trend explorer or the product in country profile.

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* Trade values are converted to USD using each month's exchange rate. For December 2023 data, the exchange rate from December 30, 2023 is used.

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Historical Data

Exporters and Importers

Top Origin (2022)China$195M
Top Destination (2022)Germany$124M

In 2022 Soapstone were the world's 915th most traded product (out of 1,218).

In 2022, the top exporters of Soapstone were China ($195M), United States ($116M), Pakistan ($113M), France ($109M), and India ($85.5M).

In 2022, the top importers of Soapstone were Germany ($124M), United States ($123M), Japan ($83.6M), Netherlands ($59.9M), and Belgium ($57.5M).

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Exporters of Soapstone (2022)
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Importers of Soapstone (2022)
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Market Dynamics

Color
Top Origin Growth (2021 -  2022)Pakistan$26.6M
Top Destination Growth (2021 -  2022)United States$16.6M

Between 2021 and 2022, the exports of Soapstone grew the fastest in Pakistan ($26.6M), France ($14.8M), Afghanistan ($5.02M), Brazil ($3.31M), and Italy ($2.97M).

Between 2021 and 2022, the fastest growing importers of Soapstone were United States ($16.6M), France ($9.44M), Italy ($7.28M), Turkey ($5.28M), and Mexico ($4.74M).

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Exporters of Soapstone (2021 - 2022)

Importers of Soapstone (2021 - 2022)

Market Concentration

Value

This chart shows the evolution of the market concentration of exports of Soapstone.

In 2022, market concentration measured using Shannon Entropy, was 4.03. This means that most of the exports of Soapstone are explained by 16 countries.

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Value of Exports in Soapstone

Net Trade

TOP NET EXPORTER (2022)China$157M
TOP NET IMPORTER (2022)Germany$113M

This map shows which countries export or import more of Soapstone. Each country is colored based on the difference in exports and imports of Soapstone during 2022.

In 2022, the countries that had a largest trade value in exports than in imports of Soapstone were China ($157M), India ($79M), France ($77.4M), Pakistan ($73.7M), and Finland ($55.4M).

In 2022, the countries that had a largest trade value in imports than in exports of Soapstone were Germany ($113M), Japan ($72.3M), Mexico ($43.2M), Thailand ($41.9M), and Indonesia ($37M).

Net Trade (2022)

Disaggregation

Value

In 2022, the world most traded Soapstone, disaggragated by their HS6 level were Natural steatite, crushed or powdered ($981M) and Natural steatite, not crushed or powdered ($183M)

HS6 Disaggregation for Soapstone (2022)
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Country Comparison

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Ranking

This visualization shows the countries that have an important ratio of their trade related to Soapstone.
It is possible to select the main countries that export or import Soapstone in the world, or by continent, as well as select the measure of interest.

Top 10 Exporters Countries of Soapstone by percentage of total exports

Potential Exports

Potential Exports

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TOP EXPORT POTENTIALUnited States+ $4.16M
TOP IMPORT POTENTIALIndia+ $4.47M

Soapstone’s highest export potential is United States. With an export gap of $4.16M.  Soapstone’s highest import potential is India with an import gap of $4.47M.

See methodology.

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Product Complexity

Diversification Frontier

Specialization

The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk and the strategic value of a product's potential export opportunities. Relatedness is predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth potential, lower income inequality, and lower emissions.

Relatedness vs Country Complexity (2022)

Country by Relatedness

The following visualization shows the relatedness of Soapstone to countries. Higher relatedness values ​​indicate greater knowledge, which predicts a greater probability of exporting that product in the future.

Relative Relatedness by Country (2022)

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