Toluene Trade Data to 2025 with a 2026 Monthly Update
Bottom line: the verified public trade record shows a sharp expansion in U.S. toluene imports between 2020 and 2024, while the latest EU27 extra-EU monthly series shows a higher trade-weighted unit value in July 2026 than in August 2025. The two signals should not be treated as a single price benchmark: the U.S. series is annual and reported in U.S. dollars, whereas the EU27 series is monthly and reported in euros.
Data updated: 2026-10-01
This article uses HS 290230 for toluene. The annual section uses United Nations Comtrade public preview data for the United States, reporter code 842, with World as partner and all modes of transport. The current section uses Eurostat Comext DS-045409 for EU27_2020 extra-EU trade, covering August 2025 through July 2026. Quantities are converted from Comtrade kilograms or Eurostat 100-kilogram units into tonnes. Unit values are calculated only where the source provides a non-zero quantity.
Latest 12 months
The latest complete 12-month window available in the retrieved Eurostat series runs from August 2025 to July 2026. EU27 extra-EU imports totaled 14,361.8 tonnes in August 2025 and 17,828.5 tonnes in July 2026; the corresponding trade-weighted unit values were EUR 689.75/t and EUR 958.24/t. Exports moved from 9,054.6 tonnes at EUR 742.41/t to 5,761.0 tonnes at EUR 1,127.77/t. These are customs values divided by reported quantities, not spot prices, contract prices, or a published market assessment.
| Month | EU27 extra-EU imports (t) | Import unit value (EUR/t) | EU27 extra-EU exports (t) | Export unit value (EUR/t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08 | 14,361.8 | 689.75 | 9,054.6 | 742.41 |
| 2025-09 | 1,061.9 | 780.47 | 10,118.7 | 756.06 |
| 2025-10 | 959.5 | 743.54 | 5,496.7 | 702.96 |
| 2025-11 | 3,791.9 | 687.60 | 6,605.6 | 755.01 |
| 2025-12 | 919.9 | 794.12 | 7,797.0 | 695.55 |
| 2026-01 | 13,874.3 | 642.08 | 5,513.9 | 718.52 |
| 2026-02 | 14,433.0 | 636.12 | 8,441.1 | 695.93 |
| 2026-03 | 25,130.6 | 654.80 | 9,893.5 | 979.37 |
| 2026-04 | 13,190.4 | 735.62 | 9,800.2 | 987.83 |
| 2026-05 | 10,428.2 | 710.82 | 10,618.6 | 1,019.28 |
| 2026-06 | 4,207.2 | 1,022.92 | 7,251.9 | 1,042.51 |
| 2026-07 | 17,828.5 | 958.24 | 5,761.0 | 1,127.77 |
Source for every row: Eurostat import query and Eurostat export query.
What changed across the latest window?
On the import side, July 2026 volume was 24.1% above August 2025, while the import unit value was 38.9% higher. The path was uneven: the lowest reported import unit value in the window was EUR 636.12/t in February 2026, and the highest was EUR 1,022.92/t in June 2026. March 2026 recorded the largest import quantity in the displayed series at 25,130.6 tonnes. That combination—large monthly quantity in March, followed by a high unit value in June—shows why a single monthly observation should not be used as a market-wide price conclusion.
Exports show a different mix. July 2026 export volume was 36.4% below August 2025, but the export unit value was 51.9% higher. The highest export unit value in the window was EUR 1,127.77/t in July 2026, and the largest export quantity was 10,618.6 tonnes in May 2026. A rising unit value alongside lower volume can reflect changes in destination mix, product composition, shipment timing, or customs valuation. The public series alone does not identify the cause, so this article labels the observation as an analytical signal rather than a causal explanation.
For procurement and trade teams, the actionable point is to keep volume and unit value as separate controls. A buyer comparing a July 2026 quote with a prior customs unit value should first align currency, delivery basis, destination, grade, and shipment month. The Eurostat series is useful for a transparent historical reference, but it is not a replacement for a supplier quotation or a contract-specific benchmark.
U.S. annual trade record through 2025
The U.S. annual Comtrade record provides the longer trend base. Imports increased from USD 132.4 million and 279,367 tonnes in 2020 to USD 487.8 million and 519,975 tonnes in 2024. The implied import unit value rose from USD 474/t to USD 938/t over the same period. This is a trade-weighted calculation, not a daily or monthly price. It can move because of product mix, origin, timing, and the relationship between reported value and net weight.
| Year | U.S. imports value | U.S. imports quantity | Import unit value | U.S. exports value | U.S. exports quantity | Export unit value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | USD 132.4m | 279,367 t | USD 474/t | USD 38.4m | 45,715 t | USD 841/t |
| 2021 | USD 189.1m | n/r | n/r | USD 120.1m | 142,785 t | USD 841/t |
| 2022 | USD 319.2m | 337,924 t | USD 944/t | USD 188.7m | n/r | n/r |
| 2023 | USD 534.8m | 597,440 t | USD 895/t | USD 122.5m | n/r | n/r |
| 2024 | USD 487.8m | 519,975 t | USD 938/t | USD 102.1m | 111,526 t | USD 916/t |
| 2025 | USD 159.3m | 210,780 t | USD 756/t | USD 83.3m | 104,351 t | USD 799/t |
n/r means the source response did not provide net weight, so no unit value is calculated. Source: United States reporter 842, HS 290230, World partner, Comtrade public preview. The 2025 row is reproduced as reported; this article does not infer whether it represents a complete or partial reporting year from the endpoint alone.
The 2020–2024 import trend is more useful for structural context than for forecasting. It shows both higher quantities and higher declared values over the period, but it does not establish future demand, capacity, or a forward price. Analysts should therefore combine this annual base with the latest monthly EU observations and with separately verified company, regulatory, or capacity sources before making an outlook decision.
How to use the numbers in a market analysis
For a procurement screen, start with the latest monthly quantity and unit-value pair, then compare at least three consecutive months rather than one observation. For a trade-flow review, compare import and export quantities separately and preserve the original currency. For a strategic market model, use the annual U.S. series as a historical demand-and-trade context, but keep 2025 flagged as a reporting-year observation rather than treating it as a normalized full-year forecast. This prevents a partial-year or incomplete-weight signal from being mistaken for a market collapse or a permanent price reset.
Several related PetroApex pages can support a broader aromatics comparison: Benzene market analysis, Xylene market analysis, and Styrene market analysis. The existing Toluene product page provides the product context, while this article focuses on a reproducible trade-data window. For a tailored country, partner, or capacity cut, request a sample or custom study through PetroApex contact.
Data limitations and source list
Comtrade and Eurostat customs data are not physical spot-market assessments. Unit values are calculated as reported value divided by reported net weight or quantity; they can be affected by shipment mix and missing weights. The U.S. responses for 2021 imports, 2022 exports, and 2023 exports contain no usable net weight, so those unit values are intentionally shown as n/r. The EU27 series is an extra-EU aggregate and does not describe intra-EU trade. No interpolation, equal-step series, paid price assessment, or unsupported forecast has been added.
- Comtrade U.S. imports 2020 · exports 2020
- Comtrade U.S. imports 2021 · exports 2021
- Comtrade U.S. imports 2022 · exports 2022
- Comtrade U.S. imports 2023 · exports 2023
- Comtrade U.S. imports 2024 · exports 2024
- Comtrade U.S. imports 2025 · exports 2025
- Eurostat EU27 extra-EU imports, monthly query
- Eurostat EU27 extra-EU exports, monthly query
For a sample report or custom research covering toluene trade flows, unit values, partners, or capacity context, contact PetroApex.