What is Trinitrotoluene Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Nitration Demand
Analysts Sentiment
Bullish
Neutral
Bearish
What's driving sentiment this week:
Latest published month (2026-07) — Sentiment: Neutral
The most recent published customs observation for HS 290420 is 2026-07 at USD 1,273.25/ton, -12.8% against the previous month and +35.6% against 2025-08.
Reported volume across the fixed 5-economy panel was 186,417 tonnes over the window, 15,535 tonnes a month on average, and the three-month trend is +1.7%. The heading-level series is volatile: the largest month-on-month move in the window was +77.3% between 2025-09 and 2025-10, when reported value moved +46.3% and reported tonnage moved -17.5%, so that move reflects the mix and size of shipments filed under this heading rather than a single quoted price.
Next 1–3 Months — Outlook
This page is refreshed from public customs statistics rather than paid price assessments, so the next revision will roll in each newly published month for HS 290420. Direction shown here is a reading of published customs unit values, not a forecast.
Key Market Impact
Customs unit values for this heading are the single most checkable price signal available without a subscription: they combine the product mix actually crossing borders, the average contract level behind those shipments and freight-relevant volume. Treat them as the trade-weighted baseline for the heading, and read the coverage note above before applying them to a single grade.
How About the Price?
Data source: UN Comtrade public trade statistics (https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202607&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-11-05
Demand-side factors
- Trinitrotoluene demand is dominated by defence and commercial explosives, with smaller volumes in mining, quarrying and speciality nitroaromatic chemistry.
- Related market pages on this site: Toluene (the feedstock nitrated to trinitrotoluene), Nitrobenzene (the other nitration product in the same heading), Benzene (the parent aromatic of the BTX reformer stream).
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-08 to 2026-07)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 290420 moved from USD 939.10/ton in 2025-08 to USD 1,273.25/ton in 2026-07 (+35.6% across the window). The window high was USD 1,829.62/ton in 2026-05 and the low USD 930.84/ton in 2025-09. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +1.7% against the previous one, which is classified here as neutral. The heading-level series is volatile: the largest month-on-month move in the window was +77.3% between 2025-09 and 2025-10, when reported value moved +46.3% and reported tonnage moved -17.5%, so that move reflects the mix and size of shipments filed under this heading rather than a single quoted price. One filing distorts 2026-04: Portugal declared 9,334 tonnes under this heading at USD 1,177.60/ton, against a median of about 2,281 tonnes a month for that reporter across the rest of the window and a panel median of USD 4,738.42/ton in the same month, so the flow carries 43% of the panel's tonnage that month. The 2026-04 aggregate of USD 1,689.87/ton is therefore a reporting artefact inside the heading rather than a price observation, and the direction label is not taken from the six-month block it sits in.
The same panel reported USD 270.4 million of export value on 186,417 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 15,535 tonnes a month. Values are customs returns for the stated HS heading, so they capture the traded mix of that heading rather than a single quoted grade.
The EU side of the same heading is one month fresher than the panel above: Eurostat Comext records EU27 imports of HS 290420 from outside the EU at USD 5,395.39/ton in 2026-08 (EUR 4,653.97/ton at the ECB monthly reference rate), -52.3% against 2026-07, on 2,181 tonnes; the twelve months to 2026-08 totalled 26,587 tonnes. On the 12 months the two datasets share (2025-08 to 2026-07), three-month blocks that far apart moved +31.7% on the export panel and +33.8% on the EU import side, so the two agree on direction. At this volume the monthly unit value still moves with the mix of consignments, so read it as a cross-check rather than as a second price series. Import values are recorded on a CIF-type basis by a single bloc, so the level is not comparable with the export panel — the comparison above is directional.
2026-08 is deliberately not in the series: of the 5 economies that make up this page's fixed panel, 4 had filed both value and net weight for this heading when the page was rebuilt on 2026-11-05, while the heading drew 9 filers in total that month; 2026-09 drew 0 filings for this heading, 0 of them from panel members, and 2026-10 drew 0 (0 from the panel). Splicing a partly-filed month onto a fixed panel would move the unit value through composition alone, so the window stays at 2026-07 until the whole panel for 2026-08 has reported.
HS 290420 covers every hydrocarbon derivative carrying only nitro or only nitroso groups, so it carries trinitrotoluene together with nitrobenzene, the nitrotoluenes, nitroxylenes and the nitroso compounds; nitrated phenols and their derivatives are separated in 290899 and the nitrate esters in 292090. The unit value is a heading-level figure across the whole nitro family, in which trinitrotoluene is a very small traded member.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 5 economies: DEU (276), NLD (528), POL (616), PRT (620), IND (699). The panel is held constant in every period of the window so period-to-period movement is not a composition effect.
- Unit value range over the window: USD 930.84 to USD 1,829.62/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-07: USD 1,273.25/ton, -12.8% against the previous month, on 20,184 tonnes.
Basis: these are customs unit values for the stated HS heading, not quoted spot, contract or assessed prices, and no paid price assessment is used or redistributed on this page. Every figure can be re-checked at the API links listed at the end of this page.
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Data Sources
Every endpoint used for the series on this page, the EU cross-check, the exchange rate used to express it in dollars and the HS classification reference:
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202508&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202509&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202510&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202511&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202512&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202601&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202602&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202603&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202604&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202605&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202606&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202607&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
- Eurostat Comext DS-045409, EU27 extra-EU imports, monthly: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/comext/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/DS-045409?format=JSON&freq=M&reporter=EU27_2020&partner=EXT_EU27_2020&flow=1&indicators=VALUE_IN_EUROS&indicators=QUANTITY_IN_100KG&product=290420&sinceTimePeriod=2025-07
- ECB euro reference rate, monthly average (EXR/M.USD.EUR.SP00.A): https://data-api.ecb.europa.eu/service/data/EXR/M.USD.EUR.SP00.A?format=csvdata&startPeriod=2025-07&endPeriod=2026-10
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| RDX (Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) | Used in military warheads, shaped charges, and demolition where higher brisance and detonation velocity than TNT are required. RDX is typically blended with TNT to form Composition B or Cyclotol, partially replacing pure TNT. As a standalone, it replaces TNT in applications demanding greater performance per unit mass, though it requires a phlegmatizer due to higher sensitivity. |
| PETN (Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate) | Replaces TNT in detonating cord, boosters, and small initiating charges where high sensitivity and reliable initiation are needed. PETN offers higher detonation velocity and is used in thin-sheet or cord form where TNT's melt-cast advantage is irrelevant. Substitution is direct in booster and primer applications. |
| ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate / Fuel Oil) | Widely replaces TNT in commercial mining and quarrying blasting. ANFO is far cheaper, safer to handle, and available in bulk; it substitutes TNT in open-cut and underground blasting where water ingress is limited. It requires a primer (often a small TNT or PETN booster) to initiate, so it is a functional replacement rather than a drop-in substitute at the charge level. |
| Emulsion Explosives | Replace TNT in civil engineering, tunneling, and mining blasting. Water-in-oil emulsion explosives based on ammonium nitrate offer water resistance, adjustable energy output, and bulk delivery, making them the dominant replacement for TNT-based cast boosters in commercial blasting. They require sensitization with microspheres or chemical gassing rather than melt-casting. |
| HMX (Cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine) | Replaces TNT in high-performance military applications such as shaped charges, missile warheads, and penetrators where maximum brisance and energy density are critical. HMX is significantly more expensive and sensitive than TNT, so substitution is limited to premium military and aerospace applications where performance justifies cost. |
| TATB (Triaminotrinitrobenzene) | Replaces TNT in insensitive munitions (IM) programs where safety against accidental initiation by bullet impact, fragment, or fire is paramount. TATB is used in nuclear weapon primaries and advanced military warheads as an insensitive high explosive substitute. It is not melt-castable and requires pressing, so it is a process-change substitution. |
| Amatol (TNT + Ammonium Nitrate blend) | Historically used to stretch TNT supply by blending 80% ammonium nitrate with 20% TNT. In this scenario ammonium nitrate partially substitutes TNT within the formulation itself, reducing TNT content while maintaining castability and acceptable performance in large-caliber artillery shells and bombs. |
Related PetroApex Market Pages
- Toluene — the feedstock nitrated to trinitrotoluene.
- Nitrobenzene — the sibling nitration product of the benzene ring.
- Benzoic Acid — the competing toluene oxidation product.
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Commerce in Explosives (27 CFR Part 555) | ATF | 1970 (current) | TNT is a Class A explosive; storage in locked magazines meeting Subpart K standards; transportation subject to Federal Explosives License or Permit requirements | ATF (https://www.atf.gov/explosives/tools-services-explosives-industry/explosives-storage-requirements; Federal Explosives Law 18 U.S.C. Chapter 40) |
| United States | Defense Explosives Safety Regulation (DESR 6055.09) | DoD Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) | 2024 (Edition 1, Change 1) | Quantity-Distance criteria for explosive storage and siting; blast overpressure limits and fragment/thermal protection requirements for munitions containing TNT | DESR 6055.09 ((link removed 2026-10-12: not reachable when checked)) |
| United States | Occupational Safety and Health Standards (29 CFR 1910.1000) | OSHA | 1974 (current) | 8-hour TWA PEL of 1.5 mg/m³ for airborne TNT (skin notation) | OSHA (http://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/147) |
| United States | Toxic Release Inventory (40 CFR 372.65 and 372.28) | EPA | 1986 (current thresholds) | Reporting threshold: 25,000 lb for manufacture/processing; 10,000 lb for otherwise use (no lower threshold applies to TNT) | EPA (https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reporting-tri-facilities) |
| United States | Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR) | DOT (with ATF coordination for explosives) | Current | UN 0209 for TNT (dry or wetted with not less than 15% water); Class 1.1D explosive; IMDG Code applies for transport | DOT/UN Model Regulations (verified via SDS and 49 CFR references in official sources) |
| European Union | Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) | ECHA | 2006 (current) | Registration for manufacture/import quantities >=1 tonne per year; data requirements increase by tonnage band (Annexes VII-X) | ECHA REACH Regulation (https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach) |
| China | Regulation on the Safety Administration of Explosives for Civil Use (with List of Explosives for Civil Use) | Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Public Security | 2022 (amended May 24) | TNT explicitly listed; purchase, sales, and transportation strictly managed for civil use (amended to include decommissioning/dismantling) | China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology / Public Security (https://chemical.chemlinked.com/news/chemical-news/china-updates-civil-explosives-list) |
Key Influence Events
Trinitrotoluene (TNT), chemically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a pale yellow crystalline solid with the molecular formula C7H5N3O6 and a molecular weight of 227.13 g/mol. It is one of the most widely used military and commercial high explosives, valued for its relatively high stability, low sensitivity to shock and friction, and a melting point of approximately 80.9°C that allows it to be safely melt-cast into shells, bombs, and other munitions. TNT is produced by the stepwise nitration of toluene with mixed nitric and sulfuric acid, progressing through mono- and dinitrotoluene intermediates before reaching the trinitro stage. It releases approximately 4.6 MJ/kg upon detonation and serves as the reference standard against which the explosive power of other materials is measured (TNT equivalent). Beyond military applications, it is used in mining, demolition, and as a component in composite explosives such as Amatol, Torpex, and Composition B.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Trinitrotoluene Market Analysis: Price Trend, Trade Data and Nitration Demand
Trinitrotoluene (TNT), chemically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a pale yellow crystalline solid with the molecular formula C7H5N3O6 and a molecular weight of 227.13 g/mol. It is one of the most widely used military and commercial high explosives, valued for its relatively high stability, low sensitivity to shock and friction, and a melting point of approximately 80.9°C that allows it to be safely melt-cast into shells, bombs, and other munitions. TNT is produced by the stepwise nitration of toluene with mixed nitric and sulfuric acid, progressing through mono- and dinitrotoluene intermediates before reaching the trinitro stage. It releases approximately 4.6 MJ/kg upon detonation and serves as the reference standard against which the explosive power of other materials is measured (TNT equivalent). Beyond military applications, it is used in mining, demolition, and as a component in composite explosives such as Amatol, Torpex, and Composition B.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Pale yellow crystalline solid | — | All grades |
| Flaked / Prilled form | Flakes or prills for blending | — | Commercial blasting grade |
Data Sources
Price and volume figures are derived from the directly verified public sources below. The customs unit values are USD/ton; they are not subscription price assessments. Numeric assay rows were removed because no public product-grade source is cited for them - confirm grade-level specifications with the supplier. Every monthly endpoint used for the series on this page is listed below, together with the HS classification reference.
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202508&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202509&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202510&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202511&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202512&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202601&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202602&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202603&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202604&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202605&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202606&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?reporterCode=156,842,699,410,276,528,356,360,764,458,724,40,56,251,380,616,826,124,76,484,792,682,784,704,490,702,643,36,710,818,364,203,348,300,620,372,208,246,752,578,320,508&period=202607&cmdCode=290420&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true
- https://comtradeapi.un.org/files/v1/app/reference/HS.json
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