Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Executive Summary
Sodium Chloride
few Material Direct Use Chemical
NaCI
(solid)
Source of Raw Material:
Naturally occurring mineral
Derivative Water Treatment Chemicals:
Chlorine
Sodium Chlorate
Sodium Hydroxide
% of Total Domestic Consumption
Attributed to Water Sector:
Less than 1%
Understanding Chemical Supply Chains
Map of Suppliers & Manufacturers
Product Family:
Chlor-alkali
CAS No.:
7647-14-5
2 Shelf Life:
60+ Months
— RISK OF SUPPLY DISRUPTION (Assessed in 2022)
RISK RATING: Low
RISK DRIVERS
Though sodium chloride is
essential as a raw material for a
number of critical water treat-
ment chemicals, the U.S. is one
of the leading sodium chloride-
producing nations and has an
abundant supply of rock salt
and brines.
RISK PARAMETERS
Criticality: High. Essential for the pro-
duction of water treatment chemi-
cals.
Likelihood: Low. No history of sodi-
um chloride supply disruptions be-
tween 2000 and 2022.
Vulnerability: Low. The U.S. is a
leading producer of sodium chloride.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Water Treatment Applications
• On-site sodium hypochlorite generation
• Regeneration of ion-exchange resin
• Water treatment chemical production
Competing Applications
De-icing
Chemical production (including chlor-alkali)
Healthcare (electrolytes)
Food preservation and preparation
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Domestic Manufacturing Locations (2019):
62, distributed throughout the U.S.
(^) International Trade (2019)
Primary Trading Partner (Imports): Mexico
Primary Trading Partner (Exports): Canada
Domestic Consumption (2019):
59,580 Million kg
¦ Domestic Production (42,000 M kg)
¦ Imports for Consumption (18,000 M kg)
¦ Export of Domestic Production (1,000 M kg)
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Full Profile
Product Description
Sodium chloride (NaCI), an inorganic salt, is the foundational raw material of the chlor-alkali industry and is
widely produced in the US. It is used directly in water treatment and as an important raw material in the
production of other water treatment chemicals. The single largest use of sodium chloride in the U.S. is for road
de-icing applications.
Use in Water Treatment
Sodium chloride is used directly in water treatment in the on-site generation of sodium hypochlorite, and as a
brine for ion exchange resin regeneration (AWWA, 2017).
Use as a Precursor to Other Water Treatment Chemicals
Sodium chloride is used to manufacture chlorine, sodium hydroxide, and sodium chlorate (NCBI, 2020).
Other Applications
Sodium chloride has a wide range of applications. The leading use of sodium chloride is as a de-icing material for
roadways and walkways. It is also widely used in chemical production via the chlor-alkali process, as a bulking
agent in powdered soaps and detergents, flavor and preservation of food products, and for electrolyte balance
in healthcare settings (NCBI, 2020).
Primary Industrial Consumers
In 2019, road de-icing accounted for about 43% of total sodium chloride consumed. The chemical industry
accounted for approximately 37% of total sodium chloride sales, with chlor-alkali producers being the largest
consumers within the chemical industry. The remainder of 2019 domestic consumption includes: commercial
market distributors, 9%; food processing, 4%; agricultural applications, 3%; general industrial applications, 2%;
and primary water treatment, 1%. The remaining 1% was other uses combined with export (USGS, 2020a).
Manufacturing, Transport, & Storage
Manufacturing Process
Sodium chloride is a naturally occurring mineral that is abundant throughout the earth and can be found in
deposits and extracted from seawater. Sodium chloride may be manufactured by conventional underground
mining, solution-mining of an underground salt deposit, or evaporation of seawater or brine. Salt brine is
extracted from natural underground saline sources or solution-mined halite deposits (salt beds or salt domes) or
produced through the dissolution of solar salt (AWWA, 2017; USGS, 2020b).
Rock salt is mined directly from deposits (mostly underground) and used with little processing. Rock salt
accounts for the largest form of sodium chloride produced domestically (USGS, 2020b).
Salt brine is produced through introduction of water to underground salt bodies or recovery of natural
underground saline sources. Brine accounts for the second largest form of sodium chloride produced
domestically and is the preferred form for use in the manufacture of chlorine and sodium hydroxide through the
chlor-alkali process (USGS, 2020b).
Solar salt is recovered from a brine which may originate from sea water or from the recovered mixture of water
pumped into an underground salt deposit. The brine is place in an outdoor pond under conditions where
evaporation outpaces precipitation. Salt crystals can be recovered after sufficient evaporation of water. This
process yields a high purity sodium chloride (USGS, 2020b).
EPA 817-F-22-044 | December 2022
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Full Profile
Product Transport
Manufacturers and suppliers of sodium chloride for water treatment and food or beverage industries supply
various sodium chloride grades that include lump, granular, powder, slurry, and micron sized product. Packaging
options such as pails, paper bags, fiber drums, and flexible intermediate bulk containers and custom sizes are
also offered (OxyChem, 2020).
Sodium chloride is commonly transported through many means of transport, however transportation costs
significantly add to the price of sodium chloride, as locations of supplies are not often near industrial consumers.
Pumping brine through pipelines is an economic means of transport for industrial consumers, but cannot be
used for dry salt (USGS, 2020b).
Storage and Shelf Life
Sodium chloride is stable and non-reactive over a wide range of temperatures and is highly soluble in water. It
may form chlorine gas when in contact with strong acids (NCBI, 2020). When stored properly, sodium chloride
can have a shelf life in excess of 60 months (Cargill, 2022).
Domestic Production & Consumption
Domestic Production
Production data was collected from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), while trade data was collected from the U.S.
International Trade Commission (USITC) Dataweb, as shown in Table 1. Both production and trade data are
specific to sodium chloride.
Table 1. Sodium Chloride Production and Trade Data Sources
Production and Trade Data
Category
Data Source
Identifier
Description
Domestic Production
U.S. Geological Survey
CAS No.: 7647-14-5
Sodium Chloride
Imports and Exports
U.S. International Trade Commission
HS Code: 2501.00
Sodium Chloride
Total U.S. domestic production of sodium chloride was approximately 42,000 million kilograms (M kg) in 2019.
Domestic commercial manufacture of sodium chloride takes place at facilities located throughout the
contiguous U.S. There are many facilities owned by several different companies including CargillInc., Morton
International, Inc., Texas Brine Corporation, and North American Salt Company (USGS, 2020b). In 2016, Cargill,
Inc. was the largest reported domestic producer of sodium chloride. The number of domestic manufacturing
locations shown in Figure 1 represents operating facilities as of 2016 (USGS, 2020b). Supply of NSF/ANSI
Standard 60 certified sodium chloride for use in drinking water treatment is widely distributed throughout the
U.S. (NSF International, 2021). For a more current listing of manufacturing locations and supplier locations, visit
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Chemical Locator Tool (EPA, 2022a).
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - hull Profile
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Domestic Supply and Production of Sodium Chloride
O 79 NSF/ANSI Standard 60 Certified Suppliers (NSF International, 2021)
9 62 Domestic Production Locations (USGS, 2020)
Figure 1. Domestic Supply and Production of Sodium Chloride
Domestic Consumption
U.S. consumption of sodium chloride in 2019 is estimated at 59,580 M kg. This estimate includes production of
42,000 M kg, import of 18,000 M kg, minus export of 1,000 M kg (USGS, 2020a), as shown in Figure 2.
Domestic Consumption (2019):
59,580 Million kg
A ¦ Domestic Production (42,000 M kg)
u Imports for Consumption (18,000 M kg)
II Export of Domestic Production (1,000 M kg)
Figure 2. Domestic Production and Consumption of Sodium Chloride in 2019
Trade & Tariffs
Worldwide Trade
Worldwide import and export data for sodium chloride is reported through the World Bank's World Integrated
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Full Profile
Trade Solutions (WITS) software, as a category specific to sodium chloride. In 2021, the U.S. ranked 12th
worldwide in total exports and first in total imports of sodium chloride. In 2021, India ranked first worldwide in
total exports (WITS, 2022), as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. WITS Worldwide Export and Import of Sodium Chloride in 2021
2021 Worldwide Trade
Sodium Chloride (HS Code 2501.00)
Top 5 Worldwide Exporters
Top 5 Worldwide Importers
India
8,512 M kg
United States
24,689 M kg
Chile
7,446 M kg
China
5,185 M kg
Canada
5,939 M kg
South Korea
4,726 M kg
Netherlands
4,598 M kg
Indonesia
2,831 M kg
Germany
4,361 M kg
Germany
2,641 M kg
Domestic Imports and Exports
Domestic import and export data are reported by USITC in categories specific to sodium chloride. Figure 3
summarizes imports for consumption1 and domestic exports2 of sodium chloride between 2015 and 2020.
During this period, the overall quantity of imports has varied, with the greatest volume of imports occurring in
2020; however the volume of exports has remained relatively steady. Over this five-year period, Canada has
been the primary recipient of domestic exports while the primary source of imports shifted from Chile in 2015 to
Mexico and Canada beginning in 2018 (USITC, 2021).
25,000
20,000
Domestic Trade of Sodium Chloride
HS Code 2501.00
™ 15,000
o 10,000
5,000
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Full Profile
Tariffs
Imports of sodium chloride are primarily supplied from Chile, Canada, and Mexico. There is no general duty for
import of sodium chloride, but there is an additional 25% duty on imports from China (USITC, 2022), as
summarized in Table 3.
Table 3. 2020 Domestic Tariff Schedule for Sodium Chloride
HS Code
General Duty
Additional Duty - China
(Section 301 Tariff List)
Special Duty
2501.00
None
25%
None
Market History & Risk Evaluation
History of Shortages
There is no known history of sodium chloride shortages between 2000 and 2022. USGS reports substantial
deposits of sodium chloride in principal salt-producing countries, of which the United States is one. In addition,
sodium chloride can be purified from sea water. As of 2016, USGS indicated that the U.S. continues to be one of
the leaders in sodium chloride production (USGS, 2020b).
Risk Evaluation
The complete risk evaluation methodology is described in Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply
Chains and the Risk of Disruptions (EPA, 2022b). The risk rating is calculated as the product of the following three
risk parameters:
Risk = Criticality x Likelihood x Vulnerability
Criticality Measure of the importance of a chemical to the water sector
Likelihood Measure of the probability that the chemical will experience a supply disruption in the
future, which is estimated based on past occurrence of supply disruptions
Vulnerability Measure of the market dynamics that make a chemical market more or less resilient to
supply disruptions
The individual parameter rating is based on evaluation of one or more attributes of the chemical or its supply
chain. The ratings and drivers for these three risk parameters are shown below in Table 4.
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Full Profile
Table 4. Supply Chain Risk Evaluation for Sodium Chloride
Risk Parameter Ratings and Drivers
1
1 Criticality High
1 Likelihood Low 1
1 Vulnerability Low 1
Sodium chloride is essential to the
chlor-alkali industry, which in turn is
essential to the water sector.
There were no identified
disruptions in the supply of sodium
chloride between 2000 and 2022.
The U.S. is a leading worldwide
producer of sodium chloride and
currently has abundant domestic
supply and distributed production.
These factors provide some resilience
to supply disruptions.
Risk Rating: Low
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References
American Water Works Association (AWWA), 2017. B200 Sodium Chloride. Denver, CO: American Water
Works Association.
Cargill, 2022. Hi-Grade Granulated Salt. Cargill, Incorporated, retrieved from
https://www.cargill.com/doc/1432109008609/salt-3903-hi-grade-information-sheet.pdf
EPA, 2022a. Chemical Suppliers and Manufacturers Locator Tool, retrieved from
https://www.epa.gov/waterutilitvresponse/chemical-suppliers-and-manufacturers-locator-tool
EPA, 2022b. Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions, retrieved
from https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/water-sector-supplv-chain-resilience
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2020. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 24850,
Sodium Chloride. Retrieved from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-chloride
NSF International, 2020. Search for NSF Certified Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals, retrieved from
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/PwsChemicals/
OxyChem, 2020. Personal communication with technical support, summer, 2020.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 2020a. Mineral commodity Summaries for Salt, retrieved from
https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-phosphate.pdf
U.S. Geological Survey, 2020b. 2016 Minerals Yearbook: Salt, retrieved from
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/salt-statistics-and-information
U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2021. USITC DataWeb, retrieved from
https://dataweb.usitc.gov/
U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2022. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Search, retrieved from
https://hts.usitc.gov/
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Sodium Chloride Supply Chain - Full Profile
World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS), 2022. Trade Statistics by Product (HS 6-digit), retrieved from
https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/countrv-bvhs6product.aspx?lang=en#void
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