Chongqing - Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday shipped its first batch of barium chloride to Genoa, Italy, marking the first time for the inland city to export the chemical.

The first batch of barium chloride exports weighs 25 tonnes and is worth about 140,000 yuan (about 19,717 U.S. dollars), according to Wanzhou Customs of Chongqing.

Barium chloride is widely used in mobile phones, vehicle batteries, chips, and other electronic goods, hence its huge demand on the global market. Being a hazardous chemical, its export requires strict inspection by local customs.

The main raw material of barium chloride is witherite. In June 2023, Chengkou County of Chongqing found a large-scale witherite mine with proved reserves of some 120 million tonnes.

The next batch of barium chloride is expected to be exported to Japan and the Republic of Korea, according to local authorities in Chengkou County.