10 Top Agricultural Exporting Countries

Agricultural exports are an important source of income and food security for many countries around the world. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the total value of agricultural exports in 2020 was $1.8 trillion, a slight increase from 2019 despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this article, we will look at the top 10 agricultural exporting countries, based on the WTO data. We will also highlight some of the main products they exported and their major markets.

1. United States

The United States was the largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $134.8 billion, accounting for 7.4% of the global share. The U.S. exported a variety of products, such as soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton, beef, pork, poultry, dairy, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The main destinations for U.S. agricultural exports were China ($33 billion), Mexico ($25.5 billion), Canada ($25 billion), Japan ($14.2 billion), and the European Union ($11 billion).

2. Brazil

Brazil was the second-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $87.2 billion, representing 4.8% of the global share. Brazil exported mainly soybeans, corn, sugar, coffee, beef, poultry, pork, fruits, and ethanol. The main markets for Brazilian agricultural exports were China ($34 billion), the European Union ($16.3 billion), the United States ($7 billion), Japan ($4.3 billion), and Indonesia ($3 billion).

3. Netherlands

The Netherlands was the third-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $81.3 billion, accounting for 4.5% of the global share. The Netherlands exported mainly flowers, plants, bulbs, seeds, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat products, eggs, and processed foods. The main destinations for Dutch agricultural exports were Germany ($26.6 billion), Belgium ($11 billion), France ($8.9 billion), the United Kingdom ($8.6 billion), and Italy ($4.9 billion).

4. China

China was the fourth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $72.7 billion, representing 4% of the global share. China exported mainly fruits, vegetables, rice, tea, fish and seafood products, meat products, dairy products, and processed foods. The main markets for Chinese agricultural exports were Japan ($14 billion), Hong Kong ($13 billion), Vietnam ($9 billion), South Korea ($8.7 billion), and the United States ($7.6 billion).

5. Germany

Germany was the fifth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $71.4 billion, accounting for 3.9% of the global share. Germany exported mainly dairy products, meat products, bakery products, beverages (including beer and wine), sugar confectionery, cereals and cereal preparations, and animal feedstuffs. The main destinations for German agricultural exports were France ($11 billion), the Netherlands ($10 billion), Italy ($7 billion), Poland ($6.5 billion), and China ($6 billion).

6. Argentina

Argentina was the sixth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $65.4 billion, representing 3.6% of the global share. Argentina exported mainly soybeans and soybean products (including oil and meal), corn, wheat, sunflower seeds and sunflower oil, beef, poultry, wine, and fruits (especially lemons). The main markets for Argentine agricultural exports were China ($16 billion), Brazil ($7 billion), India ($5 billion), Vietnam ($4 billion), and Indonesia ($3 billion).

7. France

France was the seventh-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $60.8 billion, accounting for 3.3% of the global share. France exported mainly wine, cheese, meat products, cereals and cereal preparations, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and animal feedstuffs. The main destinations for French agricultural exports were Germany ($12 billion), Belgium ($7 billion), Italy ($6 billion), Spain ($5 billion), and the United Kingdom ($5 billion).

8. Canada

Canada was the eighth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $56.1 billion,
representing 3% of the global share. Canada exported mainly canola and canola products (including oil and meal), wheat, pork, lentils, peas, soybeans, flaxseed, and maple syrup. The main markets for Canadian agricultural exports were China ($11.6 billion), the United States ($10.8 billion), Japan ($4.5 billion), Mexico ($3.4 billion), and the European Union ($3.3 billion).

9. India

India was the ninth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $40.1 billion,
accounting for 2.2% of the global share. India exported mainly rice, spices, sugar, tea, cotton, fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products, and marine products. The main destinations for Indian agricultural exports were the United States ($7.2 billion), China ($4.6 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($3.8 billion), Bangladesh ($3.1 billion), and Saudi Arabia ($2.8 billion).

10. Spain

Spain was the tenth-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $39.6 billion, representing 2.2% of the global share. Spain exported mainly fruits and vegetables (especially citrus fruits, tomatoes, and olives), wine, olive oil, pork and pork products, dairy products, and fish and seafood products. The main markets for Spanish agricultural exports were France ($9.5 billion), Germany ($8.4 billion), Italy ($4.7 billion), Portugal ($3.5 billion), and the United Kingdom ($3.4 billion).

Top Agricultural Exporting Countries in 2020

According to the World Trade Organization, the global value of agricultural exports in 2020 was $1.8 trillion, an increase of 3.5% from 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the trade of agricultural products, affecting both supply and demand factors. Some countries managed to increase their exports despite the challenges, while others faced declines or stagnation. Here are the top three agricultural exporting countries in 2020 and their performance.

United States

The United States was the largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $134.8 billion, up 7.4% from 2019. The U.S. accounted for 7.5% of the global market share, slightly higher than the previous year. The main products exported by the U.S. were soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton, beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, fruits and nuts. The main destinations for U.S. agricultural exports were China, Canada, Mexico, Japan and the European Union. China was the fastest-growing market for U.S. agricultural exports, increasing by 76.5% to $26.4 billion, mainly due to higher demand for soybeans, corn and pork.

Brazil

Brazil was the second-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $87.2 billion, up 6% from 2019. Brazil accounted for 4.8% of the global market share, slightly lower than the previous year. The main products exported by Brazil were soybeans, sugar, coffee, beef, poultry, corn and ethanol. The main destinations for Brazil’s agricultural exports were China, the European Union, the United States, India and Japan. China was the largest market for Brazil’s agricultural exports, accounting for 35% of the total value, mainly due to higher demand for soybeans and sugar.

Netherlands

The Netherlands was the third-largest exporter of agricultural products in 2020, with a value of $81.3 billion, up 4.6% from 2019. The Netherlands accounted for 4.5% of the global market share, slightly higher than the previous year. The main products exported by the Netherlands were flowers and plants, vegetables, dairy products, meat products, fruits and nuts. The main destinations for the Netherlands’ agricultural exports were Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Germany was the largest market for the Netherlands’ agricultural exports, accounting for 25% of the total value.

Global Demand Trends

The global demand for agricultural products in 2020 was affected by various factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as lockdown measures, income shocks, consumer preferences and trade policies. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global food import bill increased by 3% to $1.5 trillion in 2020, driven by higher prices and volumes of some commodities. The FAO also estimated that global food consumption declined by 2% in per capita terms in 2020 due to lower incomes and reduced food availability in some regions.

Some of the commodities that experienced an increase in global demand in 2020 were cereals (especially wheat and rice), oilseeds (especially soybeans), sugar and dairy products. These commodities benefited from higher consumption in some developing countries (especially China and India), as well as higher use for animal feed and biofuel production in some developed countries (especially the United States and Brazil). Some of the commodities that experienced a decrease in global demand in 2020 were meat (especially beef and pork), coffee and cocoa. These commodities suffered from lower consumption in some developed countries (especially Europe and North America), as well as lower tourism and food service activities.

References:

http://faostat.fao.org/Portals/_Faostat/documents/pdf/FAOSTAT-Forestry-def-e.pdf

https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FO/visualize

http://www.fao.org/3/cb4479en/cb4479en.pdf

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1332329/leading-countries-worldwide-by-value-of-agricultural-products-exported/

https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/wts2021_e/wts2021_e.pdf
https://www.fas.usda.gov/2021-country-overview
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1332329/leading-countries-worldwide-by-value-of-agricultural-products-exported/
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/agricultural-exports-by-country
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0712/top-agricultural-producing-countries.aspx