10 Largest Food Exports by Country in 2024
Food is one of the most essential commodities in the world, and the global trade of food products is worth over a trillion dollars. But which countries are the top exporters of food, and what are their main products? In this article, we will look at the 10 largest food exports by country in 2024, based on the latest data from the World Bank.
1. United States
The United States is the largest exporter of food in the world, accounting for more than 10% of total global exports in 2020. The US exported $106.7 billion worth of food products in 2021, mainly meat, cereals, fruits, nuts, and oil seeds. The US is the leading international supplier of meat and edible meat offal, fruits and nuts, cereals led by wheat and corn, and oil seeds plus oleaginous fruits led by soya beans.
2. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the second-largest exporter of food in the world, with $62.5 billion worth of food exports in 2021. The UK mainly exports miscellaneous food preparations, dairy products, eggs, honey, meat, cereals, and animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. The UK is also a major exporter of chocolate and confectionery products.
3. Germany
Germany is the third-largest exporter of food in the world, with $44.4 billion worth of food exports in 2021. Germany mainly exports meat, dairy products, eggs, honey, cereals, miscellaneous food preparations, and animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. Germany is also a leading exporter of beer and cheese.
4. China
China is the fourth-largest exporter of food in the world, with $37.8 billion worth of food exports in 2021. China mainly exports fish, fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, and sugar and sugar confectionery. China is also a major exporter of tea and rice.
5. France
France is the fifth-largest exporter of food in the world, with $29.7 billion worth of food exports in 2021. France mainly exports animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes, dairy products, eggs, honey, meat, cereals, and miscellaneous food preparations. France is also famous for its wine and cheese exports.
6. Japan
Japan is the sixth-largest exporter of food in the world, with $28 billion worth of food exports in 2021. Japan mainly exports fish, meat or seafood preparations, vegetables, fruits or nuts preparations, and cereals or milk preparations. Japan is also known for its sushi and sake exports.
7. Netherlands
The Netherlands is the seventh-largest exporter of food in the world, with $28 billion worth of food exports in 2021. The Netherlands mainly exports dairy products, eggs, honey, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. The Netherlands is also a big exporter of flowers and bulbs.
8. Canada
Canada is the eighth-largest exporter of food in the world, with $26 billion worth of food exports in 2021. Canada mainly exports oil seeds, cereals, meat, fish, and animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. Canada is also a major exporter of maple syrup and ice wine.
9. Belgium
Belgium is the ninth-largest exporter of food in the world, with $20 billion worth of food exports in 2021. Belgium mainly exports animal or vegetable fats, oils, and waxes, miscellaneous food preparations, dairy products, eggs, honey, and cocoa. Belgium is also famous for its chocolate and waffle exports.
10. Italy
Italy is the tenth-largest exporter of food in the world, with $17.5 billion worth of food exports in 2021. Italy mainly exports vegetables, fruits or nuts preparations, cereals or milk preparations, meat or seafood preparations, and miscellaneous food preparations. Italy is also renowned for its pasta and pizza exports.
Food is a vital commodity that connects countries and cultures through trade. The top 10 largest food exporters by country in 2021 are:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- China
- France
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Belgium
- Italy
These countries export a variety of food products to different markets around the world. Some of their main products are meat, cereals, fruits, nuts, oil seeds, animal or vegetable fats, oils, waxes, dairy products, eggs, honey, and miscellaneous food preparations.
Global Trends in Food Exports by Country
Food is one of the most essential commodities in the world, and the global trade of food products reflects the demand and supply patterns of different regions. In this blog post, we will explore the latest statistics on food exports by country, and how they have changed over time. We will also analyze the factors that influence the food export performance of the top food exporters in the world.
Top Food Exporters in 2020
According to the World Bank, the total value of food exports in 2020 was $1.314 trillion, which accounted for 7.5% of worldwide exports for all goods. This was an increase of 3.3% from 2019, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The top five food exporters in 2020 were:
United States
The US was the largest food exporter in 2020, with a value of $106.7 billion, representing 3.24% of global food exports. The US was the leading supplier of meat, fruits and nuts, cereals, and oil seeds. The main destinations for US food exports were Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, and South Korea.
United Kingdom
The UK was the second-largest food exporter in 2020, with a value of $62.5 billion, representing 6.18% of global food exports. The UK was the leading supplier of miscellaneous food preparations, dairy products, eggs and honey, and vegetable, fruit or nut preparations. The main destinations for UK food exports were Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands, and China.
Germany
Germany was the third-largest food exporter in 2020, with a value of $44.4 billion, representing 3.28% of global food exports. Germany was the leading supplier of cocoa, sugar and sugar confectionery, animal or vegetable fats and oils, and cereal or milk preparations. The main destinations for Germany food exports were France, Netherlands, United States, Italy, and United Kingdom.
China
China was the fourth-largest food exporter in 2020, with a value of $37.8 billion, representing 1.56% of global food exports. China was the leading supplier of fish and seafood products, vegetables, live animals, and milling products. The main destinations for China food exports were Japan, United States, Hong Kong SAR China, Vietnam, and South Korea.
France
France was the fifth-largest food exporter in 2020, with a value of $29.7 billion, representing 4.35% of global food exports. France was the leading supplier of wine and spirits, cheese and curd products, bakery products and pastries products. The main destinations for France food exports were Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), and Italy.
Trends in Food Exports by Country
The global food export market has undergone significant changes over the past decade, reflecting shifts in consumer preferences, production capacities, trade policies, and environmental factors. Some of the notable trends are:
The rise of China
China has emerged as a major player in the global food export market in recent years, increasing its share from 1.2% in 2010 to 1.56% in 2020. China has benefited from its large domestic market size, diverse agricultural resources, competitive prices, and improved quality standards. China has also expanded its trade relations with other countries, especially in Asia and Africa, through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The decline of Brazil
Brazil has experienced a decline in its food export performance in recent years, decreasing its share from 4% in 2010 to 2.8% in 2020. Brazil has faced challenges such as political instability, economic recession, currency depreciation, environmental degradation, and trade disputes with major partners such as China and the European Union (EU). Brazil has also lost its competitive edge in some key products such as sugar, coffee, and soybeans due to lower global prices and higher production costs.
The resilience of Europe
Europe has maintained its strong position in the global food export market, despite facing challenges such as the Brexit process, the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased competition from other regions. Europe has benefited from its high-quality standards, diverse product portfolio, innovative technologies, and integrated regional market under the EU Single Market and Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Europe has also pursued new trade agreements with other countries such as Canada, Japan, and Vietnam to expand its market access.
References:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BX.GSR.GNFS.CD?most_recent_value_desc=true
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.EXP.GNFS.CD?locations=IR
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/WLD/Year/LTST/TradeFlow/Export/Partner/by-country/Product/16-24_FoodProd
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/100615/4-countries-produce-most-food.asp
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0712/top-agricultural-producing-countries.aspx
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/WLD/Year/LTST/TradeFlow/Export/Partner/by-country/Product/16-24_FoodProd
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/100615/4-countries-produce-most-food.asp
https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0712/top-agricultural-producing-countries.aspx
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