Overall, the value of imported milk increased by 8.3% for all importer countries since 2019 when import purchases of milk were valued at $30.8 billion.
Year over year, international purchases of milk fell by -17.4% compared to $40.4 billion during 2022.
The world’s 5 biggest import markets for milk are mainland China, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Algeria. Collectively, those 5 countries bought well over one third (35.5%) of total spending on milk imported worldwide during 2023.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries imported the highest dollar worth of milk during 2023 with purchases costing $13.1 billion or 39.3% of the global total. In second place were importers located in Europe at 38.8% while another 10.1% worth of the world’s imported milk was delivered to customers in Africa.
Smaller percentages arrived in Latin America (6.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (4.3%) and Oceania (1.3%) led by Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
The metrics below combine subtotals for two 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes for milk. Specifically, those prefixes are 0401 for unsweetened milk and 0402 for milk concentrated or containing added sugar or other sweetening ingredients.
Separating out the overall statistics, unsweetened milk imports under HTS prefix 0401 amounted to $11.6 billion (34.7% of the global total) while sweetened milk items under code 0402 cost $21.8 billion (65.3%).
Milk: Top 15 Importer Countries
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of milk during 2023, including both sweetened and unsweetened varieties.
- mainland China: US$4.6 billion (13.6% of total milk imports)
- Germany: $2.6 billion (7.8%)
- Belgium: $1.7 billion (5.2%)
- Netherlands: $1.62 billion (4.9%)
- Algeria: $1.33 billion (4%)
- Italy: $1.33 billion (4%)
- Mexico: $1.13 billion (3.4%)
- France: $991.1 million (3%)
- Indonesia: $921.4 million (2.8%)
- Brazil: $738.6 million (2.2%)
- Hong Kong: $695.2 million (2.1%)
- Philippines: $669.6 million (2%)
- Malaysia: $647.2 million (1.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: $619.2 million (1.9%)
- Poland: $610.5 million (1.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 60.5% of all milk imports in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for milk since 2019 were: Brazil (up 201.4%), Germany (up 57.7%), Poland (up 51.4%), Indonesia (up 43%) and Algeria (up 36.2%).
A pair of major buying countries posted declines in their imported milk purchases namely Hong Kong (down -58.2% from 2022) and Saudi Arabia (down -21.7%).
Milk: All Importer Countries in 2023
The 100 key milk importers showcased in the following automated database represent 96.9% of globally imported milk purchased in 2023.
| Rank | Importer | Milk Imports | 2019-23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | mainland China | $4,553,349,000 | +6.4% |
| 2. | Germany | $2,618,068,000 | +57.7% |
| 3. | Belgium | $1,726,900,000 | +27.7% |
| 4. | Netherlands | $1,620,281,000 | +31.3% |
| 5. | Algeria | $1,332,249,000 | +36.2% |
| 6. | Italy | $1,330,000,000 | +13.7% |
| 7. | Mexico | $1,132,509,000 | +26.8% |
| 8. | France | $991,102,000 | +15% |
| 9. | Indonesia | $921,425,000 | +43% |
| 10. | Brazil | $738,561,000 | +201.4% |
| 11. | Hong Kong | $695,212,000 | -58.2% |
| 12. | Philippines | $669,622,000 | +8.9% |
| 13. | Malaysia | $647,158,000 | +13.2% |
| 14. | Saudi Arabia | $619,206,000 | -21.7% |
| 15. | Poland | $610,549,000 | +51.4% |
| 16. | United Arab Emirates | $580,557,000 | -36.6% |
| 17. | Vietnam | $509,530,000 | +18.6% |
| 18. | Thailand | $496,095,000 | +35.4% |
| 19. | United Kingdom | $494,278,000 | +22.2% |
| 20. | Singapore | $485,625,000 | +2% |
| 21. | Spain | $483,598,000 | +53% |
| 22. | Ireland | $416,615,000 | +10.6% |
| 23. | Taiwan | $389,430,000 | +23.2% |
| 24. | Greece | $370,910,000 | +42.6% |
| 25. | Bangladesh | $364,788,000 | -50.1% |
| 26. | Egypt | $320,863,000 | +17.2% |
| 27. | Lithuania | $295,772,000 | +45.3% |
| 28. | Australia | $271,527,000 | +32.4% |
| 29. | Sri Lanka | $259,652,000 | -11.7% |
| 30. | Nigeria | $256,531,000 | -25.8% |
| 31. | Oman | $255,950,000 | -37% |
| 32. | South Korea | $243,542,000 | +42.6% |
| 33. | United States | $234,004,000 | +65.2% |
| 34. | Romania | $224,371,000 | +55.3% |
| 35. | Austria | $215,852,000 | +51.7% |
| 36. | Peru | $213,741,000 | +63.9% |
| 37. | Denmark | $196,699,000 | +25.3% |
| 38. | Libya | $196,373,000 | +12.5% |
| 39. | Dominican Republic | $193,078,000 | +43.2% |
| 40. | Colombia | $174,881,000 | +61.3% |
| 41. | Croatia | $164,906,000 | +38.8% |
| 42. | Yemen | $149,391,000 | -37.5% |
| 43. | Portugal | $147,246,000 | +60.7% |
| 44. | Kuwait | $143,034,000 | -38.5% |
| 45. | Jordan | $142,540,000 | +15.5% |
| 46. | Slovakia | $136,920,000 | 0% |
| 47. | Guatemala | $134,085,000 | +29.7% |
| 48. | Morocco | $129,000,000 | +409.1% |
| 49. | Bulgaria | $123,729,000 | +40.6% |
| 50. | Kazakhstan | $114,046,000 | +25.7% |
| 51. | Sweden | $108,466,000 | -4.6% |
| 52. | Czech Republic | $107,979,000 | +76.9% |
| 53. | Bahrain | $100,720,000 | +11.5% |
| 54. | Hungary | $99,813,000 | +11.2% |
| 55. | Qatar | $99,216,000 | -14.7% |
| 56. | Canada | $84,968,000 | +90.7% |
| 57. | Kenya | $81,303,000 | -41.5% |
| 58. | El Salvador | $79,518,000 | +30% |
| 59. | Ivory Coast | $76,994,000 | +62.7% |
| 60. | Mauritania | $76,853,000 | -34% |
| 61. | Mauritius | $69,530,000 | +9.1% |
| 62. | South Africa | $67,584,000 | +18.8% |
| 63. | Luxembourg | $65,436,000 | +70.3% |
| 64. | Honduras | $64,204,000 | +111.4% |
| 65. | Lebanon | $58,752,000 | -45.5% |
| 66. | Chile | $58,571,000 | +1.3% |
| 67. | Slovenia | $57,621,000 | 0% |
| 68. | Ghana | $54,579,000 | +4.5% |
| 69. | Japan | $53,782,000 | -56.5% |
| 70. | Serbia | $50,553,000 | +63.1% |
| 71. | Cuba | $47,768,000 | -71.1% |
| 72. | Cambodia | $47,754,000 | +81.6% |
| 73. | Israel | $45,828,000 | +52.7% |
| 74. | Switzerland | $45,757,000 | +55.3% |
| 75. | Georgia | $45,742,000 | +56.4% |
| 76. | Senegal | $45,224,000 | +0.3% |
| 77. | Trinidad/Tobago | $45,054,000 | 0% |
| 78. | Tunisia | $42,633,000 | +46.4% |
| 79. | Cameroon | $42,517,000 | 0% |
| 80. | Fiji | $41,395,000 | +26.2% |
| 81. | Gabon | $39,877,000 | +5.9% |
| 82. | Angola | $39,203,000 | -78.7% |
| 83. | Guyana | $38,138,000 | 0% |
| 84. | New Zealand | $38,097,000 | -41.2% |
| 85. | Democratic Rep. Congo | $37,329,000 | +135.7% |
| 86. | Armenia | $37,164,000 | +101.8% |
| 87. | Myanmar | $36,657,000 | -3.8% |
| 88. | Maldives | $36,553,000 | +16.8% |
| 89. | Pakistan | $34,907,000 | -60.2% |
| 90. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $30,289,000 | -4.3% |
| 91. | North Macedonia | $29,741,000 | 0% |
| 92. | Iraq | $29,512,000 | -91.2% |
| 93. | Moldova | $29,390,000 | +115.2% |
| 94. | North Korea | $29,137,000 | +435.5% |
| 95. | Macao | $28,499,000 | -1.9% |
| 96. | Panama | $27,903,000 | -9.3% |
| 97. | Venezuela | $27,773,000 | +57.5% |
| 98. | Botswana | $27,470,000 | -3.4% |
| 99. | Burkina Faso | $27,026,000 | +22.6% |
| 100. | Cabo Verde | $26,629,000 | 0% |
Among the listed 100 geographies, the fastest-growing markets for milk since 2019 were: North Korea (up 435.5%), Morocco (up 409.1%), Brazil (up 201.4%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (up 135.7%) and Moldova (up 115.7%).
Over the 5-year period, the worst decliners in imported milk purchases were recorded by buyers in: Iraq (down -91.2% from 2022), Angola (down -78.7%), Cuba (down -71.1%), Pakistan (down -60.2%) then Hong Kong (down -58.2%) and Japan (down -56.5%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the listed columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2022 data is available.
Major International Milk Suppliers
Below are global milk-processing companies that represent established players engaged in the international milk trade. Many of these business entities are cooperatives. The home country for each company is shown within parenthesis.
- Almarai (Saudi Arabia)
- Arla Foods (Denmark)
- Borden Milk Products (United States)
- Canberra Milk (Australia)
- First Milk (United Kingdom)
- Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited (New Zealand)
- FrieslandCampina (Netherlands)
- La Serenísima (Argentina)
- Lactalis (France)
- Zott (Germany)
See also Top Milk Exporting Countries, Fresh or Frozen Beef Imports by Country, Natural Honey Imports by Country and Most Valuable Red Meat Import Markets by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on August 12, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 12, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 12, 2024
Wikipedia, Category:Dairy products companies by country. Accessed on August 12, 2024
Wikipedia, Dairy. Accessed on August 12, 2024