That dollar amount results from a 77.4% average increase for all sugar shippers worldwide over the five-year period starting in 2019 when overall sugar shipments were valued at $20.4 billion.
Year over year, the value of globally exported sugar gained 13.7% compared to $31.9 billion for 2022.
By dollar value, the 5 biggest exporters of sugar are Brazil, India, Thailand, France and Germany were responsible for over two-thirds (69.3%) of globally exported sugar during 2023. Such a high percentage suggests a concentrated set of sugar exporters.
Shifting to a continents-based perspective, shippers in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean sold the highest dollar value worth of sugar exports during 2023 with shipments amounting to $17.9 billion or 49.4% of worldwide sugar shipments. Countries in Asia were responsible for another 23.5% trailed by European suppliers at 18%.
Smaller percentages are sourced from sugar exporters in Africa (6.7%), North America (2.1%) and Oceania (0.4%) led by Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.
Technically, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 1701 for cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose in solid form.
Sugar Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of sugar during 2023.
- Brazil: US$15.8 billion (43.4% of total sugar exports)
- India: $3.7 billion (10.3%)
- Thailand: $3.4 billion (9.4%)
- France: $1.3 billion (3.7%)
- Germany: $954.2 million (2.6%)
- Netherlands: $624.6 million (1.7%)
- Poland: $607.3 million (1.7%)
- Guatemala: $596 million (1.6%)
- Mexico: $497.2 million (1.4%)
- South Africa: $478.1 million (1.3%)
- Belgium: $460 million (1.3%)
- Colombia: $450.5 million (1.2%)
- Egypt: $436.4 million (1.2%)
- Morocco: $404 million (1.1%)
- Eswatini: $395.3 million (1.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 83% of global sugar exports in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing sugar exporters from 2022 to 2023 were: Poland (up 89.1%), Egypt (up 66.9%), South Africa (up 62.9%) and the Netherlands (up 60.3%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported sugar sales were: Mexico (down -39.8% from 2022), India (down -35.2%), Guatemala (down -25.5%) and Morocco (down -6.9%).
Searchable List of Sugar Exporting Countries in 2023
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2019 data was available.
| Rank | Exporter | Sugar Exports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brazil | $15,751,054,000 | +43.1% |
| 2. | India | $3,720,004,000 | -35.2% |
| 3. | Thailand | $3,392,624,000 | +10.9% |
| 4. | France | $1,338,291,000 | +16.2% |
| 5. | Germany | $954,243,000 | +7% |
| 6. | Netherlands | $624,614,000 | +60.3% |
| 7. | Poland | $607,341,000 | +89.1% |
| 8. | Guatemala | $595,997,000 | -25.5% |
| 9. | Mexico | $497,239,000 | -39.8% |
| 10. | South Africa | $478,095,000 | +62.9% |
| 11. | Belgium | $460,030,000 | +37.2% |
| 12. | Colombia | $450,527,000 | +16.9% |
| 13. | Egypt | $436,381,000 | +66.9% |
| 14. | Morocco | $403,995,000 | -6.9% |
| 15. | Eswatini | $395,347,000 | +29.4% |
| 16. | Ukraine | $391,206,000 | +180.5% |
| 17. | Czech Republic | $309,400,000 | +40.1% |
| 18. | Russia | $307,596,000 | +185.9% |
| 19. | Portugal | $280,566,000 | +88% |
| 20. | El Salvador | $235,696,000 | +2.8% |
| 21. | Mauritius | $232,090,000 | +18% |
| 22. | United States | $225,228,000 | +148.7% |
| 23. | Nicaragua | $193,256,000 | +14.9% |
| 24. | South Korea | $183,180,000 | +18.3% |
| 25. | United Arab Emirates | $166,159,000 | -66.6% |
| 26. | Denmark | $159,928,000 | +19.6% |
| 27. | Malaysia | $148,875,000 | +5.7% |
| 28. | China | $143,083,000 | +25.9% |
| 29. | United Kingdom | $136,766,000 | +96.6% |
| 30. | Indonesia | $129,645,000 | -48.4% |
| 31. | Dominican Republic | $128,212,000 | -12.5% |
| 32. | Pakistan | $125,734,000 | 0% |
| 33. | Zambia | $122,932,000 | +65.8% |
| 34. | Algeria | $122,382,000 | -21.1% |
| 35. | Cambodia | $109,965,000 | +160.5% |
| 36. | Romania | $109,498,000 | +272.5% |
| 37. | Croatia | $103,309,000 | +64.5% |
| 38. | Austria | $101,977,000 | +21.4% |
| 39. | Saudi Arabia | $101,719,000 | -77.1% |
| 40. | Bulgaria | $100,265,000 | +72.3% |
| 41. | Fiji | $99,558,000 | +63.9% |
| 42. | Peru | $99,436,000 | +15.4% |
| 43. | Spain | $81,189,000 | +16.9% |
| 44. | Lithuania | $79,198,000 | +24.6% |
| 45. | Belize | $78,975,000 | +2.3% |
| 46. | Honduras | $73,189,000 | +24.8% |
| 47. | Slovakia | $68,942,000 | +9.7% |
| 48. | Costa Rica | $65,696,000 | -38.5% |
| 49. | Slovenia | $65,250,000 | +127.9% |
| 50. | Vietnam | $62,657,000 | +948.8% |
| 51. | Bolivia | $60,878,000 | -7.9% |
| 52. | Zimbabwe | $56,711,000 | +118.1% |
| 53. | Myanmar | $53,569,000 | +41.7% |
| 54. | Serbia | $52,520,000 | -33.9% |
| 55. | Canada | $49,265,000 | -5.7% |
| 56. | Paraguay | $46,744,000 | -5.2% |
| 57. | Malawi | $42,258,000 | +78.7% |
| 58. | Uganda | $40,257,000 | -74.6% |
| 59. | Türkiye | $39,242,000 | +39.4% |
| 60. | Singapore | $38,823,000 | -15% |
| 61. | Hungary | $38,551,000 | +90.1% |
| 62. | Laos | $37,664,000 | -41% |
| 63. | Sweden | $36,903,000 | +9.7% |
| 64. | Italy | $35,720,000 | -7.6% |
| 65. | Finland | $34,934,000 | +460.6% |
| 66. | Argentina | $33,386,000 | -57.5% |
| 67. | Guyana | $30,562,000 | +80.5% |
| 68. | Nigeria | $25,285,000 | 0% |
| 69. | Panama | $24,738,000 | +0.7% |
| 70. | Mozambique | $24,093,000 | -57.8% |
| 71. | Azerbaijan | $23,681,000 | -39% |
| 72. | New Zealand | $16,959,000 | +1.7% |
| 73. | Sudan | $14,840,000 | +1483900% |
| 74. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $13,805,000 | -34.5% |
| 75. | Cuba | $13,776,000 | -82.9% |
| 76. | Australia | $11,906,000 | -69.4% |
| 77. | Taiwan | $10,549,000 | -8.2% |
| 78. | Hong Kong | $9,976,000 | +22.3% |
| 79. | Kazakhstan | $9,668,000 | +16013% |
| 80. | Ecuador | $9,321,000 | -60.6% |
| 81. | Belarus | $9,059,000 | -67.9% |
| 82. | Togo | $8,735,000 | -5.9% |
| 83. | Ireland | $7,114,000 | +113.3% |
| 84. | Greece | $5,892,000 | -23% |
| 85. | Madagascar | $5,770,000 | +176.1% |
| 86. | Latvia | $4,980,000 | +28.8% |
| 87. | Gambia | $4,564,000 | +1041% |
| 88. | Jamaica | $4,471,000 | +23.6% |
| 89. | Switzerland | $4,458,000 | -5.6% |
| 90. | Philippines | $4,144,000 | -17.5% |
| 91. | Japan | $3,867,000 | +0.7% |
| 92. | Namibia | $3,492,000 | -74.3% |
| 93. | Kyrgyzstan | $3,144,000 | +1806% |
| 94. | Barbados | $2,829,000 | +189.6% |
| 95. | Moldova | $2,624,000 | -21.6% |
| 96. | Uruguay | $2,295,000 | +104% |
| 97. | Ghana | $2,287,000 | -41.8% |
| 98. | Trinidad/Tobago | $2,163,000 | -49.7% |
| 99. | Georgia | $2,086,000 | -44.9% |
| 100. | Lebanon | $1,348,000 | -50.2% |
The 100 top exporters accounted for 99.98% of the overall value of sugar exported during 2023.
Biggest Exporters of Sugar Ranked by Shipment Weight
The overall volume of sugar exported during 2023 totaled 60.2 million tons, expanding by 7.2% compared to global shipments weighing 56.1 million tons in 2019.
From 2022 to 2023, the shipment weight of all sugar exports fell -5.6% versus 63.8 million tons one year earlier.
Below, you will find the 15 countries that exported the greatest amount of sugar as measured by physical weight during 2023.
- Brazil: 31,284,589 tons of exported sugar (up 14.6% from 2022)
- Thailand: 6,535,042 tons (up 2%)
- India: 6,526,082 tons (down -46.3%)
- France: 1,507,607 tons (down -26%)
- Guatemala: 1,158,484 tons (down -33.2%)
- Germany: 1,014,906 tons (down -30.9%)
- South Africa: 822,310 tons (up 45.4%)
- Poland: 677,841 tons (up 23%)
- Netherlands: 649,460 tons (up 12.9%)
- Colombia: 621,016 tons (down -2.5%)
- Morocco: 593,648 tons (down -20.8%)
- Eswatini: 552,485 tons (up 18.1%)
- Ukraine: 516,032 tons (up 184.6%)
- El Salvador: 498,789 tons (up 1.3%)
- Belgium: 454,742 tons (down -4.3%)
- Russia: 446,949 tons (up 181.5%)
The fastest gainers were Ukraine (up 184.6% from 2022), Russia (up 181.5%), South Africa (up 45.4%), Poland (up 23%), Eswatini (up 18.1%) then world-leader Brazil (up 14.6%).
Severest decliners in terms of shipping weight in 2023 were India (down -46.3% compared to 2022), Guatemala (down -33.2%), Germany (down -30.9%), France (down -26%) and Morocco (down -20.8%).
Average Unit Prices for Top Sugar Exporters
The world average price for sugar exported from all countries was US$1,046 per ton in 2023. That sugar tonnage cost reflects a 53.1% rise compared to $683 per ton in 2019.
In addition, the most recent average price inflated by 19.5% versus an average unit price of $875 per ton for 2022.
The following listing focuses on the average unit prices per ton of exported sugar in 2023 for the top 15 countries ranked in terms of each entry’s total dollar value for sugar supplied in international markets.
- Brazil: $503 per ton of sugar (up 24.8% from 2022)
- India: $570 per ton (up 20.8%)
- Thailand: $519 per ton (up 8.8%)
- France: $888 per ton (up 57.2%)
- Germany: $940 per ton (up 54.9%)
- Netherlands: $962 per ton (up 42.1%)
- Poland: $896 per ton (up 53.7%)
- Guatemala: $514 per ton (up 11.5%)
- South Africa: $581 per ton (up 11.9%)
- Belgium: $1,012 per ton (up 43.5%)
- Colombia: $725 per ton (up 19.8%)
- Morocco: $681 per ton (up 17.6%)
- Eswatini: $716 per ton (up 9.6%)
- Ukraine: $758 per ton (down -1.4%)
- Czech Republic: $961 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
Just one of the listed countries shipped sugar on global markets charging average unit prices close to the global average of $1,046 per ton for 2023. That lone supplier is Belgium which charged $1,012 per ton.
Countries Generating Greatest Surpluses Trading Sugar
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for sugar during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s sugar exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Brazil: US$15.7 billion (net export surplus up 43.1% since 2022)
- Thailand: $3.2 billion (up 6.8%)
- India: $2.4 billion (down -57.1%)
- France: $1 billion (up 11.3%)
- Guatemala: $595.9 million (down -25.5%)
- Germany: $428.1 million (down -28%)
- Poland: $427.8 million (up 276.5%)
- Eswatini: $394 million (up 30.6%)
- Ukraine: $389.2 million (up 187.1%)
- Netherlands: $335.2 million (up 85.8%)
- Colombia: $272.7 million (up 15.3%)
- Russia: $263 million (reversing a -$188.8 million deficit)
- El Salvador: $235.5 million (up 2.7%)
- Czech Republic: $213.1 million (up 51.3%)
- South Africa: $204.5 million (up 222.1%)
World-leading Brazil maintains its position earning the highest surplus in the international trade of sugar. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Brazil’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Deficits Trading Sugar
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for sugar during 2023. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s sugar import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Indonesia: -US$2.8 billion (net export deficit up 0.2% since 2022)
- United States of America: -$2.3 billion (up 3%)
- mainland China: -$2.2 billion (down -11.7%)
- Italy: -$1.4 billion (up 55.3%)
- Spain: -$1.2 billion (up 54.3%)
- Bangladesh: -$1.07 billion (up 9.9%)
- Malaysia: -$1.05 billion (up 42.9%)
- Nigeria: -$955.8 million (up 13.2%)
- South Korea: -$843.1 million (up 2.5%)
- Algeria: -$809.4 million (up 30.9%)
- Japan: -$775.5 million (up 29.7%)
- Canada: -$761.3 million (up 31.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$755.7 million (up 50.3%)
- Sudan: -$706.3 million (down -28.6%)
- Iraq: -$645.2 million (up 18.5%)
Highly populated Indonesia, America and mainland China racked up the biggest deficits in the international trade of sugar. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights their strong competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for sugar-supplying countries that help satisfy the demand from a myriad consumers and businesses.
Major Sugar Exporting Companies
Below are the world’s biggest sugar exporting companies. Shown within parenthesis is the country where the conglomerate is headquartered.
- Copersucar (Brazil)
- Cosan (Brazil)
- Mitr Phol Group (Thailand)
- Thai Roong Ruang Sugar Group (Thailand)
- Tereos S.A. (France)
- EID Parry Limited (India)
- Südzucker AG (Germany)
- Nordzucker Group (Germany)
- British Sugar Plc (United Kingdom)
- Louis Dreyfus Group (Netherlands)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are also engaged in the sugar industry.
- Jalles Machad (Brazil)
- Azucarera Paraguay (Paraguay)
- Liga Agricola Industrial De La (Costa Rica)
See also Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Sugar Imports by Country, Brazil’s Top 10 Exports and Top Soft Drinks Exporters by Country
Research Sources:
Bloomberg Business, Suedzucker Leads the Top 10 Sugar-Producing Companies (November 2011). Accessed on July 11, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 11, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 11, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 11, 2024
Wikipedia, Sugar Companies. Accessed on July 11, 2024
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on July 11, 2024
