The overall sales for exported sweet potatoes is 3.2 times that for exported yams, even though the average unit price for yams is about 14% higher than the average price for sweet potatoes.
Revenues from exported sweet potatoes increased by 6.8% over the 5-year period starting in 2018 but fell by a -3.5% drop from 2021 to 2022.
In contrast, international sales of exported yams accelerated by 64.3% since 2018 and grew by 6.5% compared to one year earlier in 2021.
Sweet potatoes are distinctly different vegetables from yams, albeit some people use the terms interchangeably. Sweet potatoes have a softer, reddish skin as well as a creamier interior and typically a darker interior than yams. Yams are starchy with a rough, brown skin and are well-known foods in Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean and some Asian countries.
The top 5 exporters of sweet potatoes by overall sales are the United States of America, Netherlands, Egypt, Spain and Vietnam. Combined, those leading exporters generated over two-thirds (69.1%) of global sales for sweet potatoes.
At three-quarters (75.1%), the 5 major exporters of yams account for a more concentrated percentage of worldwide exports by value. The main international shippers of yams are Ghana, Jamaica, mainland China, United States of America, and Japan.
From a continental perspective, 38.2% of exported sweet potatoes came from sellers in Europe trailed by international shippers in North America (28.4%) and Africa (14.2%). Smaller percentages originated in Asia (13.5%), Latin America plus the Caribbean (5.4%) and Oceania (0.3%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
The leading continental entity for exporting yams is Latin America plus the Caribbean (31.4% of globally exported yams). In second place were suppliers in Africa (27%), Asia (24.4%), North America (10.5%) and Europe (6.6%). A tiny 0.1% of yam exports came from Oceania led by Tonga.
In addition to total export sales for sweet potatoes and yams, this article delves into the lowest and highest average unit prices per ton as well as the major export countries as measured by shipment weight.
For research purposes, the Harmonized System (HS) code is 070420 for fresh, chilled, dried or frozen sweet potatoes. The HS code is 070430 for fresh, chilled, dried or frozen yams.
Top Exporters of Sweet Potatoes by Global Sales
Listed below are the most lucrative countries for supplying sweet potatoes 2022 ranked by total international sales.
Also shown is percentage that each country represents in terms of globally exported sweet potatoes.
- United States: US$165.8 million (24.5% of sweet potato exports)
- Netherlands: $150.8 million (22.2%)
- Egypt: $81.1 million (12%)
- Spain: $40.6 million (6%)
- Vietnam: $29.9 million (4.4%)
- Canada: $26.7 million (3.9%)
- Belgium: $25.9 million (3.8%)
- Japan: $20.1 million (3%)
- Portugal: $15.7 million (2.3%)
- China: $12.7 million (1.9%)
- Indonesia: $12.1 million (1.8%)
- South Africa: $10.2 million (1.5%)
- Honduras: $10.2 million (1.5%)
- Dominican Republic: $9.4 million (1.4%)
- United Kingdom: $6.6 million (1%)
By value, the above 15 main export countries represent 91.1% of globally exported sweet potatoes in 2022.
The fastest-growing top exporters of sweet potatoes from 2021 to 2022 are Belgium (up 120.5%), Egypt (up 49.5%), Dominican Republic (up 47%), Canada (up 11.9%) and Indonesia (up 10.8%).
The severest decliners specific to sweet potato exports were: United Kingdom (down -35.1% from 2021), Vietnam (down -19.2%), Spain (down -17.3%), Portugal (down -14.5%), South Africa (down -12.4%) and the United States of America (down -12.1%).
Top Yam Exporters by Global Sales
Listed below are the best countries for earning revenues from exported yams on international markets during 2022.
Also shown is percentage that each country represents in terms of globally exported yams.
- Ghana: US$53.6 million (25.3% of yam exports)
- Jamaica: $39.7 million (18.7%)
- China: $23.2 million (10.9%)
- United States: $22.1 million (10.4%)
- Japan: $20.6 million (9.7%)
- Costa Rica: $12.7 million (6%)
- Brazil: $7.2 million (3.4%)
- Colombia: $6 million (2.8%)
- Belgium: $5.9 million (2.8%)
- Netherlands: $4 million (1.9%)
- Ivory Coast: $3.1 million (1.5%)
- India: $3 million (1.4%)
- Vietnam: $2.4 million (1.1%)
- Italy: $2.2 million (1%)
- Philippines: $920,000 (0.4%)
By value, the above 15 main export countries represent 97.5% of yams exported in 2022. That percentage belies a more concentrated cohort of international suppliers compared to the major exporters for sweet potatoes (91.1% as revealed above).
The fastest-growing top exporters of yams from 2021 to 2022 were Vietnam (up 721.8%), Ivory Coast (up 226.2%), Italy (up 63.4%) then Belgium (up 18.6%).
The 5 decliners in growth in yams exports were the Philippines (down -27% from 2021), Colombia (down -9.5%), Japan (down -2.3%), United States of America (down -0.4%) and Brazil (down -0.1%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Sweet Potato Exports
In 2022, the world’s average unit price for sweet potatoes was US$1,463 per ton. The average unit price for sweet potatoes is down by -14.1% compared to the average $1,704 per ton for 2021.
By volume the leading exporter of sweet potatoes, America, charged a below-average lower unit price at $647 per ton.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries exporting sweet potatoes with the lowest unit prices in 2022.
- Sri Lanka: US$1.20 per ton (down -99.9% from 2021
- Malawi: $43 per ton (down -68.8%)
- Türkiye: $47 per ton (down -94.6%)
- Zambia: $58 per ton (down -28.4%)
- Ivory Coast: $78 per ton (down -92.2%)
- Mali: $82 per ton (up 43.9%)
- Chile: $98 per ton (down -92.2%)
- Ethiopia: $146 per ton (down -27%)
- Tonga: $159 per ton (down -71.7%)
- Bangladesh: $232 per ton (down -42.6%)
- Argentina: $259 per ton (down -14.8%)
- Paraguay: $273 per ton (up 70.6%)
- India: $359 per ton (up 14.3%)
- Malaysia: $412 per ton (down -6.4%)
- Poland: $415 per ton (down -47.5%)
Posting the deepest reductions in unit price per ton since 2021 were Sri Lanka (down -99.9%), Türkiye (down -94.6%), Ivory Coast (down -92.2%), Chile (also down -92.2%) and Tonga (down -71.7%).
The following countries shipped exported sweet potatoes charging the highest average unit prices.
- Finland: US$15,000 per ton (up 368.8% from 2021
- Bahrain: $7,000 per ton (down -16%)
- Iceland: $5,500 per ton (up 106.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $5,000 per ton (up 404%)
- South Korea: $4,891 per ton (down -13.6%)
- Sweden: $4,043 per ton (up 8.2%)
- Japan: $3,528 per ton (down -7.1%)
- Estonia: $3,444 per ton (up 14.8%)
- Hong Kong: $3,427 per ton (up 18%)
- New Zealand: $2,841 per ton (down -42.5%)
- Bulgaria: $2,644 per ton (down -29%)
- Saint Lucia: $2,500 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Jamaica: $2,366 per ton (down -7%)
- Uruguay: $2,250 per ton (up 35%)
- Taiwan: $2,009 per ton (down -30.5%)
There was a trio of gainers in terms of average unit price inflation. These were Uruguay (up 35% from 2021), Hong Kong (up 18%) then Estonia (up 14.8%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Exported Yams
In 2022, the world’s average unit price for yams was US$1,667 per ton–roughly 14% costlier than the global average unit price for sweet potatoes.
The top exporter of yams, Ghana, charged $937 per ton in 2022.
The global average unit price for yams rose by 16% from an average $1,079 per ton during 2021.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries collecting the lowest average unit prices for exported yams in 2022.
- Ivory Coast: US$110 per ton (up 214.3% from 2021
- Burkina Faso: $133 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Togo: $149 per ton (down -13.4%)
- Afghanistan: $169 per ton (up 6.3%)
- Benin: $178 per ton (down -28.8%)
- Tanzania: $250 per ton (down -24.9%)
- India: $363 per ton (up 15.6%)
- Malaysia: $430 per ton (down -17.3%)
- Tonga: $437 per ton (down -33%)
- Indonesia: $444 per ton (up 77.6%)
- Thailand: $486 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Nicaragua: $570 per ton (up 45%)
- Canada: $631 per ton (down -43.9%)
- Dominica: $650 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Colombia: $683 per ton (up 20.7%)
Posting the greatest reductions in average unit price per ton for yams were low-cost providers Canada (down -43.9% from 2021), Tonga (down -33%), Benin (down -28.8%), Tanzania (down -24.9%) and Malaysia (down -17.3%).
The following countries shipped exported yams charging the greatest average unit prices.
- South Korea: US$8,000 per ton (down -33.3% from 2021
- Taiwan: $6,400 per ton (up 12.9%)
- Luxembourg: $6,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Vanuatu: $5,000 per ton (up 649.6%)
- Portugal: $3,444 per ton (up 41.4%)
- Singapore: $3,441 per ton (up 27.1%)
- Vietnam: $3,218 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Myanmar: $3,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Japan: $2,884 per ton (down -7.4%)
- Jamaica: $2,832 per ton (up 1.9%)
- Germany: $2,759 per ton (up 16.7%)
- Fiji: $2,600 per ton (up 4%)
- Nepal: $2,333 per ton (up 133.3%)
- China: $2,279 per ton (up 16.4%)
- Philippines: $2,000 per ton (up 56.6%)
The strongest gainers in terms of higher average unit prices in 2022 compared to 2021 were Vanuatu (up 649.6%), Nepal (up 133.3%) then the Philippines (up 56.6%).
Biggest Exporters of Sweet Potatoes by Weight
As measured by shipment weight, a total 1 billion tons in sweet potatoes were exported during 2022.
The overall weight of globally exported sweet potatoes accelerated by 21.8% compared to tonnage shipped in 2021.
Ranked by weight, listed below are the top 15 shippers of exported sweet potatoes.
- United States: 251.5 million tons (25% of sweet potatoes)
- Sri Lanka: 211.9 million tons (21%)
- Netherlands: 146.6 million tons (14.6%)
- Egypt: 72.7 million tons (7.2%)
- Canada: 47.1 million tons (4.7%)
- Spain: 44.5 million tons (4.4%)
- Belgium: 29.1 million tons (2.9%)
- China: 21.8 million tons (2.2%)
- Vietnam: 21.3 million tons (2.1%)
- Portugal: 20.2 million tons (2%)
- Indonesia: 15.3 million tons (1.5%)
- South Africa: 14.3 million tons (1.4%)
- Laos: 13.7 million tons (1.4%)
- Honduras: 11 million tons (1.1%)
- Peru: 10.1 million tons (1%)
Posting the leading increases in terms if shipment weight were sellers in Sri Lanka (up 94,084% from 2021), Belgium (up 224.9%) and Egypt (up 74.2%).
Biggest Exporters of Yams by Weight
In total, 379,738 tons of yams were exported around the globe in 2022.
That shipment tonnage reflects a 100.8% expansion from 189,121 tons in 2021.
By weight, the following is a ranking of the 15 largest shippers of exported yams.
- Sri Lanka: 193.8 million tons (51% of yam exports)
- Ghana: 57.2 million tons (15.1%)
- Ivory Coast: 28.3 million tons (7.4%)
- United States of America: 14.2 million tons (3.7%)
- Jamaica: 14 million tons (3.7%)
- China: 10.17 million tons (2.7%)
- Costa Rica: 10.16 million tons (2.7%)
- Colombia: 8.8 million tons (2.3%)
- India: 8.2 million tons (2.2%)
- Japan: 7.1 million tons (1.9%)
- Brazil: 6.9 million tons (1.8%)
- Belgium: 6.6 million tons (1.8%)
- Afghanistan: 3.8 million tons (1%)
- Netherlands: 2 million tons (0.5%)
- Italy: 1.6 million tons (0.4%)
Recording the heaviest increases in shipment weight were Sri Lanka (up 157,450% from 2021), Italy (up 64.9%) then Belgium (up 13.9%).
See also Top Garlic Exports by Country, Best Tofu Exports by Sales, Average Unit Prices & Weight, Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Top Salmon Exports & Imports by Country and Top Vitamins Exports & Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 25, 2023
Food & Wine, The Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes Is Structural Racism. Accessed on October 25, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 25, 2023
Wikipedia, Sweet potato. Accessed on October 25, 2023
Wikipedia, Yam (vegetable). Accessed on October 25, 2023