Exports of chestnuts fell in value by an overall average -8.9% from 5 years earlier in 2019 when export sales for chestnuts were $352.3 million.
From 2022 to 2023, export revenues grew by 10.1% starting from $291.5 million for the seed that is sweet, buttery and soft when roasted–but tastes bitter when raw.
Chestnuts seeds come from the fruits of chestnut trees, contained within a green, spiny covering.
Chestnuts are typically roasted including their shells and can serve as standalone snacks. They can also be used to make flour for cakes, pancakes, pies, pastas and breads that can stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Chestnuts can be made into thickeners for soups, stews and sauces.
Chestnuts can be candied, boiled, steamed, deep-fried, grilled or roasted according to delicious recipes. Chestnut stuffing is added to poultry, vegetables and other foods.
By value, the 5 biggest exporters of chestnuts (mainland China, Italy, Spain, Türkiye and Portugal) sold over three-quarters (77.3% of all chestnuts exported during 2023.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Europe supplied the highest dollar worth of exported chestnuts during 2023 with shipments valued at $167 million or more than half (52%) of the global total. Close behind in second place were exporters in Asia (44.8%) trailed by those in Latin America (3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.1%), Oceania Fiji and Australia (0.03%) then Africa (0.02%).
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of chestnuts in 2023 were Italy, Japan, Vietnam, Germany and France. Collectively, that quintet of top import countries bought less than half (46.6%) of globally imported chestnuts as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest the total 53 exporters of chestnuts (77.3% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to the 102 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total for imported chestnuts, as mentioned above at 46.6%.
As for global imports of chestnuts by continent, 54.6% of chestnuts purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Europe ahead of importers in Asia (38.9%), North America (5.6%), Latin America (0.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.2%), then Oceania (0.01%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
We calculated the average unit price paid by importers of chestnuts still in-shell to be $2,850 per ton in 2023. That dollar amount reveals a flatlining 0.4% gain from the average tonnage rate of $2,840 during 2022.
Exports of shelled chestnuts demand a higher unit price. For shelled chestnuts, the average unit price paid by importers was $5,174 per ton in 2023 inflating by 5.9% from the average tonnage rate of $4,886 for 2022. The higher average price compared to unshelled chestnuts results in part from labor costs and other processing expenses.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 080241 for fresh or dried chestnuts in shell, and 080242 for fresh or dried shelled chestnuts.
Drilling down on those categories, 7.1% of chestnuts exported worldwide by value were for shelled chestnuts down from 7.9% in 2022. The remaining 92.9% in 2023 was paid for chestnuts in shell, up from 92.1%.
Top Chestnuts Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts during 2023, regardless of whether the shipped chestnuts were in-shell or shelled.
- mainland China: US$97 million (30.2% of total exported chestnuts)
- Italy: $71.1 million (22.2%)
- Spain: $29.1 million (9.1%)
- Türkiye: $27.1 million (8.5%)
- Portugal: $23.9 million (7.4%)
- France: $20.2 million (6.3%)
- South Korea: $13.8 million (4.3%)
- Greece: $8.3 million (2.6%)
- Chile: $7.8 million (2.4%)
- Japan: $4 million (1.2%)
- Netherlands: $3.8 million (1.2%)
- Austria: $2.3 million (0.7%)
- Albania: $1.9 million (0.6%)
- Belgium: $1.8 million (0.6%)
- Dominican Republic: $1.5 million (0.5%)
- Germany: $904,000 (0.3%)
- Georgia: $862,000 (0.3%)
- North Macedonia: $790,000 (0.2%)
- Poland: $728,000 (0.2%)
- Bosnia/Herzegovina: $479,000 (0.1%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.9% of globally exported chestnuts in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing chestnuts exporters since 2022 were: Poland (up 230.9%), Austria (up 132.2%), Portugal (up 90.1%) and the Netherlands (up 54.3%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their exported chestnuts sales were led by: Germany (down -24.7%), Türkiye (down -21.3% from 2022), Belgium (down -18.1%), Dominican Republic (down -12.9%) and Greece (down -8.6%).
Top Chestnuts Imports by Country
Overall spending on imported chestnuts slowed by -0.6% over the 5-year period starting in 2019 but grew by 9.8% year over year since 2022.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts imported during 2023, for any chestnuts regardless of whether shelled or not.
- Italy: US$59.6 million (16.9% of total imported chestnuts)
- Japan: $32.9 million (9.3%)
- Vietnam: $30.5 million (8.6%)
- Germany: $21.2 million (6%)
- France: $20.4 million (5.8%)
- Thailand: $19.3 million (5.5%)
- Switzerland: $16.9 million (4.8%)
- Austria: $16.7 million (4.7%)
- Spain: $16 million (4.5%)
- United States: $14 million (4%)
- China: $12.9 million (3.7%)
- Taiwan: $9.5 million (2.7%)
- Portugal: $8.2 million (2.3%)
- United Kingdom: $6.2 million (1.7%)
- Canada: $5.8 million (1.7%)
- South Korea: $4.12 million (1.2%)
- Netherlands: $4.09 million (1.2%)
- Belgium: $3.8 million (1.1%)
- United Arab Emirates: $3.2 million (0.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: $3.1 million (0.9%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 87.3% of globally imported chestnuts in 2023.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing chestnuts importers since 2022 were: Vietnam (up 182.4%), United Arab Emirates (up 117.3%), Austria (up 42.5%) and Saudi Arabia (up 40%).
Major markets that posted declines in their imported chestnuts purchased were led by: France (down -26.6% from 2022), Canada (down -11%), South Korea (down -7.9%), United Kingdom (down -4.1%) and Taiwan (down -3.2%).
Imported In-Shell Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
In 2023, the world’s average unit price for imports of in-shell chestnuts was US$2,850 per ton flatlining via a 0.4% gain compared to $2,840 one year prior for 2022.
The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of unshelled chestnuts, Italy, was higher at $3,388 for 2023.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts in 2023.
- Turks/Caicos Islands: US$500 per ton (up 50.2% from 2022)
- Philippines: $502 per ton (down -3.3%)
- Macao: $547 per ton (up 6%)
- Türkiye: $657 per ton (down -27.6%)
- Syria: $700 per ton (down -42.7%)
- Albania: $833 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Georgia: $893 per ton (down -25.8%)
- Morocco: $978 per ton (down -0.7%)
- Ivory Coast: $1,000 per ton (down -50%)
- Uganda: $1,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Kazakhstan: $1,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Iraq: $1,004 per ton (down -11.2%)
- North Macedonia: $1,149 per ton (down -23.8%)
- Armenia: $1,198 per ton (up 9%)
- Tunisia: $1,214 per ton (down -37.1%)
The severest reductions in average unit price paid per ton for in-shell chestnuts from 2022 to 2023 were paid by importers in the Ivory Coast (down -50% from 2022), Syria (down -42.7%), Tunisia (down -37.1%), Türkiye (down -27.6%) and Georgia (down -25.8%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts.
- Bermuda: US$17,000 per ton (up 21.4% from 2022)
- Panama: $8,000 per ton (up 84.6%)
- Angola: $8,000 per ton (up 128.6%)
- Mozambique: $7,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Switzerland: $6,659 per ton (up 19.2%)
- Venezuela: $6,167 per ton (up 19%)
- Slovakia: $6,033 per ton (up 16.4%)
- Austria: $5,857 per ton (up 25.4%)
- Germany: $5,812 per ton (up 22.6%)
- Malta: $5,649 per ton (up 7.7%)
- Czech Republic: $5,513 per ton (up 35.2%)
- Estonia: $5,500 per ton (down -21.4%)
- Canada: $5,241 per ton (up 19.7%)
- Luxembourg: $5,155 per ton (up 5.8%)
- Brazil: $5,096 per ton (up 7.4%)
The strongest gains in terms of higher average unit prices in 2023 compared to 2022 were paid by importers in Angola (up 128.6%), Panama (up 84.6%), Czech Republic (up 35.2%) and Austria (up 25.4%).
Imported Shelled Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
The world’s average unit price for imports of shelled chestnuts in 2023 was US$5,174 per ton, up by 5.9% compared to $4,886 one year earlier.
The tonnage payment for the number one importer of shelled chestnuts, Japan, was much higher at an average $8,836 per ton.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported chestnuts in 2023 that that have already had their shells removed.
- mainland China: US$692 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Macao: $724 per ton (down -14.7% from 2022)
- Russia: $800 per ton (down -1%)
- North Macedonia: $1,000 per ton (up 45.3%)
- Indonesia: $1,000 per ton (down -51.9%)
- United Arab Emirates: $1,215 per ton (down -41%)
- Bulgaria: $1,319 per ton (down -50.5%)
- Bosnia/Herzegovina: $1,455 per ton (down -83%)
- Brunei Darussalam: $1,900 per ton (up 18.8%)
- Vietnam: $2,000 per ton (down -61.2%)
- Saint Helena: $2,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Moldova: $2,000 per ton (down -33.3%)
- Netherlands: $2,063 per ton (down -17.6%)
- Saudi Arabia: $2,381 per ton (down -77.5%)
- Serbia: $2,518 per ton (up 19.7%)
The strongest percentage reductions in average unit price per ton for shelled chestnuts from 2022 to 2023 were paid by low-cost importers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (down -83%), Saudi Arabia (down -77.5%), Vietnam (down -61.2%), Indonesia (down -51.9%) then Bulgaria (down -50.5%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported chestnuts with their shells removed.
- Fiji: US$11,000 per ton (down -21.4% from 2022)
- Finland: $10,400 per ton (down -9.6%)
- Romania: $9,333 per ton (up 33.3%)
- Japan: $8,836 per ton (down -2.2%)
- Malta: $8,000 per ton (up 2.1%)
- Maldives: $8,000 per ton (up 224.9%)
- Slovenia: $7,250 per ton (up 105.6%)
- Austria: $7,179 per ton (down -3.6%)
- South Africa: $7,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Albania: $7,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- Switzerland: $6,521 per ton (down -3%)
- Chile: $6,417 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
- France: $6,092 per ton (up 22.6%)
- Türkiye: $6,000 per ton (up 149.5%)
- Slovakia: $5,900 per ton (up 54.5%)
Triple-digit percentage increases in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2023 compared to 2022 were paid by importers of shelled chestnuts in the Maldives (up 224.9%), Türkiye (up 149.5%) and Slovenia (up 105.6%).
See also Top Peanuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Almonds Exporters by Country, Top Walnut Exporters by Country and Top Cashews Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Pistachios Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Hazelnuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Brazil Nuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices and Top Sunflower Seeds Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Chestnut Showroom. Accessed on November 17, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 17, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 17, 2024
Wikipedia, Chestnut. Accessed on November 17, 2024