The overall value of fertilizers imported in 2023 increased by an average 42.5% from all importing countries from 5 years earlier in 2019 when fertilizers purchases were valued at $71.1 billion.
Year over year, international purchases of fertilizers shrank by -33.8% compared to $153.1 billion starting in 2022.
Key Geographic Insights for Exported Fertilizers
The 5 biggest importers of fertilizers in 2023 were Brazil, India, United States of America, mainland China and France. That cohort of major buyers paid over two-fifths (42.8%) of total international spending on fertilizers imported in 2023.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries spent the most on imported fertilizers during 2023 with purchases costing $32.4 billion or 32% of the global total. In second place were importers in Europe at 21.5% while 21.3% of globally imported fertilizers was delivered to Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Another 14.6% was sent to importers in North America.
Smaller percentages were sold to buyers in Africa (7.6%), and Oceania (2.9%) led by Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Sales by Type of Imported Fertilizers
As for different categories of imported fertilizers, almost three-quarters (71.9%) were nitrogen-based products.
Potassic fertilizers represent 24.1% compared to phosphatic fertilizers at 2.9%. Excluding those mineral or chemical fertilizer subcategories, the other fertilizer type is animal or vegetable fertilizers which accounted for the remaining 1.1%.
For research purposes, the high-level Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for fertilizers is 31.
Fertilizers Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that spent the most on imported fertilizers during 2023.
- Brazil: US$14.6 billion (14.4% of total fertilizers imported)
- India: $10.4 billion (10.3%)
- United States: $9.8 billion (9.7%)
- mainland China: $5.6 billion (5.5%)
- France: $2.9 billion (2.8%)
- Canada: $2.5 billion (2.5%)
- Mexico: $2.46 billion (2.4%)
- Australia: $2.39 billion (2.4%)
- Türkiye: $2.37 billion (2.3%)
- Thailand: $2.27 billion (2.2%)
- Indonesia: $2 billion (2%)
- Germany: $1.82 billion (1.8%)
- Belgium: $1.73 billion (1.7%)
- Poland: $1.5 billion (1.5%)
- Argentina: $1.4 billion (1.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 62.9% of all fertilizers imported in 2023.
Among the above countries, the lone growth market for fertilizers from 2022 to 2023 was mainland China which recorded a 13.3% gain.
Those buyer countries that posted declines in their imported fertilizers purchases were led by: Belgium (down -46.4% from 2022), Indonesia (down -44.7%), Argentina (down -44.1%) and Brazil (down -40.9%).
Searchable List of Fertilizers Importing Countries in 2023
The 100 key importers in the automated database below represent 98.1% of global spending on imported fertilizers during 2023.
| Rank | Importer | Fertilizer Imports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brazil | $14,642,673,000 | -40.9% |
| 2. | India | $10,422,152,000 | -39.6% |
| 3. | United States | $9,816,857,000 | -25.9% |
| 4. | mainland China | $5,614,328,000 | +13.3% |
| 5. | France | $2,850,071,000 | -40.5% |
| 6. | Canada | $2,495,723,000 | -22.5% |
| 7. | Mexico | $2,459,482,000 | -30% |
| 8. | Australia | $2,389,011,000 | -40.1% |
| 9. | Türkiye | $2,372,101,000 | -21.8% |
| 10. | Thailand | $2,268,738,000 | -27.1% |
| 11. | Indonesia | $2,025,248,000 | -44.7% |
| 12. | Germany | $1,819,133,000 | -31.2% |
| 13. | Belgium | $1,726,483,000 | -46.4% |
| 14. | Poland | $1,482,495,000 | -33.8% |
| 15. | Argentina | $1,399,087,000 | -44.1% |
| 16. | United Kingdom | $1,390,502,000 | -47% |
| 17. | Spain | $1,367,773,000 | -32.1% |
| 18. | Italy | $1,340,453,000 | -22.8% |
| 19. | Ukraine | $1,231,189,000 | +54.5% |
| 20. | Ethiopia | $1,196,474,000 | -7.8% |
| 21. | Malaysia | $1,193,965,000 | -40.7% |
| 22. | Romania | $1,148,828,000 | -46.5% |
| 23. | Colombia | $1,057,622,000 | -28% |
| 24. | Vietnam | $1,053,075,000 | -34.4% |
| 25. | Bangladesh | $998,400,000 | -71.3% |
| 26. | Philippines | $979,738,000 | -22.2% |
| 27. | Netherlands | $881,319,000 | -33.1% |
| 28. | Japan | $861,235,000 | -50.2% |
| 29. | South Africa | $824,471,000 | -45.4% |
| 30. | South Korea | $740,540,000 | -47.7% |
| 31. | Peru | $727,774,000 | -38.6% |
| 32. | Paraguay | $724,641,000 | -5.7% |
| 33. | Zambia | $700,375,000 | +1.2% |
| 34. | Myanmar | $586,703,000 | 0% |
| 35. | Ireland | $563,546,000 | -51.2% |
| 36. | Chile | $534,064,000 | -38.8% |
| 37. | Lithuania | $492,535,000 | -44.9% |
| 38. | Ecuador | $479,775,000 | -25.3% |
| 39. | Czech Republic | $472,631,000 | -43% |
| 40. | Pakistan | $467,084,000 | -43.9% |
| 41. | Tanzania | $457,861,000 | -17.2% |
| 42. | Kenya | $453,926,000 | +8.1% |
| 43. | Hungary | $448,725,000 | -50.9% |
| 44. | New Zealand | $444,658,000 | -50% |
| 45. | Sweden | $422,639,000 | -44.2% |
| 46. | Zimbabwe | $388,167,000 | -13.6% |
| 47. | Portugal | $386,053,000 | -16.5% |
| 48. | Serbia | $369,853,000 | -39% |
| 49. | Uruguay | $368,823,000 | -47.4% |
| 50. | Bulgaria | $365,348,000 | -54.8% |
| 51. | Ivory Coast | $361,127,000 | +41.8% |
| 52. | Guatemala | $351,586,000 | -38.2% |
| 53. | Morocco | $338,588,000 | -23.2% |
| 54. | Malawi | $337,217,000 | +50.9% |
| 55. | Denmark | $326,737,000 | -39% |
| 56. | Cambodia | $325,351,000 | +17.7% |
| 57. | Finland | $321,448,000 | -32.3% |
| 58. | Greece | $320,690,000 | -36.5% |
| 59. | Egypt | $283,745,000 | -5.6% |
| 60. | Latvia | $282,376,000 | -33.5% |
| 61. | Austria | $271,413,000 | -44.6% |
| 62. | Taiwan | $267,803,000 | -43.1% |
| 63. | Ghana | $254,953,000 | -48.3% |
| 64. | Slovakia | $253,085,000 | -37.7% |
| 65. | Nigeria | $246,828,000 | -31.6% |
| 66. | Costa Rica | $243,207,000 | -27.7% |
| 67. | Croatia | $234,835,000 | -34.2% |
| 68. | Sri Lanka | $234,384,000 | -15.1% |
| 69. | United Arab Emirates | $230,015,000 | +69.1% |
| 70. | Honduras | $213,192,000 | 0% |
| 71. | Kazakhstan | $206,479,000 | -21.1% |
| 72. | Mozambique | $190,955,000 | -4.5% |
| 73. | Iraq | $186,228,000 | -46.1% |
| 74. | Algeria | $180,821,000 | +27.4% |
| 75. | Switzerland | $173,679,000 | -28.1% |
| 76. | Nicaragua | $172,629,000 | -7.9% |
| 77. | Slovenia | $167,236,000 | -42.1% |
| 78. | Dominican Republic | $158,651,000 | -35.9% |
| 79. | Saudi Arabia | $150,622,000 | -32.3% |
| 80. | Laos | $143,120,000 | +4.9% |
| 81. | Moldova | $134,284,000 | -3.4% |
| 82. | Uzbekistan | $134,229,000 | +34% |
| 83. | Estonia | $128,816,000 | -59.7% |
| 84. | Democratic Republic Congo | $128,804,000 | +19% |
| 85. | US Minor Outlying Is | $128,066,000 | +640230% |
| 86. | Senegal | $126,000,000 | -11.8% |
| 87. | Benin | $125,101,000 | +0.9% |
| 88. | Burkina Faso | $117,600,000 | +43.5% |
| 89. | Norway | $113,237,000 | -32.5% |
| 90. | Panama | $110,631,000 | -30.8% |
| 91. | Israel | $105,395,000 | -40.5% |
| 92. | El Salvador | $99,980,000 | -43.1% |
| 93. | Bolivia | $86,891,000 | -12.5% |
| 94. | Mali | $85,144,000 | -42.2% |
| 95. | Togo | $82,522,000 | -2.7% |
| 96. | North Korea | $82,236,000 | +1403% |
| 97. | Cameroon | $80,808,000 | -3.5% |
| 98. | Nepal | $79,928,000 | -63.3% |
| 99. | Namibia | $78,303,000 | -3.6% |
| 100. | Syria | $73,253,000 | +28.3% |
The strongest percentage increases in their purchases of imported fertilizers from 2022 to 2023 belong to buyers in the United States Minor Outlying Islands (up 640,230%), North Korea (up 1,403%), United Arab Emirates (up 69.1%), Ukraine (up 54.5%) and Malawi (up 50.9%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above table columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2022 data was available.
Fertilizers Imports into Brazil
Brazil’s global purchases of imported fertilizers totaled US$14.6 billion in 2023. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Brazil imported the highest dollar value worth of fertilizers during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Russia: US$3.5 billion (down -36.7% from 2022)
- Canada: $2 billion (down -47.3%)
- mainland China: $1.6 billion (down -31.3%)
- Morocco: $1.2 billion (down -26.9%)
- United States of America: $672 million (down -59.3%)
- Israel: $608.4 million (down -46.8%)
- Saudi Arabia: $582.3 million (down -32.8%)
- Oman: $560.5 million (down -45.5%)
- Qatar: $497.7 million (down -45.3%)
- Nigeria: $449.1 million (down -45.5%)
- Germany: $376.6 million (down -58.1%)
- Uzbekistan: $366 million (2022 data unavailable)
- Belarus: $349.1 million (down -3.1%)
- Algeria: $272.7 million (down -32%)
- Egypt: $264.8 million (down -42.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 90.2% of fertilizers imported by Brazil in 2023.
Among the above countries, the most modest decreasing suppliers of fertilizers to Brazil from 2022 to 2023 were: Belarus (down -3.1%), Morocco (down -26.9%) and mainland China (down -31.3%).
Overall, the value of Brazil’s imported fertilizers fell by an average -40.9% from all supplying countries since 2022 when fertilizers purchased cost $24.8 billion.
Fertilizers Imports into India
India’s global purchases of imported fertilizers totaled US$10.4 billion in 2023. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which India imported the highest dollar value worth of fertilizers during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Russia: US$2.6 billion (down -3.7% from 2022)
- mainland China: $2.6 billion (up 11.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: $1.3 billion (down -45.1%)
- Oman: $803.5 million (down -36.8%)
- Canada: $492.3 million (down -23.2%)
- Morocco: $482.9 million (down -73.6%)
- Jordan: $366.3 million (down -13.2%)
- Indonesia: $212.2 million (up 22.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: $199.9 million (down -66.5%)
- Turkmenistan: $187.8 million (up 129.2%)
- Qatar: $176.1 million (down -71.7%)
- Israel: $155 million (down -66.7%)
- United States of America: $102.5 million (down -63.1%)
- Algeria: $99 million (down -59.5%)
- Egypt: $85.3 million (down -82.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 95.4% of fertilizers imported by India in 2023.
Among the above countries, growth suppliers of fertilizers to India from 2022 to 2023 were: Turkmenistan (up 129.2%), Indonesia (up 22.5%) and mainland China (up 11.4%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their fertilizers supplied to Indian importers included: Egypt (down -82.8% from 2022), Morocco (down -73.6%), Qatar (down -71.7%) and Israel (down -66.7%).
Overall, the value of India’s imported fertilizers diminished by an average -39.6% from all supplying countries since 2022 when fertilizers purchased cost $17.3 billion.
Fertilizers Imports into America
America’s global purchases of imported fertilizers totaled US$9.8 billion in 2023. Below are the top suppliers from which the United States of America imported the highest dollar value worth of fertilizers during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying from country from 2022 to 2023.
- Canada: US$4.6 billion (down -24.5% from 2022)
- Russia: $1.6 billion (down -16.8%)
- Saudi Arabia: $829.6 million (down -1.7%)
- Qatar: $361.4 million (down -49%)
- Israel: $304 million (down -36.9%)
- Algeria: $249.1 million (up 41.6%)
- Nigeria: $183.9 million (down -16.9%)
- Morocco: $172.3 million (up 10.1%)
- Trinidad/Tobago: $152 million (down -10.9%)
- Mexico: $152 million (down -12.3%)
- Norway: $133.8 million (down -42.5%)
- Germany: $121.6 million (down -8.4%)
- Australia: $106 million (down -42.2%)
- Tunisia: $104 million (up 9185%)
- Oman: $98.4 million (down -82.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93.2% of fertilizers imported by the United States of America in 2023.
Among the above countries, growth suppliers of fertilizers to the United States from 2022 to 2023 were: Tunisia (up 9,185%), Algeria (up 41.6%) and Morocco (up 10.1%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their fertilizers supplied to importers in America included: Oman (down -82.2% from 2022), Qatar (down -49%), Norway (down -42.5%) and Australia (down -42.2%).
Overall, the value of America’s imported fertilizers reduced by an average -25.9% from all supplying countries since 2022 when fertilizers purchased cost $13.2 billion.
Fertilizers Imports into China
Mainland China’s global purchases of imported fertilizers totaled US$5.6 billion in 2023. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which China imported the highest dollar value worth of fertilizers during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Belarus: US$1.5 billion (up 57.4% from 2022)
- Russia: $1.3 billion (up 25.9%)
- Canada: $809.7 million (down -44.3%)
- Laos: $630.1 million (up 124%)
- Israel: $349.5 million (down -19.9%)
- Jordan: $334.2 million (up 32.8%)
- Norway: $276.4 million (up 55.2%)
- Belgium: $143.5 million (up 115.7%)
- Finland: $68.8 million (up 39.8%)
- Germany: $68.7 million (up 32.7%)
- United States of America: $26.1 million (down -61.9%)
- Italy: $24.2 million (up 43.3%)
- United Kingdom: $19.6 million (up 12.2%)
- Netherlands: $16.9 million (down -25.2%)
- Spain: $14.3 million (down -4.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.9% of fertilizers imported by mainland China in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of fertilizers to China from 2022 to 2023 were: Laos (up 124%), Belgium (up 115.7%), Belarus (up 57.4%) and Norway (up 55.2%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their fertilizers supplied to importers located in mainland China included: United States of America (down -61.9% from 2022), Canada (down -44.3%), Netherlands (down -25.2%) and Israel (down -19.9%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported fertilizers rose by an average 13.3% from all supplying countries since 2022 when fertilizers purchased cost $5 billion.
See also Top Fertilizers Exports by Country, China’s Top Trading Partners, Mexico’s Top Trading Partners, Japan’s Top Trading Partners and South Korea’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on October 8, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 8, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 8, 2024
Wikipedia, Fertilizer. Accessed on October 8, 2024