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Top Nutmeg Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices

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Nutmeg nuts plus powder
Nutmeg powder
In 2023, exports of nutmeg were worth a total US$237.5 million. Metrics for nutmeg specified in this article exclude mace, the seed covering from the nutmeg fruit.

Exports of nutmeg rose in value by an average 34.2% since 5 years earlier in 2019 when export sales for nutmeg were $177 million.

Year over year, overall export sales of the fragrant spice fell by -7.3% starting from $256.2 in 2022.

Nutmeg means the seed or ground spice of the fruit from a dark-leaved evergreen tree. Sweet-tasting nutmeg is used in spicy soups, meat stews and gravies, potato and spinach dishes, rice pudding, mulled cider and eggnog. Nutmeg is also a celebrated ingredient in pumpkin pie and baked squash. It is also used as a sprinkle on rum punch, and in jams, candy, essential oils and specialty butter.

By value, the 5 biggest exporters of nutmeg (Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Netherlands and Sri Lanka) sold around four-fifths (80.6%) of all nutmeg exported during 2023.

Applying a continental perspective, countries in Asia supplied the highest dollar worth of exported nutmeg during 2023 with shipments valued at $191.9 million or 80.8% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Europe (17.7%) trailed by those in North America (1.1%). Tinier percentages originated from suppliers in Latin America (0.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.1%) then those in Oceania (0.05%) mostly Australia.

Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of nutmeg in 2023 were mainland China, Germany, United States of America, Netherlands and Vietnam. Collectively, that quintet of top import countries bought nearly half (47.2%) of globally imported nutmeg as measured by dollar value.

The above percentages reinforce that the total 72 exporters of nutmeg (80.6% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to 170-plus buying countries, islands and territories. As specified above, the top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total at 47.2%.

As for global imports of nutmeg by continent, 67.2% of spending on imported nutmeg bought on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia ahead of importers in Europe (20%), Latin America (5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (3.9%), North America (3.8%), then Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia.

We calculated the average unit price paid by importers of non-crushed and unground nutmeg to be $6,356 per ton in 2023. That dollar amount reflects a -6.1% deflation rate from the average tonnage charge of $6,770 during 2022.

For crushed or ground nutmeg, the average unit price paid by importers was costlier at $8,641 per ton in 2023 down -7.2% compared to the average tonnage rate of $9,312 for 2022. The higher average price is driven partially by labor and other processing expenses.

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 080911 for nutmeg that is neither crushed nor ground, and 080912 for crushed or ground nutmeg.

Applying those categories, 71.3% of world nutmeg exports by value were for non-crushed and unground nutmeg. The remaining 28.7% was collected for crushed or ground nutmeg versus 43.2% one year earlier.

Top Nutmeg Exports by Country

Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of nutmeg during 2023, regardless of whether the shipped nutmeg was crushed or ground.

  1. Indonesia: US$112 million (47.2% of total exported nutmeg)
  2. India: $29.1 million (12.3%)
  3. Vietnam: $20.5 million (8.6%)
  4. Netherlands: $15.7 million (6.6%)
  5. Sri Lanka: $14.1 million (5.9%)
  6. United Arab Emirates: $12.1 million (5.1%)
  7. Germany: $7.9 million (3.3%)
  8. Italy: $3.9 million (1.6%)
  9. Belgium: $3.7 million (1.6%)
  10. France: $2.2 million (0.9%)
  11. Spain: $1.9 million (0.8%)
  12. Austria: $1.8 million (0.8%)
  13. United States: $1.4 million (0.6%)
  14. Poland: $1.3 million (0.6%)
  15. Canada: $1.1 million (0.5%)
  16. Malaysia: $923,000 (0.4%)
  17. United Kingdom: $918,000 (0.4%)
  18. Saudi Arabia: $880,000 (0.4%)
  19. mainland China: $779,000 (0.3%)
  20. Czech Republic: $750,000 (0.3%)

By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.1% of globally exported nutmeg in 2023.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing nutmeg exporters since 2022 were: Czech Republic (up 100%), Poland (up 34%), Belgium (up 16.3%), France (up 13.5%), mainland China (up 12.4%) and India (up 11.5%).

Listed suppliers that posted declines in their exported nutmeg sales were led by: Canada (down -48.8% from 2022), United States of America (down -43.4%), Spain (down -31%), Malaysia (down -21.4%) and the Netherlands (down -17.5%).

Top Nutmeg Imports by Country

The overall cost for imported nutmeg expanded by 39.6% over the 5-year period starting in 2019 but declined by -6.7% year over year since 2022.

Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of nutmeg imported during 2023, for any nutmeg regardless of whether crushed or ground.

  1. mainland China: US$44.7 million (19.9% of total imported nutmeg)
  2. Germany: $17.6 million (7.8%)
  3. United States: $16.3 million (7.3%)
  4. Netherlands: $13.7 million (6.1%)
  5. Vietnam: $13.5 million (6%)
  6. United Arab Emirates: $12.1 million (5.4%)
  7. France: $7.1 million (3.2%)
  8. Italy: $6.78 million (3%)
  9. India: $6.78 million (3%)
  10. Belgium: $6.77 million (3%)
  11. Japan: $6.3 million (2.8%)
  12. United Kingdom: $6 million (2.7%)
  13. Spain: $4.2 million (1.9%)
  14. Iraq: $3.53 million (1.6%)
  15. Canada: $3.46 million (1.5%)
  16. Poland: $2.96 million (1.3%)
  17. Austria: $2.89 million (1.3%)
  18. Argentina: $2.59 million (1.2%)
  19. Brazil: $2.58 million (1.2%)
  20. Egypt: $2.4 million (1.1%)

By value, the listed 20 countries bought 81.2% of globally imported nutmeg in 2023.

Among the top importers, nutmeg importers growing since 2022 were: Iraq (up 44.4%), Poland (up 37.5%), mainland China (up 28.7%), Belgium (up 28.3%) and Germany (up 1.2%).

Buyer countries that posted declines in their imported nutmeg purchases were led by: Egypt (down -50.1% from 2022), Canada (down -38.6%), Vietnam (down -32.7%), Spain (down -23.9%) and the United States of America (down -23.4%).

Imported Raw Nutmeg: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2023, the world’s average unit price for imports of non-crushed and unground nutmeg was US$6,356 per ton down by -6.1% from $6,770 one year earlier in 2022.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of non-crushed and unground nutmeg, mainland China, was lower at $4,538.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported raw nutmeg in 2023.

  1. Maldives: US$111 per ton (down -97.2% from 2022)
  2. Senegal: $244 per ton (up 14%)
  3. Kazakhstan: $500 per ton (up 50.2%)
  4. Kyrgyzstan: $500 per ton (down -50%)
  5. Timor-Leste: $500 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  6. Ghana: $588 per ton (down -42.6%)
  7. Nigeria: $667 per ton (down -51.5%)
  8. Democratic Republic Congo: $936 per ton (up 3.7%)
  9. Belize: $1,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  10. Angola: $1,500 per ton (up 87.5%)
  11. Uzbekistan: $1,750 per ton (up 16.7%)
  12. Ivory Coast: $2,000 per ton (down -50%)
  13. Armenia: $2,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  14. Ethiopia: $2,081 per ton (up 27.9%)
  15. Spain: $2,327 per ton (down -32.4%)

The greatest percentage reductions in average unit price paid per ton for non-crushed and unground nutmeg were low-cost importers Maldives (down -97.2%), Nigeria (down -51.5%), Kyrgyzstan (down -50%), Ivory Coast (also down -50%) and Ghana (down -42.6%).

The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported unprocessed nutmeg.

  1. Denmark: US$39,600 per ton (up 37.5% from 2022)
  2. Sweden: $30,800 per ton (down -6.7%)
  3. Portugal: $24,167 per ton (up 14.3%)
  4. Norway: $24,000 per ton (down -10%)
  5. Serbia: $24,000 per ton (up 33.3%)
  6. Lithuania: $22,000 per ton (up 37.5%)
  7. Romania: $21,500 per ton (up 253%)
  8. Bhutan: $21,429 per ton (up 71.4%)
  9. Austria: $17,419 per ton (up 16.6%)
  10. Luxembourg: $17,333 per ton (down -11.1%)
  11. Ireland: $17,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  12. Hungary: $16,167 per ton (down -4%)
  13. Estonia: $15,500 per ton (down -18.4%)
  14. South Korea: $15,167 per ton (up 3.4%)
  15. Dominica: $14,750 per ton (2022 data unavailable)

The strongest accelerations in terms of higher average unit prices in 2023 compared to 2022 were paid by importers in Romania (up 253%), Bhutan (up 71.4%), Denmark (up 37.5%) and Lithuania (also up 37.5%).

Imported Crushed or Ground Nutmeg: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2023, the world’s average unit price for imports of crushed or ground nutmeg was US$8,641 per ton. That average metric trails the $9,312 per ton for raw nutmeg in 2022 by -7.2%.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of crushed or ground nutmeg, United States of America, was above average at $9,765.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported crushed and ground nutmeg in 2023.

  1. Hungary: US$354 per ton (down -96.3% from 2022)
  2. Senegal: $444 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  3. Ghana: $523 per ton (down -4.6%)
  4. Democratic Republic Congo: $549 per ton (up 32%)
  5. Seychelles: $1,000 per ton (down -40%)
  6. Botswana: $1,000 per ton (down -33.3%)
  7. Grenada: $1,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  8. Nigeria: $1,421 per ton (down -6.5%)
  9. Liberia: $1,500 per ton (up 7.1%)
  10. Papua New Guinea: $2,000 per ton (up 33.3%)
  11. Benin: $2,000 per ton (up 199.9%)
  12. Ethiopia: $2,038 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  13. Angola: $2,320 per ton (up 31.4%)
  14. Kazakhstan: $3,000 per ton (down -11.4%)
  15. Syria: $3,000 per ton (up 200%)

There were 4 double-digit percentage reductions in average unit price paid per ton for crushed or ground nutmeg from 2022 to 2023. These were low-cost importers Hungary (down -96.3%), Seychelles (down -40%), Botswana (down -33.3%) and Kazakhstan (down -11.4%).

The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported crushed or ground nutmeg.

  1. Peru: US$36,000 per ton (up 208.6% from 2022)
  2. Luxembourg: $25,500 per ton (up 21.4%)
  3. Slovenia: $22,857 per ton (up 18%)
  4. Finland: $22,667 per ton (up 8.8%)
  5. Switzerland: $17,274 per ton (up 11%)
  6. Norway: $17,176 per ton (up 9%)
  7. Dominican Republic: $17,167 per ton (down -3.3%)
  8. Thailand: $17,000 per ton (up 30.8%)
  9. Montenegro: $17,000 per ton (2022 data unavailable)
  10. Mexico: $16,250 per ton (up 79.2%)
  11. Hong Kong: $16,000 per ton (down -48.4%)
  12. Ireland: $15,923 per ton (down -93%)
  13. Denmark: $15,543 per ton (up 57.5%)
  14. Croatia: $15,333 per ton (up 2.8%)
  15. French Polynesia: $15,000 per ton (up 7.1%)

The greatest accelerations in terms of higher average unit prices were paid by importers of crushed or ground nutmeg in Peru (up 206.8% from 2022), Mexico (up 79.2%), Denmark (up 57.5%), Thailand (up 30.8%) and Luxembourg (up 21.4%).

See also Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Cinnamon Exports by Country, Top Garlic Exports by Country, Top Cloves Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices and Top Vinegar Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices

Research Sources:
Alibaba, Nutmeg Showroom. Accessed on December 19, 2024

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on December 19, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on December 19, 2024

Wikipedia, Nutmeg. Accessed on December 19, 2024