Worldwide, exported sculpture sales totaled US$4.55 billion in 2022.

That dollar amount results from a -2.6% decline for all sculptures shippers over the five-year period starting in 2018 when exports for that commodity class were worth $4.67 billion.

Year over year, the value of exported sculptures increased by 4% compared to $3.38 billion for 2021.

Of the overall total, 13.2% was for exports of original sculptures and statues over 100 years old.

Sculptures come in all different shapes and sizes including gargantuan statues and life-sized replicas. Sculptures are displayed indoors or outside, and are made from a diverse range of materials such as stone like marble, metals like bronze or silver, wood, clay, glass, sand, wax and ice.

Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of sculpture exports during 2022 with shipments valued at $2 billion or almost half (44.4%) of the global total. In second place were North American exporters at 38.4% while another 14.6% of worldwide shipments of sculptures originated from Asia.

Smaller percentages came from providers in Latin America (1.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.6%), and Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.

For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 9703 for original sculptures and statues–regardless of materials from which they are made.

Top Sculptures Exporters by Country

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of sculptures including statues during 2022.

1. United States: US$1.7 billion (37.4% of exported sculptures)
2. United Kingdom: $837.4 million (18.4%)
3. France: $361.1 million (7.9%)
4. Hong Kong: $319.5 million (7%)
5. Germany: $208.4 million (4.6%)
6. Switzerland: $196.2 million (4.3%)
7. Italy: $183.8 million (4%)
8. China: $100.9 million (2.2%)
9. Belgium: $80.8 million (1.8%)
10. Japan: $68.6 million (1.5%)
11. Singapore: $62.2 million (1.4%)
12. Brazil: $61 million (1.3%)
13. Spain: $44.1 million (1%)
14. Canada: $42.4 million (0.9%)
15. South Korea: $32.6 million (0.7%)

By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 94.5% of globally exported sculptures in 2022.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of sculptures since 2018 were: mainland China (up 1,069%), Hong Kong (up 217.6%), Singapore (up 88%) and France (up 39.9%).

Major suppliers that posted double-digit declines in their international sales of sculptures were: Switzerland (down -48.9% from 2018), United Kingdom (down -18%), Brazil (down -16.5%), Germany (down -14.7%) and the United States of America (down -12.3%).

Countries with Competitive Advantages Trading Sculptures

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for sculptures during 2022. 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 exported sculptures and its import purchases for that same commodity.

1. United Kingdom: US$520.8 million (net export surplus down -17.4% since 2018)
2. United States: $412.7 million (up 439.7%)
3. France: $146.2 million (up 24.3%)
4. Germany: $140.1 million (down -4.1%)
5. Italy: $98.2 million (down -1.8%)
6. Brazil: $57.3 million (down -11.3%)
7. Japan: $27.5 million (up 199%)
8. Israel: $21.1 million (up 103.1%)
9. Spain: $17.5 million (down -50.3%)
10. Netherlands: $12.4 million (reversing a -$9.6 million deficit)
11. South Africa: $7 million (down -50.4%)
12. Austria: $4.6 million (reversing a -$2.5 million deficit)
13. Ghana: $4.5 million (up 64,714%)
14. Ireland: $3.9 million (up 86.9%)
15. Uruguay: $2.8 million (up 522.2%)

The United Kingdom generated the highest surplus in the international trade of sculptures. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong UK competitive advantages for this specific product category.

Countries with Competitive Disadvantages Trading Sculptures

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for sculptures during 2022. 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 imported sculptures purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

1. Hong Kong: -US$260.9 million (net export deficit up 44% since 2018)
2. Singapore: -$207.5 million (up 607.9%)
3. Qatar: -$99 million (up 191.4%)
4. Switzerland: -$85.1 million (down -25.2%)
5. South Korea: -$51.7 million (down -21.6%)
6. Canada: -$33.9 million (up 1985.8%)
7. Australia: -$29.7 million (up 15.8%)
8. China: -$19.7 million (down -23.4%)
9. Belgium: -$11.9 million (reversing a $28.1 million surplus)
10. Norway: -$11.3 million (down -36.9%)
11. Taiwan: -$8.7 million (up 23.6%)
12. Portugal: -$8.4 million (up 311.3%)
13. Cyprus: -$7.9 million (up 1133.9%)
14. India: -$6.3 million (down -93.8%)
15. Luxembourg: -$5.3 million (reversing a $94,000 surplus)

Once again, global trade hub Hong Kong incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of sculptures. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Hong Kong’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for sculptures-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.

Sculptures Exporting Companies

According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of sculptures-trading exporters.

• AXH Fiberglass Fabricators Inc (United States)
• Baoding Yilin Sculpture Co, Ltd (China)
• BRUNEL s.r.l. Preziosi d’Autore (Italy)
• Export Corporation (India)
• International 68Art Co (Hong Kong)
• JS GartenDeko e.K. (Germany)
• Lineature (Spain)
• Nativa Gems I. e E. de Pedras (Brazil)
• San Teck International Pte Ltd (Singapore)
• Sterling Sculptures (United Kingdom)

The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
 

See also Exported Paintings and Drawings by Country, Diamond Exports by Country and Diamond Imports by Country

Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for modern sculpture. Accessed on November 3, 2023

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 3, 2023

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 3, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 3, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 3, 2023

Wikipedia, Sculpture. Accessed on November 3, 2023

Wikipedia, Statue. Accessed on November 3, 2023