That dollar amount reflects an average 12.1% gain from $4.46 billion five years earlier in 2019.
Year over year, global spending on exported toilet paper accelerated by 9.7% compared to $4.55 billion during 2022.
The 5 biggest exporters of toilet paper are mainland China, Germany, Poland, Canada and Italy. Combined, that quintet of major international suppliers sold about two-fifths (39.8%) of the world’s exported toilet paper in 2023.
Adopting a continental perspective, European countries accounted for the highest dollar worth of exported toilet paper during 2023 with shipments valued at $2.84 billion or 56.8% of the world’s total. In second place were exporters in Asia at 20.6% while another 11.9% of international toilet paper shipments originated from North America.
Smaller amounts came from suppliers Latin America (8.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.8%), then Oceania (0.4%) led by New Zealand and Australia.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for toilet paper in rolls is 481810.
Top Toilet Paper Exporters by Country
Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of toilet paper in rolls during 2023.
- mainland China: US$739.4 million (14.8% of toilet paper exports)
- Germany: $397.7 million (8%)
- Poland: $305.1 million (6.1%)
- Canada: $276.2 million (5.5%)
- Italy: $270.3 million (5.4%)
- Sweden: $236.8 million (4.7%)
- France: $236.1 million (4.7%)
- United States: $222.7 million (4.5%)
- El Salvador: $187.7 million (3.8%)
- Portugal: $163.5 million (3.3%)
- United Kingdom: $144 million (2.9%)
- Spain: $143 million (2.9%)
- Belgium: $135.4 million (2.7%)
- Austria: $131.2 million (2.6%)
- Guatemala: $118.3 million (2.4%)
- Slovakia: $99.5 million (2%)
- Türkiye: $98.9 million (2%)
- Netherlands: $95.1 million (1.9%)
- Mexico: $93.2 million (1.9%)
- Slovenia: $68.6 million (1.4%)
- Serbia: $54 million (1.1%)
- South Africa: $51.5 million (1%)
- Indonesia: $50.6 million (1%)
- Hungary: $49.8 million (1%)
- Malaysia: $47.4 million (0.9%)
By value, the listed 25 countries shipped 88.4% of all toilet paper exported in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of toilet paper since 2022 were: Indonesia (up 60.9%), Guatemala (up 45.4%), Türkiye (up 34.2%) and Canada (up 28.3%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported toilet paper sales were: Mexico (down -14.8% from 2022), Slovakia (down -8.8%) and Austria (down -4.9%).
Countries Earning Greatest Trade Surpluses from Toilet Paper
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for toilet paper in rolls during 2023. 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 toilet paper and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- mainland China: US$734.4 million (net export surplus up 4.9% since 2022)
- Poland: $252.2 million (up 22.7%)
- Italy: $249.5 million (up 0.5%)
- Sweden: $178.5 million (up 9.1%)
- El Salvador: $155.4 million (down -2.4%)
- Portugal: $111 million (up 33.3%)
- Türkiye: $97.6 million (up 33.7%)
- Mexico: $86.7 million (down -17.9%)
- Canada: $80.4 million (up 69.5%)
- United Kingdom: $74.8 million (up 65.5%)
- Slovakia: $72.3 million (down -12.4%)
- Spain: $62.6 million (down -9.2%)
- Guatemala: $57.9 million (up 130.3%)
- South Africa: $50.8 million (up 22%)
- Indonesia: $50.5 million (up 61.6%)
The People’s Republic of China profited with the highest surplus in the international trade of toilet paper. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms mainland China’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Facing Worst Trade Deficits from Toilet Paper
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for toilet paper in rolls during 2023. 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 toilet paper purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Netherlands: -US$235.8 million (net export deficit up 51.5% since 2022)
- United States of America: -$192.7 million (up 29.6%)
- Denmark: -$143 million (up 21.8%)
- Hong Kong: -$138.8 million (up 4.9%)
- Ireland: -$129.5 million (up 16.7%)
- Norway: -$108.7 million (up 5.2%)
- Czech Republic: -$106.4 million (down -1%)
- Costa Rica: -$101.4 million (up 26%)
- Switzerland: -$90.2 million (down -3%)
- Australia: -$82.3 million (up 9.7%)
- Honduras: -$80.6 million (2022 data unavailable)
- Nicaragua: -$66.3 million (up 29%)
- Singapore: -$36.9 million (up 13.3%)
- Croatia: -$36.1 million (down -2.5%)
- Panama: -$34.3 million (up 15.7%)
The Netherlands and the United States of America incurred the highest deficits in the international trade of toilet paper. In turn, these negative cashflows highlight both countries’ competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signal opportunities for toilet paper-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Toilet Paper Exporting Companies
Below are companies in China or the United States that represent established players engaged in the international trade of toilet paper and other sanitary tissue products. Their home country is shown within parenthesis.
- Changchun Hongli Paper Co., Ltd (China)
- Chongqing Donsea Paper Co., Ltd (China)
- Georgia-Pacific (United States)
- Kimberly Clark (United States)
- Lianyungang Huide Trading Co., Ltd (China)
- Procter & Gamble (United States)
- Scott Paper Company (United States)
- Shanghai Clean Paper Co., Ltd (China)
- Shenzhen Telling Commodity Co., Ltd (China)
- Yiwu HLD Commodity Manufactory Co., Ltd (China)
See also Paper Exports by Country, Paper Imports by Country, Top Newsprint Exports by Country, Beauty Cosmetics and Skincare Exports by Country and Perfumes Exporters by Country Plus Average Prices
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for toilet paper in rolls. Accessed on September 1, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 1, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 1, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 1, 2024
Wikipedia, Toilet paper. Accessed on September 1, 2024