That dollar amount represents 6.7% of worldwide exports for all products, increasing by 38% compared to $1.184 trillion a decade earlier in 2013 when the food-to-total exports metric was 6.4%.
Year over year, the trillion-dollar value of global food shipments flatlined by -1.8% starting from $1.664 trillion in 2022.
In comparison, the value of all products exported from 2013 to 2023 grew by a slower percentage at 33.1% over the 10-year period but did grow at 10.6% compared to the -1.8% deflation rate for food exports.
Given the world’s population of 8.025 billion people in 2023, the total of $1.634 trillion in 2023 food exports equates roughly $204 for every human being on the planet. That per-capita metric is 24.3% higher than the $164 person average for 2013 but -2.7% lower than an average $209 food spending compared to 2022.
Top Exports by Food Categories
Below, you will find all 17 export product groups for food ranked by total sales in 2023. Those exported categories are specific to food types, while each listed entry also reveals its total dollar value in global shipments.
Also shown is the percentage share each export food category represents in terms of inter-country food sales.
- Cereals: US$164.1 billion (10% of globally exported food)
- Meat: $160.7 billion (9.8%)
- Oil seeds: $149.3 billion (9.1%)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $147.4 billion (9%)
- Fruits, nuts: $141.9 billion (8.7%)
- Fish: $137 billion (8.4%)
- Dairy, eggs, honey: $108.2 billion (6.6%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: $105.3 billion (6.4%)
- Miscellaneous food preparations: $104.4 billion (6.4%)
- Vegetables: $93.4 billion (5.7%)
- Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $84 billion (5.1%)
- Sugar, sugar confectionery: $67.1 billion (4.1%)
- Cocoa: $61.3 billion (3.8%)
- Meat/seafood preparations: $61.1 billion (3.7%)
- Milling products, malt, starches: $28 billion (1.7%)
- Miscellaneous animal-origin products: $11.6 billion (0.7%)
- Gums, resins, other vegetable saps: $9.6 billion (0.6%)
Seven among the 17 product categories increased in value for global exports from 2022 to 2023.
Sugar plus confectionery made from sugar represent the fastest year-over-year gainer, up by 14.4% since 2022.
Cocoa recorded an 11.5% improvement in exported food sales.
Global shipments of vegetables posted the next fastest gain in value thanks to its 9.6% increase from 2022, ahead of the 8.1% advance for exported cereal or milk preparations.
The severest decliners among the export product categories were animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes (down -16.6% from 2022), gums, resins plus other vegetable saps (down -13.3%), cereals (down -9%) then fish (down -7.1%).
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, peruse the sections below specific to the 5 food product categories that generated the highest international sales from exports in 2023.
International Cereals Exports
Listed below are the 8 types of cereals that produced the greatest global sales from exports in 2023.
- Wheat and meslin: US$59.5 billion (36.3% of subcategory total)
- Maize or corn: $53.1 billion (32.3%)
- Rice: $34.4 billion (20.9%)
- Barley: $10.5 billion (6.4%)
- Grain sorghum: $2.6 billion (1.6%)
- Oats: $1.3 billion (0.8%)
- Other cereals including buckwheat, millet: $1.2 billion (0.7%)
- Rye: $445.4 million (0.3%)
Gains by types of exported cereals from 2022 to 2023 belong to rice (up 13.2%), oats (up 5%) and barley (up 1.8%).
Posting double-digit declines since 2022 were sales of exported grain sorghum (down -27.2%), corn (down -15.6%) then wheat and meslin (down -12.9%).
Latest Available Country Data for Exported Cereals
The following analysis presents the 15 top exporters of cereals by country. All told, the major shippers of cereals generated over four-fifths (83.9%) of cereals exported during 2023.
- United States: US$23.3 billion (14.2% of global total)
- Brazil: $15 billion (9.1%)
- Australia: $13 billion (7.9%)
- Russia: $11.7 billion (7.1%)
- India: $11.3 billion (6.9%)
- Canada: $11.2 billion (6.8%)
- Ukraine: $8.31 billion (5.1%)
- France: $8.26 billion (5%)
- Argentina: $8.1 billion (4.9%)
- Thailand: $5.2 billion (3.2%)
- Romania: $4.5 billion (2.7%)
- Vietnam: $3.94 billion (2.4%)
- Poland: $3.85 billion (2.3%)
- Germany: $3.4 billion (2.1%)
- Pakistan: $3.2 billion (2%)
Benefiting from the strongest increases in their exported cereals sales from 2022 to 2023 were suppliers in Thailand (up 28.5%), Pakistan (up 23.4%), Vietnam (up 21%), Poland (up 17.4%) then Russia (up 11.9%).
Year over year, double-digit declines in revenues from exported cereals sales were experienced by providers in Argentina (down -44.1% from 2022), France (down -30.5%), United States of America (down -26.1%) and India (down -19.8%).
International Meat Exports
Listed below are the 10 types of meat that produced the greatest global sales from exports in 2023.
- Swine meat: US$36.1 billion (22.4% of subcategory total)
- Poultry meat: $34.6 billion (21.5%)
- Frozen beef: $32.9 billion (20.5%)
- Fresh or chilled beef: $30.4 billion (18.9%)
- Red meat offal: $9.8 billion (6.1%)
- Sheep or goat meat: $8.7 billion (5.4%)
- Salted, dried or smoked offal, flours $5.6 billion (3.5%)
- Pig or poultry fat: $882.2 million (0.5%)
- Rabbit or pigeon meat: $817.9 million (0.5%)
- Horse or donkey meat: $428.5 million (0.3%)
Horse or donkey meat was lone meat subcategory to record a double-digit increase in sales year over year thanks to its 25.5% gain since 2022.
Recording the worst declines year over year were shrinking revenues for exported frozen beef (down -15.2% from 2022), sheep or goat meat (down -8.5%) and poultry meat (down -4.3%).
Latest Available Country Data for Exported Meat
The following analysis presents the 15 top exporters of meat by country. All told, the major meat suppliers accounted for over four-fifths (81.2%) of meat exported during 2023.
- Brazil: US$22 billion (13.7% of global total)
- United States: $21.8 billion (13.6%)
- Australia: $12.3 billion (7.7%)
- Netherlands: $11.9 billion (7.4%)
- Spain: $11.0 billion (6.9%)
- Germany: $8.3 billion (5.2%)
- Poland: $8.1 billion (5%)
- Canada: $7.1 billion (4.4%)
- New Zealand: $5.4 billion (3.3%)
- France: $4.3 billion (2.7%)
- Belgium: $4.23 billion (2.6%)
- Ireland: $4.05 billion (2.5%)
- Denmark: $3.8 billion (2.4%)
- India: $3.6 billion (2.3%)
- Argentina: $3.1 billion (1.9%)
Generating double-digit increases in their exported meat sales from 2022 to 2023 were suppliers in India (up 12.2%), Spain (up 11.1%) then Belgium (up 10.1%).
Year over year, the severest declines in revenues from exported meat sales were endured by shippers in Argentina (down -22.7% from 2022), New Zealand (down -14%) and Brazil (down -8.2%).
International Oil Seeds Exports
By far, soya beans represent the largest percentage of export sales for this commodity group. Listed below are soya beans and 13 other types of oil seeds exported in 2023.
- Soya beans: US$93.8 billion (62.6% of subcategory total)
- Rapeseeds or colza seeds: $17.5 billion (10.2%)
- Sowing seeds, fruits, spores: $8.4 billion (5.8%)
- Miscellaneous oil seeds, oleaginous fruits: $6 billion (4.4%)
- Sunflower seeds: $6.8 billion (3.5%)
- Uncooked groundnuts: $4 billion (2.9%)
- Plants, plant parts including seeds or fruits: $4.1 billion (2.8%)
- Fodder roots, alfalfa, clover, forage kale: $4.2 billion (2.3%)
- Locust beans, seaweeds, sugar beet: $2.9 billion (1.7%)
- Flours, meals of oil seeds or oleaginous fruits: $1.6 billion (1.6%)
- Linseed: $1.6 billion (0.9%)
- Hop cones: $786.8 million (0.5%)
- Cereal straw, husks: $438.7 million (0.3%)
- Copra $115.2 million (0.1%)
The 3 leading types of exported oil seeds in terms of highest percentage gains from 2022 to 2023 were flours and meals of oil seeds or oleaginous fruits (up 48.7%), uncooked groundnuts (up 10.2%) then miscellaneous oil seeds or oleaginous fruits (up 9.9%).
Enduring the worst declines year over year were revenues for exports of copra (down -29.8% from 2022) and sunflower seeds (down -23.7%).
Latest Available Country Data for Exported Oil Seeds
The following analysis presents the 15 top exporters of oil seeds by country. All told, the major oil seeds suppliers generated well over four-fifths (86%) of oil seeds exported during 2023.
- Brazil: US$54 billion (36.2% of global total)
- United States: $33.9 billion (22.7%)
- Canada: $8.3 billion (5.5%)
- Australia: $4.4 billion (3%)
- Netherlands: $3.9 billion (2.6%)
- Paraguay: $3.6 billion (2.4%)
- mainland China: $3.3 billion (2.2%)
- Ukraine: $3.8 billion (1.9%)
- France: $2.7 billion (1.8%)
- Romania: $2.3 billion (1.5%)
- India: $2.1 billion (1.4%)
- Argentina: $2.06 billion (1.4%)
- Russia: $1.94 billion (1.3%)
- Germany: $1.93 billion (1.3%)
- Belgium: $1.5 billion (1.0%)
The strongest advances in oil seeds export sales from 2022 to 2023 belong to Paraguay (up 161.9%), Russia (up 32.6%), Brazil (up 14.5%) then India (up 11.1%).
br>Year over year, the greatest decliners were Argentina (down -51.2% from 2022), Australia (down -26.9%), Ukraine (down -25.4%) and the United States of America (down -15.7%).
International Exports of Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils
Listed below are the 7 subcategories of animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes that produced the greatest global sales from exports in 2023.
- Palm oil: US$43.8 billion (38.4% of subcategory total)
- Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil: $18.1 billion (14.8%)
- Rape, colza or mustard oil: $14.3 billion (9.6%)
- Olive oil: $12 billion (6.8%)
- Soya-bean oil: $11.3 billion (11.9%)
- Margarine: $8.8 billion (6.8%)
- Processed animal or vegetable fats, oils: $8.7 billion (6.9%)
The strongest percentage gains by types of exported vegetable or animal fats, oils and waxes from 2022 to 2023 belong to sunflower, safflower or cotton-seed oils (up 25.1%), margarine (up 21.5%) then olive oil (up 15.5%).
Posting the sole year-over-year decrease were revenues for exports of processed animal or vegetable fats and oils (down -14.4% from 2022).
Latest Available Country Data for Exported Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils
The following analysis presents the 15 top exporters of animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes by country. All told, the listed major shippers generated almost three-quarters (74.2%) for this commodity group during 2023.
- Indonesia: US$28.5 billion (19.3% of global total)
- Malaysia: $16.9 billion (11.5%)
- Spain: $7.24 billion (4.9%)
- Netherlands: $7.16 billion (4.9%)
- Canada: $6.5 billion (4.4%)
- Russia: $5.7 billion (3.9%)
- Ukraine: $5.6 billion (3.8%)
- Argentina: $5 billion (3.4%)
- Germany: $4.5 billion (3.1%)
- Italy: $3.8 billion (2.6%)
- Brazil: $3.6 billion (2.4%)
- mainland China: $3.5 billion (2.4%)
- Belgium: $3.2 billion (2.2%)
- Türkiye: $3 billion (2%)
- United States: $2.7 billion (1.9%)
Benefiting from stronger increases in their export sales of animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes from 2022 to 2023 were suppliers in Canada (up 2%) and Italy (up 2.8%).
Year over year, the severest decliners among the listed suppliers were the United States of America (down -36.7% from 2022), Argentina (down -35.3%), Malaysia (down -28.6%) then Brazil (down -28.6%).
International Fruits and Nuts Exports
Listed below are the 14 types of fruits and nuts that generated the greatest export revenues in 2023.
- Miscellaneous fruits (fresh): US$22.6 billion (17.9% of subcategory total)
- Miscellaneous nuts: $18.9 billion (12.5%)
- Dates/pineapples/mango/avocado: $15.8 billion (11.4%)
- Fresh or dried citrus fruit: $15 billion (11.3%)
- Bananas, plantains: $13.5 billion (10.1%)
- Grapes (fresh or dried): $11.5 billion (7.8%)
- Apples, pears (fresh): $9.4 billion (6.7%)
- Coconuts, Brazil nuts, cashews $8.3 billion (6%)
- Cherries/peaches/nectarines/plums: $8.6 billion (5.5%)
- Steamed or boiled fruits, nuts: $7.5 billion (4.9%)
- Melons including watermelons, papayas: $4.5 billion (3.1%)
- Dried fruits including apricots, prunes: $3 billion (2.1%)
- Preserved fruits, nuts $230.6 million (0.2%)
- Melon or citrus fruit peel $86.4 million (0.1%)
Exported fruits and nuts that appreciated at the fastest rate were miscellaneous fresh fruits (up 12.4% from 2022), melon or citrus fruit peel (up 8.9%) then fresh or dried citrus fruit (up 7.2%).
The severest declining fruits and nuts subcategories were cherries, peaches, nectarines and plums (down -8.8% from 2022) and steamed or boiled fruits or nuts (down -6.7%).
Latest Available Country Data for Exported Fruits and Nuts
The following analysis presents the 15 top exporters of fruits and nuts by country. Combined, the major fruits and nuts suppliers generated over two-thirds (68.3%) of fruits and nuts exported during 2023.
- United States: US$14.9 billion (10.5% of global total)
- Spain: $10.6 billion (7.5%)
- Mexico: $8.7 billion (6.2%)
- Netherlands: $8.6 billion (6%)
- Thailand: $6.9 billion (4.9%)
- Chile: $6.7 billion (4.7%)
- Vietnam: $6.2 billion (4.4%)
- mainland China: $5.9 billion (4.2%)
- Peru: $5.5 billion (3.9%)
- Türkiye: $5.4 billion (3.8%)
- South Africa: $4.5 billion (3.1%)
- Italy: $4.3 billion (3%)
- Ecuador: $4.1 billion (2.9%)
- Belgium: $2.9 billion (2%)
- Costa Rica: $2.5 billion (1.8%)
Reaping the biggest increases in their exported fruits and nuts sales from 2022 to 2023 were suppliers in Vietnam (up 33.6%), Thailand (up 21.8%), Netherlands (up 16.3%), Peru (up 15.7%) and Costa Rica (up 13.6%).
Declines in revenues from exported fruits and nuts sales were attributed to suppliers in Chile (down -16.9% from 2022) and South Africa (down -2.1%).
See also Chicken Exports by Country, Top Beef Exporting Countries, Top Frozen Vegetables Exports by Country, Corn Exports by Country, Soya Beans Exports by Country and Average Banana Prices Compared for Major Bananas Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on December 2, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on December 2, 2024
SHIPHUB, HS Code for Food. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Yahoo! Finance, Here’s where inflation is hitting the hardest. Accessed on December 2, 2024