Exported bananas sales

Banana exports by country totaled US$11.8 billion in 2016, up by an average 30.9% for all banana shippers over the five-year period starting in 2012 when bananas shipments were valued at $9 billion. Year over year, the value of global banana exports appreciated by 16.7% from 2015 to 2016.

From a continent perspective, Latin American (excluding Mexico) and Caribbean countries accounted for the highest dollar value worth of banana exports with shipments amounting to $7.1 billion or 60.5% of global banana sales.

European exporters accounted for 20.3% of total exported bananas, followed by African shippers at 7%. Asian countries generated 6.8% of global bananas exports with North American exporters at 5.3%.

The 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0803 for fresh or dried bananas and plantains.

Banana Exports by Country

Countries

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2016:

Ecuador: US$2.7 billion (23.3% of total banana exports)
Guatemala: $1.2 billion (10.5%)
Costa Rica: $996.8 million (8.5%)
Belgium: $940.9 million (8%)
Colombia: $914.9 million (7.8%)
Philippines: $618.8 million (5.3%)
Netherlands: $451.4 million (3.8%)
Dominican Republic: $444.7 million (3.8%)
United States: $431.2 million (3.7%)
Côte d’Ivoire: $370 million (3.1%)
Cameroon: $338.1 million (2.9%)
Germany: $328 million (2.8%)
Honduras: $259.2 million (2.2%)
Mexico: $197.1 million (1.7%)
France: $171.1 million (1.5%)

The listed 15 countries shipped 88.6% of all banana exports in 2016 (by value).

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing bananas exporters since 2012 were: Cameroon (up 351.7%), Dominican Republic (up 221.9%), Mexico (up 184.3%), Côte d’Ivoire (up 164.9%) and the Netherlands (up 129.9%).

Five countries posted declines in their exported bananas sales: Belgium (down -26.7%), Honduras (down -24.3%), France (down -14.5%), Philippines (down -4.5%) and the United States (down -1.2%).

Advantages

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for bananas during 2016. 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 banana exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.

Ecuador: US$2.7 billion (net export surplus up 32% since 2012)
Guatemala: $1.2 billion (up 99.3%)
Costa Rica: $994.9 million (up 41%)
Colombia: $910.1 million (up 11%)
Philippines: $618.8 million (down -4.5%)
Dominican Republic: $444.4 million (up 221.8%)
Côte d’Ivoire: $370 million (up 164.9%)
Cameroon: $338.1 million (up 351.7%)
Honduras: $251.6 million (down -25.6%)
Mexico: $196.8 million (up 184.3%)
Panama: $161.5 million (up 80.8%)
Peru: $153.4 million (up 83.5%)
Ghana: $65.3 million (up 3875.3%)
India: $60.9 million (up 158.4%)
Suriname: $57.1 million (up 12.5%)

Ecuador has the highest surplus in the international trade of bananas. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Ecuador’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.

Opportunities

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for bananas during 2016. 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 banana import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

United States: -US$2.2 billion (net export deficit up 10% since 2012)
Russia: -$970.4 million (up 9.6%)
Japan: -$923.5 million (up 3.9%)
United Kingdom: -$780.6 million (down -1.8%)
Germany: -$664.3 million (down -1.3%)
China: -$577.6 million (up 60.4%)
Italy: -$450 million (up 4.8%)
Canada: -$409.3 million (up 4.6%)
South Korea: -$328.4 million (up 31.4%)
Belgium: -$288.6 million (up 98.9%)
France: -$284.5 million (up 3.3%)
Saudi Arabia: -$258.5 million (up 29.6%)
Poland: -$218 million (up 45.6%)
Argentina: -$210.2 million (up 37%)
Sweden: -$152.2 million (up 10%)

The United States incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of bananas. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for banana-supplying countries that help satisfy the robust demand from American consumers.

One possible strategy is to introduce innovative ways to store or extend the shelf lives of such perishable goods.

Companies

Banana Exporting Companies

Below are the world’s biggest banana-supplying conglomerates. Shown within parenthesis is the country where the company is headquartered.

ChiquitaFyffes (Ireland)
Dole Food Company (United States)
Fresh Del Monte Produce (United States)
Grupo Noboa S.A. (Ecuador)

These four giants account for about three-quarters of global banana market share, based on statistics from public interest group BananaLink.

However, a 2014 analysis entitled The Changing Role of Multinational Companies in the Global Banana Trade from the Food and Agriculture Organization Of the United Nations points out that while market share has concentrated among these corporate titans, their collective percentage shares of global banana exports has shrunk significantly from 70% of total banana exports in 2002 to 44.4% during 2013.

According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are also multinational suppliers of bananas located in the country shown within parentheses:

Union De Bananeros Ecuatoriano (Ecuador)
Operaciones Tropicales (United States)
Standard Fruit De Hondura (Honduras)

Searchable List of Bananas Exporting Countries

You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.

Rank	Exporter	2016 Banana Exports	% World Total
1.	Ecuador	US$2.7 billion	23.3%
2.	Guatemala	$1.2 billion	10.5%
3.	Costa Rica	$996.8 million	8.5%
4.	Belgium	$940.9 million	8%
5.	Colombia	$914.9 million	7.8%
6.	Philippines	$618.8 million	5.3%
7.	Netherlands	$451.4 million	3.8%
8.	Dominican Republic	$444.7 million	3.8%
9.	United States	$431.2 million	3.7%
10.	Côte d'Ivoire	$370 million	3.1%
11.	Cameroon	$338.1 million	2.9%
12.	Germany	$328 million	2.8%
13.	Honduras	$259.2 million	2.2%
14.	Mexico	$197.1 million	1.7%
15.	France	$171.1 million	1.5%
16.	Panama	$164 million	1.4%
17.	Peru	$153.4 million	1.3%
18.	Spain	$116 million	1%
19.	Ghana	$65.3 million	0.6%
20.	India	$60.9 million	0.5%
21.	Suriname	$57.1 million	0.5%
22.	Czech Republic	$55.4 million	0.5%
23.	Nicaragua	$55.1 million	0.5%
24.	United Kingdom	$50.8 million	0.4%
25.	Italy	$42.8 million	0.4%
26.	Belize	$35 million	0.3%
27.	Bolivia	$34.1 million	0.3%
28.	Slovenia	$32.6 million	0.3%
29.	Poland	$31.4 million	0.3%
30.	Sweden	$30 million	0.3%
31.	Russia	$28.8 million	0.2%
32.	Mozambique	$23.4 million	0.2%
33.	Greece	$22.8 million	0.2%
34.	Lebanon	$21.2 million	0.2%
35.	Brazil	$21 million	0.2%
36.	Austria	$19.4 million	0.2%
37.	Slovakia	$18.5 million	0.2%
38.	Vietnam	$17 million	0.1%
39.	Thailand	$14.4 million	0.1%
40.	Lithuania	$12.5 million	0.1%
41.	Indonesia	$10.8 million	0.1%
42.	South Africa	$10.1 million	0.1%
43.	Myanmar (Burma)	$9.9 million	0.1%
44.	Latvia	$9.4 million	0.08%
45.	Egypt	$8.6 million	0.07%
46.	Paraguay	$8.5 million	0.07%
47.	Malaysia	$8.2 million	0.07%
48.	Sri Lanka	$8.2 million	0.07%
49.	Denmark	$8.2 million	0.07%
50.	China	$7.9 million	0.07%
51.	Kuwait	$7.6 million	0.06%
52.	Hungary	$7.5 million	0.06%
53.	Saint Lucia	$6.7 million	0.06%
54.	Saudi Arabia	$5 million	0.04%
55.	Ireland	$4.8 million	0.04%
56.	Laos	$4.6 million	0.04%
57.	Uganda	$4.6 million	0.04%
58.	Finland	$3.9 million	0.03%
59.	United Arab Emirates	$3.3 million	0.03%
60.	Taiwan	$2.7 million	0.02%
61.	Portugal	$2.7 million	0.02%
62.	St Vincent/Grenadines	$2 million	0.02%
63.	Hong Kong	$1.8 million	0.02%
64.	Bulgaria	$1.8 million	0.02%
65.	El Salvador	$1.5 million	0.01%
66.	Croatia	$1.4 million	0.01%
67.	Georgia	$1 million	0.01%
68.	Swaziland	$996,000	0.01%
69.	Comoros	$903,000	0.01%
70.	Bangladesh	$859,000	0.01%
71.	Dominica	$831,000	0.01%
72.	Oman	$668,000	0.01%
73.	Chile	$520,000	0.004%
74.	Serbia	$456,000	0.004%
75.	Luxembourg	$344,000	0.003%
76.	Cyprus	$331,000	0.003%
77.	Brunei Darussalam	$245,000	0.002%
78.	Sudan	$240,000	0.002%
79.	Jamaica	$218,000	0.002%
80.	Australia	$217,000	0.002%
81.	Singapore	$178,000	0.002%
82.	Zimbabwe	$170,000	0.001%
83.	Haiti	$170,000	0.001%
84.	Iran	$146,000	0.001%
85.	Romania	$140,000	0.001%
86.	Estonia	$126,000	0.001%
87.	Kenya	$101,000	0.001%
88.	Burundi	$91,000	0.001%
89.	Macedonia	$84,000	0.001%
90.	Azerbaijan	$77,000	0.001%
91.	Nigeria	$72,000	0.001%
92.	Canada	$56,000	0.0005%
93.	Moldova	$45,000	0.0004%
94.	Norway	$41,000	0.0003%
95.	Uruguay	$39,000	0.0003%
96.	Tanzania	$34,000	0.0003%
97.	Morocco	$31,000	0.0003%
98.	Belarus	$30,000	0.0003%
99.	Somalia	$28,000	0.0002%
100.	Madagascar	$25,000	0.0002%
101.	Cuba	$25,000	0.0002%
102.	Kyrgyzstan	$21,000	0.0002%
103.	New Zealand	$15,000	0.0001%
104.	US Minor Outlying Is.	$14,000	0.0001%
105.	Cambodia	$12,000	0.0001%
106.	Grenada	$12,000	0.0001%
107.	Guinea	$12,000	0.0001%
108.	Iceland	$12,000	0.0001%
109.	Turkey	$11,000	0.0001%
110.	Switzerland	$11,000	0.0001%
111.	Angola	$8,000	0.0001%
112.	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	$6,000	0.0001%
113.	St. Pierre/Miquelon	$6,000	0.0001%
114.	South Korea	$6,000	0.0001%
115.	Samoa	$6,000	0.0001%
116.	Togo	$5,000	0.00004%
117.	Democratic Rep. Congo	$3,000	0.00003%
118.	Guyana	$3,000	0.00003%
119.	Afghanistan	$2,000	0.00002%
120.	Niger	$2,000	0.00002%
121.	Tonga	$2,000	0.00002%
122.	Burkina Faso	$1,000	0.00001%
123.	Pitcairn	$1,000	0.00001%
124.	Rwanda	$1,000	0.00001%
125.	Mauritius	$1,000	0.00001%
126.	Montenegro	$1,000	0.00001%
127.	Kazakhstan	$1,000	0.00001%
128.	Equatorial Guinea	$1,000	0.00001%
129.	Ethiopia	$1,000	0.00001%

See also Pineapples Exports by Country, Bananas Imports by Country and Ecuador’s Bananas Exports by Country and Top Almonds Exporters by Country

Research Sources:
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 9, 2017

Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on May 9, 2017

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 9, 2017

BananaLInk, Multinationals Lose Grip on Global banana exports. Accessed on May 9, 2017

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The Changing Role of Multinational Companies in the Global Banana Trade (2014). Accessed on October 28, 2015

Bloomberg Business, With Chiquita-Fyffes Merger, Dole Will No Longer Be Top Banana (March 10, 2014). Accessed on October 28, 2015

Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on September 25, 2015

Bananas Exports by Country