Exported bananas sales
From a continent perspective, Latin American (excluding Mexico) plus the Caribbean accounted for the highest dollar value worth of banana exports in 2017 via shipments amounting to $7.2 billion or 58.5% of international banana sales.
European exporters were responsible for 21% of total exported bananas, followed by Asian shippers at 7.4%. African countries supplied 6.6% of globally exported bananas with North American exporters coming in at 5.6%.
The 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0803 for fresh or dried bananas and plantains.
Bananas Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2017:
- Ecuador: US$3 billion (24.6% of total banana exports)
- Belgium: $1.1 billion (8.5%)
- Costa Rica: $1 billion (8.4%)
- Colombia: $918.1 million (7.4%)
- Guatemala: $882.3 million (7.1%)
- Philippines: $687.4 million (5.6%)
- Netherlands: $579.9 million (4.7%)
- United States: $445 million (3.6%)
- Dominican Republic: $393.3 million (3.2%)
- Côte d’Ivoire: $350.1 million (2.8%)
- Germany: $319.5 million (2.6%)
- Cameroon: $317.8 million (2.6%)
- Honduras: $311.1 million (2.5%)
- Panama: $294.7 million (2.4%)
- Mexico: $241.7 million (2%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 88% of all banana exports in 2017 (by value).
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing bananas exporters since 2013 were: Panama (up 861.6%), Cameroon (up 280.8%), Dominican Republic (up 134.2%), Côte d’Ivoire (up 131.5%) and the Netherlands (up 108.4%).
Five countries posted declines in their exported bananas sales: the Philippines (down -28.7%), Belgium (down -25.9%), Germany (down -7.1%), Honduras (down -6.5%) and the United States (down -2.9%).
For the complete listing, see the section Searchable List of Bananas Exporting Countries below.
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for bananas during 2017. 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$3 billion (net export surplus up 30.7% since 2013)
- Costa Rica: $1 billion (up 33.7%)
- Colombia: $916.5 million (up 20.3%)
- Guatemala: $880.3 million (up 35.3%)
- Philippines: $687.3 million (down -28.7%)
- Dominican Republic: $393.3 million (up 134.4%)
- Côte d’Ivoire: $350.1 million (up 131.5%)
- Cameroon: $317.8 million (up 280.8%)
- Honduras: $309.4 million (down -5.9%)
- Panama: $293.8 million (up 858.9%)
- Mexico: $241.1 million (up 49.7%)
- Peru: $149.4 million (up 67.8%)
- Ghana: $73.5 million (up 5694.5%)
- Nicaragua: $69.9 million (up 229.2%)
- Bolivia: $50.6 million (up 67.7%)
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 2017. 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$2.3 billion (net export deficit up 11.7% since 2013)
- Russia: -$1.1 billion (up 14.2%)
- Japan: -$850.8 million (up 4.2%)
- United Kingdom: -$776.1 million (down -3.2%)
- Germany: -$696.2 million (down -11.3%)
- China: -$563 million (up 71.7%)
- Italy: -$469.5 million (down -0.7%)
- Canada: -$421.7 million (up 2.7%)
- France: -$415.7 million (up 22%)
- South Korea: -$365.1 million (up 44.2%)
- Belgium: -$343.3 million (up 95%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$256.6 million (up 30%)
- Netherlands: -$252.2 million (up 557.2%)
- Poland: -$251.3 million (up 7.7%)
- Argentina: -$240 million (up 23.3%)
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
Bananas Exporting Companies
Below are the world’s biggest banana-supplying conglomerates. Shown within parentheses 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 | 2017 Bananas Exports | % World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ecuador | US$3 billion | 24.6% |
| 2. | Belgium | $1.1 billion | 8.5% |
| 3. | Costa Rica | $1 billion | 8.4% |
| 4. | Colombia | $918.1 million | 7.4% |
| 5. | Guatemala | $882.3 million | 7.1% |
| 6. | Philippines | $687.4 million | 5.6% |
| 7. | Netherlands | $579.9 million | 4.7% |
| 8. | United States | $445 million | 3.6% |
| 9. | Dominican Republic | $393.3 million | 3.2% |
| 10. | Côte d'Ivoire | $350.1 million | 2.8% |
| 11. | Germany | $319.5 million | 2.6% |
| 12. | Cameroon | $317.8 million | 2.6% |
| 13. | Honduras | $311.1 million | 2.5% |
| 14. | Panama | $294.7 million | 2.4% |
| 15. | Mexico | $241.7 million | 2% |
| 16. | France | $171 million | 1.4% |
| 17. | Peru | $149.4 million | 1.2% |
| 18. | Spain | $114.5 million | 0.9% |
| 19. | Ghana | $73.5 million | 0.6% |
| 20. | Nicaragua | $69.9 million | 0.6% |
| 21. | Czech Republic | $56.5 million | 0.5% |
| 22. | Italy | $54.3 million | 0.4% |
| 23. | United Kingdom | $53.2 million | 0.4% |
| 24. | Bolivia | $50.6 million | 0.4% |
| 25. | Poland | $48.4 million | 0.4% |
| 26. | Slovenia | $41.9 million | 0.3% |
| 27. | Russia | $41.9 million | 0.3% |
| 28. | Belize | $40.9 million | 0.3% |
| 29. | India | $37 million | 0.3% |
| 30. | Vietnam | $34.2 million | 0.3% |
| 31. | Greece | $34.1 million | 0.3% |
| 32. | Mozambique | $32.8 million | 0.3% |
| 33. | Sweden | $32.7 million | 0.3% |
| 34. | Slovakia | $21.6 million | 0.2% |
| 35. | Austria | $20 million | 0.2% |
| 36. | Egypt | $19.8 million | 0.2% |
| 37. | Thailand | $19.5 million | 0.2% |
| 38. | Myanmar (Burma) | $19.4 million | 0.2% |
| 39. | Sri Lanka | $18.1 million | 0.1% |
| 40. | Pakistan | $16.9 million | 0.1% |
| 41. | China | $16.5 million | 0.1% |
| 42. | Ireland | $14 million | 0.1% |
| 43. | Latvia | $13.3 million | 0.1% |
| 44. | Kuwait | $13 million | 0.1% |
| 45. | Lebanon | $12.4 million | 0.1% |
| 46. | Brazil | $11.6 million | 0.1% |
| 47. | South Africa | $11.3 million | 0.1% |
| 48. | Portugal | $10.8 million | 0.1% |
| 49. | Denmark | $10.6 million | 0.1% |
| 50. | Lithuania | $9.7 million | 0.1% |
| 51. | Sudan | $9.5 million | 0.1% |
| 52. | Malaysia | $9.4 million | 0.1% |
| 53. | Indonesia | $8.9 million | 0.1% |
| 54. | Hungary | $8.7 million | 0.1% |
| 55. | Paraguay | $8.2 million | 0.1% |
| 56. | Saint Lucia | $8.2 million | 0.1% |
| 57. | Saudi Arabia | $7.2 million | 0.1% |
| 58. | Finland | $5.3 million | 0.04% |
| 59. | United Arab Emirates | $3.1 million | 0.03% |
| 60. | Ethiopia | $2.4 million | 0.02% |
| 61. | Taiwan | $2 million | 0.02% |
| 62. | Laos | $1.8 million | 0.01% |
| 63. | Hong Kong | $1.7 million | 0.01% |
| 64. | Swaziland | $1.4 million | 0.01% |
| 65. | El Salvador | $1.4 million | 0.01% |
| 66. | Georgia | $1.3 million | 0.01% |
| 67. | St Vincent/Grenadines | $1.3 million | 0.01% |
| 68. | Bangladesh | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 69. | Zimbabwe | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 70. | Bulgaria | $1.1 million | 0.01% |
| 71. | Oman | $939,000 | 0.01% |
| 72. | Uganda | $750,000 | 0.01% |
| 73. | Chile | $739,000 | 0.01% |
| 74. | Yemen | $675,000 | 0.01% |
| 75. | Croatia | $623,000 | 0.01% |
| 76. | Jamaica | $545,000 | 0.004% |
| 77. | Luxembourg | $406,000 | 0.003% |
| 78. | Angola | $320,000 | 0.003% |
| 79. | Dominica | $259,000 | 0.002% |
| 80. | Australia | $256,000 | 0.002% |
| 81. | Tanzania | $215,000 | 0.002% |
| 82. | Jordan | $210,000 | 0.002% |
| 83. | US Minor Outlying Is | $200,000 | 0.002% |
| 84. | Rwanda | $169,000 | 0.001% |
| 85. | Guam | $161,000 | 0.001% |
| 86. | Romania | $143,000 | 0.001% |
| 87. | Cambodia | $127,000 | 0.001% |
| 88. | Kenya | $93,000 | 0.001% |
| 89. | Singapore | $93,000 | 0.001% |
| 90. | Serbia | $73,000 | 0.001% |
| 91. | Canada | $54,000 | 0.0004% |
| 92. | Switzerland | $52,000 | 0.0004% |
| 93. | Morocco | $50,000 | 0.0004% |
| 94. | Uruguay | $50,000 | 0.0004% |
| 95. | Madagascar | $49,000 | 0.0004% |
| 96. | Cyprus | $49,000 | 0.0004% |
| 97. | Estonia | $41,000 | 0.0003% |
| 98. | Kyrgyzstan | $30,000 | 0.0002% |
| 99. | Venezuela | $28,000 | 0.0002% |
| 100. | St. Pierre/Miquelon | $22,000 | 0.0002% |
| 101. | Burundi | $19,000 | 0.0002% |
| 102. | Moldova | $17,000 | 0.0001% |
| 103. | Ukraine | $15,000 | 0.0001% |
| 104. | Samoa | $14,000 | 0.0001% |
| 105. | Norway | $14,000 | 0.0001% |
| 106. | Togo | $14,000 | 0.0001% |
| 107. | Fiji | $13,000 | 0.0001% |
| 108. | New Zealand | $12,000 | 0.0001% |
| 109. | South Korea | $11,000 | 0.0001% |
| 110. | Iceland | $11,000 | 0.0001% |
| 111. | Macedonia | $10,000 | 0.0001% |
| 112. | Turkey | $10,000 | 0.0001% |
| 113. | Tonga | $9,000 | 0.0001% |
| 114. | Democ. Rep. Congo | $8,000 | 0.0001% |
| 115. | Grenada | $5,000 | 0.00004% |
| 116. | Burkina Faso | $5,000 | 0.00004% |
| 117. | Zambia | $4,000 | 0.00003% |
| 118. | Iran | $4,000 | 0.00003% |
| 119. | Guyana | $4,000 | 0.00003% |
| 120. | Senegal | $3,000 | 0.00002% |
| 121. | Belarus | $2,000 | 0.00002% |
| 122. | Cuba | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 123. | Gabon | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 124. | Mauritius | $1,000 | 0.00001% |
| 125. | Malawi | $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 17, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on May 17, 2018
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 17, 2018
BananaLInk, Multinationals Lose Grip on Global banana exports. Accessed on May 17, 2018
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The Changing Role of Multinational Companies in the Global Banana Trade (2014). Accessed on May 17, 2018
Bloomberg Business, With Chiquita-Fyffes Merger, Dole Will No Longer Be Top Banana (March 10, 2014). Accessed May 17, 2018
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on May 17, 2018
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