From a continental perspective, Latin American excluding Mexico plus the Caribbean accounted for the highest dollar worth of banana exports in 2019 via shipments valued at $8.3 billion or 56.9% of international banana sales. European exporters were responsible for 17.5% of total exported bananas, trailed by shippers in Asia at 15.6%. Smaller percentages came from exporters in Africa (5.2%), North America (4.9%) then Oceania (0.004%) led by Australia.
For research purposes, 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 2019.
- Ecuador: US$3.3 billion (22.6% of total bananas exports)
- Philippines: $1.9 billion (13.2%)
- Colombia: $1.6 billion (11%)
- Costa Rica: $999.7 million (6.8%)
- Guatemala: $944.5 million (6.4%)
- Netherlands: $790.6 million (5.4%)
- Belgium: $782.1 million (5.3%)
- United States: $450.3 million (3.1%)
- Dominican Republic: $432.7 million (3%)
- Panama: $379.1 million (2.6%)
- Ivory Coast: $339.7 million (2.3%)
- Honduras: $302.7 million (2.1%)
- Mexico: $269.5 million (1.8%)
- Cameroon: $256.4 million (1.7%)
- Germany: $242.1 million (1.7%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 88.8% of global banana exports in 2019 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing bananas exporters since 2015 were: Philippines (up 338.9%), Cameroon (up 307.5%), Panama (up 280%) and Ivory Coast (up 193.4%).
Two countries posted declines in their exported bananas sales namely Germany (down -29.5%) and Belgium (down -19.1%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for bananas during 2019. 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$3.3 billion (net export surplus up 17.4% since 2015)
- Philippines: $1.9 billion (up 339%)
- Colombia: $1.6 billion (up 101.7%)
- Costa Rica: $993.2 million (up 19.1%)
- Guatemala: $942.4 million (up 15.3%)
- Dominican Republic: $432.7 million (up 89.6%)
- Panama: $353.4 million (up 254.3%)
- Ivory Coast: $339.7 million (up 193.4%)
- Honduras: $300.9 million (up 14.1%)
- Mexico: $269.5 million (up 42%)
- Cameroon: $256.4 million (up 307.5%)
- Peru: $152 million (up 4.7%)
- Vietnam: $138 million (up 889.3%)
- Ghana: $97.5 million (no 2015 data)
- India: $77.8 million (up 50.9%)
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 2019. 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 7% since 2015)
- China: -$1.07 billion (up 39.7%)
- Russia: -$1.06 billion (up 21.7%)
- Japan: -$959.3 million (up 13.6%)
- United Kingdom: -$718.6 million (down -10.8%)
- Germany: -$708.6 million (up 11.3%)
- Italy: -$469.3 million (up 5%)
- Canada: -$427.2 million (up 2.9%)
- France: -$412.8 million (up 55.2%)
- Belgium: -$318.7 million (up 59.2%)
- South Korea: -$301.6 million (down -4.8%)
- Netherlands: -$293.4 million (up 476.1%)
- Poland: -$234.8 million (down -6%)
- Argentina: -$196.1 million (down -9.1%)
- Romania: -$174.6 million (up 45.8%)
The United States of America 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 tactic 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 2015 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. Note that the right-most column highlights the percentage change in the value of exported bananas from 2018 to 2019. (An entry of 0 in that column means that no data was available for 2018.)
| Rank | Exporter | Exported Bananas (US$) | 2018-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ecuador | $3,310,588,000 | +2.9% |
| 2. | Philippines | $1,930,879,000 | +28.3% |
| 3. | Colombia | $1,609,135,000 | +85.8% |
| 4. | Costa Rica | $999,702,000 | -3% |
| 5. | Guatemala | $944,511,000 | +4.8% |
| 6. | Netherlands | $790,600,000 | +14.9% |
| 7. | Belgium | $782,143,000 | -18.5% |
| 8. | United States | $450,257,000 | +1.3% |
| 9. | Dominican Republic | $432,670,000 | +106% |
| 10. | Panama | $379,144,000 | +14.5% |
| 11. | Ivory Coast | $339,699,000 | +94.8% |
| 12. | Honduras | $302,710,000 | +20.6% |
| 13. | Mexico | $269,477,000 | +4.9% |
| 14. | Cameroon | $256,413,000 | -0.3% |
| 15. | Germany | $242,052,000 | +1.1% |
| 16. | Peru | $152,046,000 | -8.1% |
| 17. | France | $148,047,000 | -13.3% |
| 18. | Vietnam | $138,036,000 | +32.3% |
| 19. | Ghana | $97,620,000 | +109% |
| 20. | Spain | $78,536,000 | -4.2% |
| 21. | India | $77,790,000 | +39.4% |
| 22. | Nicaragua | $69,376,000 | +16.9% |
| 23. | Italy | $60,237,000 | -2.7% |
| 24. | Poland | $56,518,000 | -16.3% |
| 25. | Russia | $56,179,000 | +12.1% |
| 26. | Greece | $52,827,000 | +2.7% |
| 27. | Slovenia | $49,447,000 | +27.1% |
| 28. | Czech Republic | $49,135,000 | -7% |
| 29. | Belize | $38,769,000 | -1.9% |
| 30. | Bolivia | $33,199,000 | +0.1% |
| 31. | Mozambique | $33,102,000 | -14.7% |
| 32. | Myanmar (Burma) | $29,852,000 | -77.3% |
| 33. | Sweden | $29,802,000 | -10.2% |
| 34. | United Kingdom | $27,006,000 | -13.1% |
| 35. | China | $25,027,000 | +27.4% |
| 36. | Slovakia | $24,974,000 | -5.2% |
| 37. | Thailand | $24,685,000 | -9.4% |
| 38. | Brazil | $24,425,000 | +19.2% |
| 39. | Portugal | $19,027,000 | +58.6% |
| 40. | Austria | $18,003,000 | +0.4% |
| 41. | Latvia | $16,721,000 | +18.2% |
| 42. | Suriname | $16,005,000 | 0% |
| 43. | South Africa | $12,498,000 | -4.2% |
| 44. | Paraguay | $11,683,000 | +44.1% |
| 45. | Ireland | $11,621,000 | -2.1% |
| 46. | Denmark | $10,931,000 | +22.5% |
| 47. | Hungary | $10,921,000 | -0.6% |
| 48. | Lithuania | $10,636,000 | -7.1% |
| 49. | Indonesia | $9,944,000 | -31.9% |
| 50. | Sri Lanka | $8,200,000 | -53.9% |
| 51. | Laos | $8,100,000 | -92.8% |
| 52. | Cambodia | $8,056,000 | -54.6% |
| 53. | Malaysia | $7,545,000 | -10.5% |
| 54. | Saint Lucia | $6,179,000 | -29.3% |
| 55. | Eswatini | $5,737,000 | +51.9% |
| 56. | Georgia | $5,360,000 | +944.8% |
| 57. | Uganda | $5,185,000 | +613.2% |
| 58. | Croatia | $4,558,000 | +94.6% |
| 59. | Seychelles | $4,541,000 | 0% |
| 60. | Taiwan | $4,278,000 | +60.8% |
| 61. | Finland | $3,679,000 | -36.2% |
| 62. | Angola | $3,289,000 | +44.6% |
| 63. | Romania | $1,866,000 | +631.8% |
| 64. | Saudi Arabia | $1,647,000 | -67.5% |
| 65. | Hong Kong | $1,531,000 | +0.1% |
| 66. | St Vincent/Grenadines | $1,304,000 | -14.7% |
| 67. | Zimbabwe | $1,058,000 | +46.3% |
| 68. | Bulgaria | $936,000 | +20% |
| 69. | Dominica | $783,000 | +129.6% |
| 70. | Bangladesh | $691,000 | -56.9% |
| 71. | Serbia | $487,000 | -6.9% |
| 72. | Jamaica | $470,000 | -33.7% |
| 73. | Luxembourg | $458,000 | -1.5% |
| 74. | Tanzania | $383,000 | +155.3% |
| 75. | Chile | $358,000 | +17% |
| 76. | Yemen | $332,000 | -35.7% |
| 77. | Australia | $286,000 | +82.2% |
| 78. | Venezuela | $237,000 | -56.9% |
| 79. | Rwanda | $235,000 | +69.1% |
| 80. | Canada | $232,000 | +22.8% |
| 81. | Guam | $213,000 | +7,000% |
| 82. | Kazakhstan | $186,000 | +118.8% |
| 83. | El Salvador | $181,000 | -84.5% |
| 84. | Jordan | $122,000 | -40.5% |
| 85. | Kyrgyzstan | $120,000 | +140% |
| 86. | United Arab Emirates | $117,000 | -98.9% |
| 87. | Morocco | $79,000 | -9.2% |
| 88. | Pitcairn | $73,000 | 0% |
| 89. | Madagascar | $67,000 | +8.1% |
| 90. | Kenya | $61,000 | +32.6% |
| 91. | Uzbekistan | $61,000 | 0% |
| 92. | Singapore | $58,000 | +544.4% |
| 93. | Cabo Verde | $56,000 | 0% |
| 94. | Switzerland | $52,000 | +126.1% |
| 95. | Uruguay | $40,000 | -2.4% |
| 96. | Burundi | $37,000 | -69.9% |
| 97. | New Zealand | $32,000 | -28.9% |
| 98. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $30,000 | -14.3% |
| 99. | Norway | $29,000 | 0% |
| 100. | Sudan | $29,000 | -99.4% |
| 101. | Turkey | $27,000 | -20.6% |
| 102. | Guyana | $25,000 | -86% |
| 103. | Estonia | $25,000 | +13.6% |
| 104. | Pakistan | $24,000 | -99.9% |
| 105. | Samoa | $24,000 | -11.1% |
| 106. | Nigeria | $22,000 | 0% |
| 107. | Afghanistan | $20,000 | 0% |
| 108. | Egypt | $19,000 | -99.9% |
| 109. | Iran | $13,000 | +18.2% |
| 110. | Togo | $13,000 | +550% |
| 111. | Iceland | $11,000 | -8.3% |
| 112. | Eritrea | $10,000 | 0% |
| 113. | Tonga | $10,000 | +150% |
| 114. | Senegal | $9,000 | 0% |
| 115. | South Korea | $8,000 | +100% |
| 116. | Armenia | $8,000 | +166.7% |
| 117. | North Macedonia | $8,000 | -55.6% |
| 118. | Cyprus | $6,000 | -90.6% |
| 119. | Fiji | $6,000 | -14.3% |
| 120. | Ethiopia | $4,000 | 0% |
| 121. | Syria | $4,000 | -75% |
| 122. | Aruba | $4,000 | -69.2% |
| 123. | Congo | $3,000 | +200% |
| 124. | Botswana | $3,000 | 0% |
| 125. | Democratic Rep. Congo | $1,000 | -90% |
| 126. | Belarus | $1,000 | -97.6% |
| 127. | Namibia | $1,000 | 0% |
| 128. | Lebanon | $1,000 | -100% |
| 129. | Ukraine | $1,000 | -96.3% |
| 130. | Zambia | $1,000 | -97.4% |
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:
BananaLInk, Multinationals Lose Grip on Global banana exports. Accessed on April 28, 2020
Bloomberg Business, With Chiquita-Fyffes Merger, Dole Will No Longer Be Top Banana (March 10, 2015). Accessed April 28, 2020
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on April 28, 2020
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The Changing Role of Multinational Companies in the Global Banana Trade (2015). Accessed on April 28, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 28, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 28, 2020
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on April 28, 2020