Overall, the cost of beer imports increased by 6.3% for all importing countries since 2018 when international purchases of beer were valued at $16.3 billion.
Year over year, purchases of globally imported beer flatlined via a 0.9% upturn compared to $17.2 billion in spending for 2021.
The 5 biggest buyers of imported beer are the United States of America, France, mainland China, Italy and the United Kingdom. Combined, that leading quintet bought 57.2% worth of globally imported beer during 2022.
From a continental perspective, buyer countries in North America accounted for the highest dollar worth of imported beer during 2022 with purchases costing $7.5 billion or 43.3% of the global total. In second place were European importers at 32.7% while another 11.9% of beer imported worldwide was delivered to customers in Asia.
Smaller percentages arrived in Latin America (7.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (3.2%), then Oceania (1.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 2203 for beer.
Top 15 Beer Importers by Country
Below are the 15 countries that spent the most on imported beer during 2022.
- United States: US$7.1 billion (40.6% of total beer imports)
- France: $1 billion (5.8%)
- China: $650.1 million (3.7%)
- Italy: $643.2 million (3.7%)
- United Kingdom: $581.4 million (3.3%)
- Netherlands: $504.2 million (2.9%)
- Germany: $448.2 million (2.6%)
- Canada: $412.8 million (2.4%)
- Spain: $378.7 million (2.2%)
- Ireland: $236.7 million (1.4%)
- Russia: $229.9 million (1.3%)
- Taiwan: $229 million (1.3%)
- Australia: $224.7 million (1.3%)
- Chile: $208.5 million (1.2%)
- South Korea: $195.1 million (1.1%)
Among the above countries, the three fastest-growing markets for beer since 2021 were: United States of America (up 6.4%), Canada (up 4.9%) and Taiwan (up 1.2%).
Those major buyer countries that posted declines in their imported beer purchases were led by: Russia (down -44.6% from 2021), Chile (down -23.4%), South Korea (down -12.5%) and United Kingdom (down -12.5%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 74.9% of all beer imported in 2022.
Beer Imported into the United States of America
America’s global purchases of imported beer totaled US$7.05 billion in 2022. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the US imported the highest dollar value worth of beer during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Mexico: US$5.5 billion (up 10.8% from 2021)
- Netherlands: $895.6 million (up 12.3%)
- Ireland: $198.2 million (up 9.1%)
- Canada: $102 million (down -0.9%)
- Germany: $89 million (down -4%)
- Belgium: $59 million (down -75.7%)
- Italy: $37.7 million (up 2%)
- United Kingdom: $18.1 million (up 19.4%)
- Jamaica: $17.8 million (down -26.9%)
- Vietnam: $14.3 million (up 7.2%)
- Poland: $11.5 million (down -72.7%)
- Japan: $11.4 million (up 45.1%)
- Guatemala: $9.6 million (up 64.1%)
- Czech Republic: $9.4 million (down -25.3%)
- South Korea: $8.2 million (up 15.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.2% of beer imported by the United States of America in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of beer to United States from 2021 to 2022 were: Guatemala (up 64.1%), Japan (up 45.1%), United Kingdom (up 19.4%) and South Korea (up 15.9%).
Buyer countries that experienced declines in the value of their beer supplied to American importers included: Belgium (down -75.7% from 2021), Poland (down -72.7%), Jamaica (down -26.9%) and Czech Republic (down -25.3%).
Overall, the value of United States’s imported beer rose by an average 6.4% from all supplying countries from 2021 when beer purchased cost $6.6 billion.
Beer Imported into France
France’s global purchases of imported beer totaled US$1.011 billion in 2022. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which France imported the highest dollar value worth of beer during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Belgium: US$606.2 million (down -3.1% from 2021)
- Netherlands: $168.6 million (down -6.2%)
- United Kingdom: $69 million (up 20%)
- Germany: $49.9 million (up 1.3%)
- Portugal: $22.8 million (up 5.6%)
- Ireland: $14.9 million (up 40.9%)
- France: $14.2 million (down -25.7%)
- Italy: $10.7 million (up 13%)
- Poland: $6.7 million (down -21.3%)
- Spain: $5.9 million (up 12.1%)
- mainland China: $5.2 million (down -12.8%)
- Denmark: $3.2 million (down -17.1%)
- Mexico: $2.9 million (up 52.5%)
- Czech Republic: $2.4 million (up 17.7%)
- Luxembourg: $2.1 million (up 52.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 97.4% of beer imported by France in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of beer to France from 2021 to 2022 were: Mexico (up 52.5%), Luxembourg (up 52.3%), Ireland (up 40.9%) and United Kingdom (up 20%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their beer supplied to French importers included: France (down -25.7% from 2021), Poland (down -21.3%), Denmark (down -17.1%) and mainland China (down -12.8%).
Overall, the value of France’s imported beer fell by an average -2% from all supplying countries from 2021 to 2022 when beer purchased cost $1 billion.
Beer Imported into China
China’s global purchases of imported beer totaled US$650.1 million in 2022. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which China imported the highest dollar value worth of beer during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Germany: US$139.9 million (down -4.5% from 2021)
- Belgium: $107.2 million (down -9.6%)
- France: $71.3 million (down -10%)
- Netherlands: $61.3 million (up 45.4%)
- Mexico: $54.1 million (down -32.5%)
- Spain: $52.8 million (down -0.5%)
- Russia: $21.6 million (down -18.3%)
- Italy: $16.9 million (up 20.8%)
- Japan: $15.4 million (up 27.1%)
- United States of America: $15.2 million (up 10.3%)
- Poland: $14.9 million (up 11.6%)
- United Kingdom: $14.3 million (down -24.5%)
- Portugal: $10 million (down -21%)
- Ireland: $8.6 million (down -18.4%)
- Türkiye: $7.5 million (up 37.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.8% of beer imported by mainland China in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of beer to China from 2021 to 2022 were: Netherlands (up 45.4%), Türkiye (up 37.2%), Japan (up 27.1%) and Italy (up 20.8%).
Major suppliers that experienced declines in the value of their beer supplied to Chinese importers included: Mexico (down -32.5% from 2021), United Kingdom (down -24.5%), Portugal (down -21%) and Ireland (down -18.4%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported beer fell by an average -8.5% from all supplying countries from 2021 to 2022 when beer purchased cost $710.5 million.
Beer Imported into Italy
Italy’s global purchases of imported beer totaled US$643.2 million in 2022. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Italy imported the highest dollar value worth of beer during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Belgium: US$202.5 million (up 108.6% from 2021)
- Germany: $154.7 million (down -44.9%)
- Denmark: $92.3 million (up 11.4%)
- Netherlands: $55 million (up 17.6%)
- Poland: $38.5 million (up 44.5%)
- France: $23.9 million (down -24.8%)
- United Kingdom: $20.1 million (up 37.1%)
- Austria: $11.8 million (up 2.1%)
- Ireland: $8 million (up 38.6%)
- Mexico: $7.6 million (down -77.8%)
- Spain: $6.8 million (down -27.3%)
- mainland China: $5 million (up 61.5%)
- Slovenia: $4.7 million (down -66.5%)
- Czech Republic: $3.1 million (down -12.3%)
- United States of America: $1.9 million (down -25.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.9% of beer imported by Italy in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of beer to Italy from 2021 to 2022 were: Belgium (up 108.6%), mainland China (up 61.5%), Poland (up 44.5%) and Ireland (up 38.6%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their beer supplied to Italian importers included: Mexico (down -77.8% from 2021), Slovenia (down -66.5%), Germany (down -44.9%) and Spain (down -27.3%).
Overall, the value of Italy’s imported beer fell by an average -4.8% from all supplying countries from 2021 to 2022 when beer purchased cost $675.6 million.
Searchable List of Beer Importer Countries in 2022
The 100 major importers of ale from international markets accounted for 98.4% of beer imported worldwide during 2022.
Rank | Importer | Beer Imports | 2021-2 |
---|---|---|---|
1. | United States | $7,050,111,000 | +6.4% |
2. | France | $1,011,213,000 | -2% |
3. | China | $650,088,000 | -8.5% |
4. | Italy | $643,187,000 | -4.8% |
5. | United Kingdom | $581,437,000 | -12.5% |
6. | Netherlands | $504,152,000 | -12.1% |
7. | Germany | $448,186,000 | -5.3% |
8. | Canada | $412,753,000 | +4.9% |
9. | Spain | $378,730,000 | -0.8% |
10. | Ireland | $236,706,000 | -0.4% |
11. | Russia | $229,915,000 | -44.6% |
12. | Taiwan | $228,958,000 | +1.2% |
13. | Australia | $224,747,000 | -1.7% |
14. | Chile | $208,505,000 | -23.4% |
15. | South Korea | $195,101,000 | -12.5% |
16. | United Arab Emirates | $172,224,000 | +36.4% |
17. | Paraguay | $147,911,000 | -4.1% |
18. | South Africa | $126,591,000 | -11.7% |
19. | Cuba | $126,481,000 | +354.6% |
20. | Sweden | $126,286,000 | +1.8% |
21. | Panama | $126,027,000 | +43.4% |
22. | Belgium | $121,356,000 | -29.4% |
23. | Honduras | $115,374,000 | +36.4% |
24. | Hong Kong | $114,948,000 | 0% |
25. | Switzerland | $112,953,000 | -2.9% |
26. | Singapore | $112,712,000 | -0.8% |
27. | Hungary | $87,072,000 | -1.3% |
28. | Guatemala | $86,268,000 | -6.5% |
29. | Poland | $85,754,000 | +10.6% |
30. | Slovakia | $79,758,000 | +1.9% |
31. | New Zealand | $78,211,000 | +18.3% |
32. | Israel | $77,292,000 | -9.2% |
33. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $75,643,000 | +7.1% |
34. | Japan | $74,079,000 | +17.3% |
35. | Austria | $73,564,000 | +5.8% |
36. | Portugal | $68,319,000 | +13.8% |
37. | Latvia | $64,747,000 | +38.5% |
38. | Denmark | $60,527,000 | -20.5% |
39. | Dominican Republic | $59,771,000 | -1.7% |
40. | Romania | $58,681,000 | +8.9% |
41. | Croatia | $56,205,000 | -10.8% |
42. | Ukraine | $55,056,000 | -23.3% |
43. | Lithuania | $54,622,000 | +28.1% |
44. | Iraq | $53,097,000 | +30.5% |
45. | Norway | $50,598,000 | -12.5% |
46. | Peru | $48,571,000 | -4.7% |
47. | Bulgaria | $47,195,000 | -19.7% |
48. | Kazakhstan | $46,714,000 | +29% |
49. | Luxembourg | $44,433,000 | -12.9% |
50. | Vietnam | $40,361,000 | +392.7% |
51. | Finland | $40,232,000 | -2.8% |
52. | Colombia | $39,478,000 | +5.6% |
53. | Thailand | $39,066,000 | +102.3% |
54. | Zambia | $38,931,000 | +8.2% |
55. | Botswana | $38,323,000 | -3.1% |
56. | El Salvador | $37,317,000 | +42.8% |
57. | Equatorial Guinea | $35,201,000 | +0.8% |
58. | Costa Rica | $35,078,000 | +3.3% |
59. | Ecuador | $34,701,000 | +41.9% |
60. | Malaysia | $33,879,000 | +32.1% |
61. | Czech Republic | $33,578,000 | +0.7% |
62. | Slovenia | $33,343,000 | +5.3% |
63. | Mexico | $33,029,000 | -6.8% |
64. | Serbia | $32,120,000 | +16.4% |
65. | Greece | $29,630,000 | +3.6% |
66. | Uruguay | $29,431,000 | +28.8% |
67. | Bahrain | $26,994,000 | +20.6% |
68. | Estonia | $25,820,000 | +5.5% |
69. | Morocco | $25,223,000 | +49.4% |
70. | Mongolia | $25,084,000 | +75.5% |
71. | Bolivia | $22,628,000 | +2.4% |
72. | South Sudan | $22,228,000 | -19.8% |
73. | Andorra | $19,349,000 | +11.6% |
74. | Mozambique | $19,314,000 | +45.2% |
75. | Türkiye | $18,119,000 | +20.9% |
76. | Curaçao | $17,939,000 | -16.9% |
77. | Tanzania | $17,781,000 | +9% |
78. | Moldova | $16,517,000 | -5.8% |
79. | Ivory Coast | $16,346,000 | +10.4% |
80. | Timor-Leste | $16,151,000 | +6602% |
81. | Macao | $16,079,000 | -1.3% |
82. | Oman | $15,979,000 | +60.7% |
83. | Qatar | $15,971,000 | +43.5% |
84. | Montenegro | $15,848,000 | +43.7% |
85. | Cyprus | $14,511,000 | +1.5% |
86. | Argentina | $14,047,000 | +2% |
87. | Lesotho | $13,886,000 | +3.2% |
88. | Eswatini | $13,321,000 | +4.8% |
89. | Brazil | $13,009,000 | -17.5% |
90. | Ghana | $12,478,000 | -9.6% |
91. | Rwanda | $12,422,000 | +194.6% |
92. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $12,368,000 | +329% |
93. | Kyrgyzstan | $12,263,000 | +54.1% |
94. | Senegal | $12,151,000 | -21.8% |
95. | Guinea-Bissau | $11,773,000 | +16.3% |
96. | Aruba | $10,612,000 | +17.9% |
97. | Cambodia | $9,735,000 | +80.6% |
98. | Belarus | $9,641,000 | -83.1% |
99. | Malta | $9,613,000 | +31.6% |
100. | Iceland | $9,582,000 | -12.7% |
Focusing the top 100 most valuable importers of beer, the fastest-growing buyers of imported beer from 2021 to 2022 are Timor-Leste (up 6,602%), Vietnam (up 392.7%), Cuba (up 354.6%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (up 329%), Rwanda (up 194.6%), then Thailand (up 102.3%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2021 data was unavailable.
Related Read: US Imported Beer Ranked by Suppliers & Average Prices
See also Beer Exports by Country, America’s Top Trading Partners and France’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 25, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 25, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 25, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 25, 2023