That dollar amount reflects an average 27.1% gain for all Brussels sprouts shippers over the five-year period starting in 2015 when Brussels sprouts bought on international markets were worth $153.6 million. Year over year, the value of exported Brussels sprouts increased by 8.3% from 2018 to 2019.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported Brussels sprouts during 2019 with shipments valued at $97.6 million or half (50%) of the worldwide total. Close behind at 44.2% were North American exporters while 3.2% of worldwide Brussels sprouts shipments originated from Africa. Smaller percentages came from exporters in Latin America (1.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Oceania’s (0.7%) Australia and New Zealand, and Asia (0.3%).
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 070420 for fresh or chilled Brussels sprouts.
Top Brussels Sprouts Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of Brussels sprouts during 2019.
- Netherlands: US$73.2 million (39.5% of total Brussels sprouts exports)
- Mexico: $53.5 million (28.9%)
- United States: $22.9 million (12.4%)
- Belgium: $11.5 million (6.2%)
- Morocco: $4.3 million (2.3%)
- Guatemala: $4.0 million (2.2%)
- Canada: $2.7 million (1.5%)
- Spain: $2.2 million (1.2%)
- United Kingdom: $2.0 million (1.1%)
- Poland: $1.4 million (0.8%)
- Australia: $1.4 million (0.8%)
- Egypt: $1.3 million (0.7%)
- France: $1.2 million (0.6%)
- South Africa: $969,000 (0.5%)
- Italy: $737,000 (0.4%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 99.1% of global Brussels sprouts exports in 2019 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing Brussels sprouts exporters since 2015 were: Spain (up 239.7%), Belgium (up 159.7%), South Africa (up 119.6%) and Canada (up 70.3%).
Four countries posted declines in their exported Brussels sprouts sales: Italy (down -41.1%), Poland (down -36.8%), United Kingdom (down -35.6%) and Guatemala (down -2.6%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for Brussels sprouts 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 exported Brussels sprouts and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Netherlands: US$58.3 million (net export surplus up 27.5% since 2015)
- Mexico: $56.7 million (up 39.1%)
- Belgium: $10.9 million (up 336.3%)
- Morocco: $5 million (up 37.8%)
- Guatemala: $3 million (down -2.5%)
- Spain: $1.7 million (up 631.6%)
- Australia: $1.4 million (up 16.1%)
- South Africa: $1.2 million (up 119.5%)
- Poland: $621,000 (down -60.8%)
- Indonesia: $340,000 (reversing a -$20,000 deficit)
- Egypt: $151,000 (down -93.5%)
- Chile: $89,000 (up 8,800%)
- China: $62,000 (down -98.3%)
- Jordan: $55,000 (no 2015 data)
- Syria: $32,000 (no 2015 data)
Overtaking Mexico in 2018, the Netherlands earned the highest surplus in the international trade of Brussels sprouts. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Dutch competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for Brussels sprouts 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 imported Brussels sprouts purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$43.8 million (net export deficit up 105.5% since 2015)
- Germany: -$27.6 million (up 5.2%)
- Canada: -$22.3 million (up 46%)
- United Kingdom: -$16.2 million (down -25.9%)
- France: -$8.7 million (up 11.7%)
- Italy: -$4.4 million (up 132.6%)
- Switzerland: -$2.4 million (up 32.6%)
- Sweden: -$2.3 million (up 59.5%)
- Austria: -$1.5 million (up 18.2%)
- Japan: -$1 million (up 94.5%)
- Croatia: -$1 million (up 211%)
- Denmark: -$916,000 (down -2.7%)
- Czech Republic: -$892,000 (no change)
- South Korea: -$817,000 (down -63.3%)
- Singapore: -$796,000 (up 119.9%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of Brussels sprouts. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for Brussels sprouts-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Companies
Brussels Sprouts Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of Brussels sprouts-trading exporters that deal in fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts. Canadian firm SeedsIntl.com sells Brussels sprouts seeds.
- 3SI Commerce (France)
- AA Group, S. Coop (Spain)
- Cyndacation (United States)
- Hangzhou ZGF Group Co (China)
- SeedsIntl.com (Canada)
The home-country location for each business is shown above within parentheses.
See also Top Lettuce Exports by Country, Tomatoes Exports by Country, Potatoes Exports by Country and Corn Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Products listing for Brussels sprouts. Accessed on May 29, 2020
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on May 29, 2020
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 29, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 29, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 29, 2020
Wikipedia, Brussels sprout. Accessed on May 29, 2020