A loose aggregation of rock fragments, gravel is a key ingredient for surfacing roadways particularly for roads in rural areas with relatively less traffic. Gravel is classified by size of its granules.
In addition, gravel is combined with sand for mixing with asphalt and for producing other construction materials including concrete blocks, bricks and pipes as construction filler. Other uses include making roofing shingles, supporting water filtration and for providing traction on icy roads during winter. Gravel can also be added with industrial sand to produce glass.
Among continents, European countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported gravel during 2018 with shipments valued at $1.6 billion. In second place were exporters in Asia at 34.9% while 7.8% of worldwide gravel shipments originated from North America. Smaller percentages came from Latin America (2.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.3%) then Oceania (0.2%) led by New Zealand and Fiji.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 2517 for pebbles, gravel and broken or crushed stone gravel.
Top Gravel Exports by Country
Top 15
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of gravel during 2018.
- United Arab Emirates: US$465.5 million (15.9% of total gravel exports)
- China: $272.1 million (9.3%)
- Norway: $254.4 million (8.7%)
- Germany: $236.3 million (8%)
- Belgium: $165.5 million (5.6%)
- France: $124.3 million (4.2%)
- Austria: $116.3 million (4%)
- United Kingdom: $89.7 million (3.1%)
- Canada: $88.4 million (3%)
- Mexico: $83.4 million (2.8%)
- Belarus: $80 million (2.7%)
- Italy: $71.7 million (2.4%)
- Malaysia: $57.1 million (1.9%)
- United States: $56.7 million (1.9%)
- Slovenia: $56.1 million (1.9%)
The listed 15 countries shipped about three-quarters (75.5%) of all gravel exported in 2018 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing gravel exporters since 2014 were: Belarus (up 93%), Malaysia (up 52.8%), United States (up 51.5%) and China (up 34.7%).
Five of these top countries that posted declines in their exported gravel sales namely: United Kingdom (down -25.6%), Germany (down -21.2%), Italy (down -20%), Austria (down -16.6%) and Belgium (down -8.2%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for gravel during 2018. 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 gravel and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- United Arab Emirates: US$429.2 million (net export surplus up 54.4% since 2014)
- China: $267 million (up 33.6%)
- Norway: $251.5 million (up 8.5%)
- Belgium: $85.2 million (up 19.6%)
- Mexico: $77 million (down -0.4%)
- Austria: $63.6 million (down -18.5%)
- Italy: $52 million (down -29.7%)
- Malaysia: $51.7 million (up 75.7%)
- Belarus: $50.5 million (up 131.1%)
- Indonesia: $50.1 million (down -20.9%)
- Canada: $49 million (down -5.6%)
- United Kingdom: $48.5 million (down -37%)
- India: $35.4 million (up 1711%)
- Slovenia: $34.1 million (down -8.2%)
- Ukraine: $32.1 million (down -86.6%)
The United Arab Emirates garnered the highest surplus in the international trade of gravel. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms the UAE’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for gravel during 2018. 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 gravel purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Singapore: -US$219.3 million (net export deficit down -27.9% since 2014)
- Netherlands: -$208.6 million (down -25.9%)
- Kuwait: -$202.8 million (up 38%)
- Hong Kong: -$185.4 million (up 14.2%)
- United States: -$170 million (down -13.3%)
- Switzerland: -$143.8 million (down -8.9%)
- Iraq: -$123.9 million (down -19.2%)
- Russia: -$122 million (down -70.3%)
- Taiwan: -$96 million (down -35.2%)
- Poland: -$85.5 million (up 21.4%)
- Bangladesh: -$68.9 million (no 2014 data)
- Maldives: -$56.8 million (up 289.9%)
- Denmark: -$56.2 million (up 47.5%)
- Germany: -$48.3 million (down -13.3%)
- Bahrain: -$44 million (down -66.4%)
Singapore incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of gravel. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Singapore’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for gravel-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Companies
Gravel Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are selected examples of gravel-trading exporters. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- ECO World FZE (United Arab Emirates)
- Canada Trading & Contracting Inc (Canada)
- Shijiazhuang Mining Imp & Exp Trade Co (China)
- Shri Vinayak Industries (India)
Searchable List of Gravel Exporting Countries in 2018
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icons at the top of the columns.
| Rank | Exporter | Gravel Exports (US$) | %World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United Arab Emirates | $465,499,000 | 15.9% |
| 2. | China | $272,113,000 | 9.3% |
| 3. | Norway | $254,361,000 | 8.7% |
| 4. | Germany | $236,335,000 | 8% |
| 5. | Belgium | $165,540,000 | 5.6% |
| 6. | France | $124,255,000 | 4.2% |
| 7. | Austria | $116,288,000 | 4% |
| 8. | United Kingdom | $89,675,000 | 3.1% |
| 9. | Canada | $88,354,000 | 3% |
| 10. | Mexico | $83,395,000 | 2.8% |
| 11. | Belarus | $80,001,000 | 2.7% |
| 12. | Italy | $71,711,000 | 2.4% |
| 13. | Malaysia | $57,105,000 | 1.9% |
| 14. | United States | $56,713,000 | 1.9% |
| 15. | Slovenia | $56,077,000 | 1.9% |
| 16. | Indonesia | $54,637,000 | 1.9% |
| 17. | Netherlands | $53,924,000 | 1.8% |
| 18. | Ukraine | $46,635,000 | 1.6% |
| 19. | Croatia | $46,370,000 | 1.6% |
| 20. | India | $39,998,000 | 1.4% |
| 21. | Bahamas | $31,520,000 | 1.1% |
| 22. | Denmark | $30,259,000 | 1% |
| 23. | Oman | $30,063,000 | 1% |
| 24. | Turkey | $28,961,000 | 1% |
| 25. | Spain | $27,649,000 | 0.9% |
| 26. | Romania | $22,031,000 | 0.8% |
| 27. | Vietnam | $20,089,000 | 0.7% |
| 28. | Czech Republic | $19,973,000 | 0.7% |
| 29. | Finland | $18,140,000 | 0.6% |
| 30. | Sweden | $15,569,000 | 0.5% |
| 31. | Russia | $15,564,000 | 0.5% |
| 32. | Greece | $13,650,000 | 0.5% |
| 33. | Hungary | $13,573,000 | 0.5% |
| 34. | Thailand | $13,540,000 | 0.5% |
| 35. | Poland | $11,167,000 | 0.4% |
| 36. | Iceland | $10,622,000 | 0.4% |
| 37. | South Korea | $10,009,000 | 0.3% |
| 38. | Slovakia | $9,453,000 | 0.3% |
| 39. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $8,429,000 | 0.3% |
| 40. | Iran | $8,071,000 | 0.3% |
| 41. | Portugal | $7,580,000 | 0.3% |
| 42. | Laos | $7,297,000 | 0.2% |
| 43. | Jamaica | $6,724,000 | 0.2% |
| 44. | Honduras | $5,936,000 | 0.2% |
| 45. | Estonia | $5,923,000 | 0.2% |
| 46. | Cyprus | $5,212,000 | 0.2% |
| 47. | Ireland | $4,844,000 | 0.2% |
| 48. | Latvia | $4,825,000 | 0.2% |
| 49. | Serbia | $4,672,000 | 0.2% |
| 50. | Lithuania | $4,660,000 | 0.2% |
| 51. | New Zealand | $4,630,000 | 0.2% |
| 52. | Kazakhstan | $4,544,000 | 0.2% |
| 53. | Switzerland | $4,092,000 | 0.1% |
| 54. | Colombia | $3,080,000 | 0.1% |
| 55. | Saint Lucia | $2,756,000 | 0.1% |
| 56. | Paraguay | $2,459,000 | 0.1% |
| 57. | Bangladesh | $2,446,000 | 0.1% |
| 58. | Japan | $2,426,000 | 0.1% |
| 59. | North Macedonia | $2,413,000 | 0.1% |
| 60. | Bulgaria | $2,368,000 | 0.1% |
| 61. | Namibia | $2,056,000 | 0.1% |
| 62. | Philippines | $2,030,000 | 0.1% |
| 63. | Jordan | $2,020,000 | 0.1% |
| 64. | Ghana | $2,004,000 | 0.1% |
| 65. | Suriname | $1,558,000 | 0.1% |
| 66. | Brazil | $1,555,000 | 0.1% |
| 67. | Peru | $1,538,000 | 0.1% |
| 68. | Fiji | $1,371,000 | 0.05% |
| 69. | Argentina | $1,259,000 | 0.04% |
| 70. | Morocco | $1,210,000 | 0.04% |
| 71. | South Africa | $1,048,000 | 0.04% |
| 72. | Egypt | $981,000 | 0.03% |
| 73. | Pakistan | $946,000 | 0.03% |
| 74. | Dominican Republic | $930,000 | 0.03% |
| 75. | Luxembourg | $808,000 | 0.03% |
| 76. | Haiti | $718,000 | 0.02% |
| 77. | Senegal | $673,000 | 0.02% |
| 78. | Israel | $657,000 | 0.02% |
| 79. | Singapore | $636,000 | 0.02% |
| 80. | Costa Rica | $634,000 | 0.02% |
| 81. | Uruguay | $610,000 | 0.02% |
| 82. | Zambia | $536,000 | 0.02% |
| 83. | Taiwan | $510,000 | 0.02% |
| 84. | Uzbekistan | $382,000 | 0.01% |
| 85. | Australia | $368,000 | 0.01% |
| 86. | Montserrat | $351,000 | 0.01% |
| 87. | Andorra | $316,000 | 0.01% |
| 88. | Kenya | $253,000 | 0.01% |
| 89. | Dominica | $205,000 | 0.01% |
| 90. | Georgia | $188,000 | 0.01% |
| 91. | North Korea | $180,000 | 0.01% |
| 92. | Albania | $174,000 | 0.01% |
| 93. | Myanmar (Burma) | $145,000 | 0.005% |
| 94. | Tunisia | $136,000 | 0.005% |
| 95. | Gabon | $118,000 | 0.004% |
| 96. | Angola | $112,000 | 0.004% |
| 97. | Guatemala | $94,000 | 0.003% |
| 98. | Curaçao | $74,000 | 0.003% |
| 99. | Sri Lanka | $59,000 | 0.002% |
| 100. | Kuwait | $55,000 | 0.002% |
| 101. | Bahrain | $52,000 | 0.002% |
| 102. | Botswana | $51,000 | 0.002% |
| 103. | Palau | $47,000 | 0.002% |
| 104. | Montenegro | $45,000 | 0.002% |
| 105. | Venezuela | $41,000 | 0.001% |
| 106. | Hong Kong | $40,000 | 0.001% |
| 107. | Lesotho | $35,000 | 0.001% |
| 108. | Madagascar | $32,000 | 0.001% |
| 109. | Liberia | $31,000 | 0.001% |
| 110. | Barbados | $31,000 | 0.001% |
| 111. | New Caledonia | $26,000 | 0.001% |
| 112. | Kyrgyzstan | $20,000 | 0.001% |
| 113. | Azerbaijan | $20,000 | 0.001% |
| 114. | Gibraltar | $20,000 | 0.001% |
| 115. | Iraq | $16,000 | 0.001% |
| 116. | Lebanon | $16,000 | 0.001% |
| 117. | Samoa | $14,000 | 0.0005% |
| 118. | Saint Kitts/Nevis | $12,000 | 0.0004% |
| 119. | French Polynesia | $12,000 | 0.0004% |
| 120. | Algeria | $11,000 | 0.0004% |
| 121. | Mauritania | $8,000 | 0.0003% |
| 122. | Panama | $7,000 | 0.0002% |
| 123. | Brunei Darussalam | $7,000 | 0.0002% |
| 124. | Guinea | $7,000 | 0.0002% |
| 125. | Tokelau | $7,000 | 0.0002% |
| 126. | Ecuador | $6,000 | 0.0002% |
| 127. | Ethiopia | $6,000 | 0.0002% |
| 128. | Ivory Coast | $5,000 | 0.0002% |
| 129. | Nicaragua | $4,000 | 0.0001% |
| 130. | Moldova | $4,000 | 0.0001% |
| 131. | Armenia | $4,000 | 0.0001% |
| 132. | Cameroon | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 133. | Eritrea | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 134. | Mali | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 135. | Uganda | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 136. | Togo | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 137. | Trinidad/Tobago | $2,000 | 0.0001% |
| 138. | Sudan | $2,000 | 0.0001% |
| 139. | Nepal | $2,000 | 0.0001% |
| 140. | Papua New Guinea | $2,000 | 0.0001% |
| 141. | Rwanda | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 142. | Benin | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 143. | Greenland | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 144. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 145. | Chad | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 146. | Chile | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 147. | Syrian Arab Republic | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
| 148. | Burkina Faso | $1,000 | 0.00003% |
See also Cements Exports by Country, Top Sand Exporters by Country and Sawn Wood Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for gravel stone. Accessed on July 19, 2019
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 19, 2019
Minerals Education Coalition (MEC), Mining & Minerals Information, Minerals Database, Sand and Gravel, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on July 19, 2019
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on July 19, 2019
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on July 19, 2019
Wikipedia, Gravel. Accessed on July 19, 2019