Smirnoff vodka
Overall, the value of vodka exports slipped by an average -14.9% for all exporting countries since 2014 when vodka shipments were valued at $2.7 billion. Year over year, the value of exported vodka improved by 1.8% from 2017 to 2018.
From a continental perspective, European countries sold the highest dollar value worth of vodka exports during 2018 with shipments valued at $2 billion or 88.6% of the global total. A distant second, North American exporters furnished 5.5% while 3% of worldwide vodka shipments originated from Asia. Smaller percentages came from Africa (1.3%), Oceania (1%) led by Australia, then Latin America (0.6%) excluding Mexico.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for vodka is 220860.
Top Vodka Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of vodka during 2018.
- Sweden: US$479.8 million (21.1% of total vodka exports)
- France: $408.7 million (18%)
- Poland: $159 million (7%)
- Russia: $149.9 million (6.6%)
- Netherlands: $128.5 million (5.7%)
- United States: $112.5 million (4.9%)
- United Kingdom: $96.7 million (4.3%)
- Latvia: $91.6 million (4%)
- Germany: $89.2 million (3.9%)
- Italy: $84.3 million (3.7%)
- Finland: $78 million (3.4%)
- Ukraine: $56.4 million (2.5%)
- Belarus: $52.6 million (2.3%)
- Singapore: $37.5 million (1.6%)
- Belgium: $26.4 million (1.2%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 90.2% of global vodka exports in 2018 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing vodka exporters since 2014 were: Italy (up 90.8%), Belgium (up 75.2%), United States (up 62.5%) and Belarus (up 8.7%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported vodka sales were led by: United Kingdom (down -54.6%), Germany (down -32.7%), Russia (down -31.4%), France (down -22%) and Sweden (down -12.8%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for vodka 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 vodka and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Sweden: US$468.3 million (net export surplus down -12.6% since 2014)
- France: $273.9 million (down -27.4%)
- Poland: $113.1 million (down -22.5%)
- Russia: $91.1 million (down -24.6%)
- Netherlands: $76 million (up 1.1%)
- Finland: $74.5 million (down -11.4%)
- Belarus: $46.5 million (up 16.2%)
- Latvia: $28.9 million (down -41.5%)
- Ukraine: $27.7 million (up 108.3%)
- South Africa: $12.5 million (reversing a -$1.3 million deficit)
- Italy: $12.1 million (up 76.9%)
- Singapore: $6.3 million (up 29.5%)
- Zambia: $3.4 million (up 400.6%)
- Moldova: $2.6 million (down -74.7%)
- Estonia: $1.5 million (reversing a -$3.4 million deficit)
Sweden earned the highest surplus in the international trade of vodka. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Sweden’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for vodka 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 vodka purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$1.4 billion (net export deficit down -8.3% since 2014)
- Canada: -$104.3 million (down -2.1%)
- United Kingdom: -$101.9 million (reversing a $16.4 million surplus)
- Israel: -$48.4 million (up 51.5%)
- Kazakhstan: -$38.4 million (down -30.5%)
- Spain: -$34.7 million (down -30.9%)
- Germany: -$32.8 million (up 107%)
- Greece: -$30.7 million (up 56.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$29.6 million (up 167.5%)
- Australia: -$28.1 million (down -27.4%)
- Mexico: -$22.9 million (down -4.9%)
- Ireland: -$17 million (up 6.4%)
- Armenia: -$16.1 million (down -17.1%)
- Switzerland: -$15 million (down -6.2%)
- Luxembourg: -$14.7 million (up 28.6%)
The United States of America racked up the highest deficit in the international trade of vodka. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for vodka-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful worldwide demand.
Brands
Top Vodka Brands
Below are global vodka-processing brands that represent established entities exported and imported in the international vodka trade. Their home country associated with each brand is shown within parenthesis.
- Absolut (Sweden)
- Absolwent (Poland)
- Artic (Italy)
- Firefly (United States)
- Grey Goose (France)
- Kauffman (Russia)
- Ketel One (Netherlands)
- Khortytsia (Ukraine)
- KORS (Finland)
- Latvijas Balzams (Latvia)
- Magic Spirits (Germany)
- Minsk Kristall (Belarus)
- Smirnoff (United Kingdom)
- Stumbras (Lithuania)
Founded in Russia, Smirnoff is now a brand of vodka owned and produced by the British company Diageo.
Searchable List of Vodka Exporting Countries in 2018
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.
| Rank | Exporter | Vodka Exports (US$) | %World Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sweden | $479.8 million | 21.1% |
| 2. | France | $408.7 million | 18% |
| 3. | Poland | $159 million | 7% |
| 4. | Russia | $149.9 million | 6.6% |
| 5. | Netherlands | $128.5 million | 5.7% |
| 6. | United States | $112.5 million | 4.9% |
| 7. | United Kingdom | $96.7 million | 4.3% |
| 8. | Latvia | $91.6 million | 4% |
| 9. | Germany | $89.2 million | 3.9% |
| 10. | Italy | $84.3 million | 3.7% |
| 11. | Finland | $78 million | 3.4% |
| 12. | Ukraine | $56.4 million | 2.5% |
| 13. | Belarus | $52.6 million | 2.3% |
| 14. | Singapore | $37.5 million | 1.6% |
| 15. | Belgium | $26.4 million | 1.2% |
| 16. | South Africa | $22.1 million | 1% |
| 17. | Australia | $21.8 million | 1% |
| 18. | Spain | $18.2 million | 0.8% |
| 19. | Lithuania | $17.6 million | 0.8% |
| 20. | Austria | $14.7 million | 0.6% |
| 21. | Estonia | $10.6 million | 0.5% |
| 22. | Canada | $10.3 million | 0.5% |
| 23. | Denmark | $8.1 million | 0.4% |
| 24. | Moldova | $7.3 million | 0.3% |
| 25. | Czech Republic | $6.3 million | 0.3% |
| 26. | Slovakia | $5.3 million | 0.2% |
| 27. | Georgia | $5.2 million | 0.2% |
| 28. | Cyprus | $4.5 million | 0.2% |
| 29. | Bulgaria | $4.1 million | 0.2% |
| 30. | Thailand | $3.8 million | 0.2% |
| 31. | Chile | $3.6 million | 0.2% |
| 32. | Zambia | $3.5 million | 0.2% |
| 33. | China | $3.4 million | 0.1% |
| 34. | South Korea | $3.3 million | 0.1% |
| 35. | Norway | $2.7 million | 0.1% |
| 36. | Panama | $2.7 million | 0.1% |
| 37. | Hong Kong | $2.5 million | 0.1% |
| 38. | Portugal | $2.2 million | 0.1% |
| 39. | Luxembourg | $2.1 million | 0.1% |
| 40. | Japan | $2 million | 0.1% |
| 41. | Ireland | $2 million | 0.1% |
| 42. | New Zealand | $1.9 million | 0.1% |
| 43. | United Arab Emirates | $1.9 million | 0.1% |
| 44. | Malaysia | $1.8 million | 0.1% |
| 45. | Brazil | $1.7 million | 0.1% |
| 46. | Ghana | $1.7 million | 0.1% |
| 47. | Hungary | $1.6 million | 0.1% |
| 48. | Iceland | $1.5 million | 0.1% |
| 49. | Armenia | $1.5 million | 0.1% |
| 50. | Mexico | $1.5 million | 0.1% |
| 51. | Indonesia | $1.5 million | 0.1% |
| 52. | Uganda | $1.4 million | 0.1% |
| 53. | Croatia | $1.3 million | 0.1% |
| 54. | Slovenia | $1.2 million | 0.1% |
| 55. | Barbados | $1.1 million | 0.05% |
| 56. | Greece | $1 million | 0.04% |
| 57. | Serbia | $989,000 | 0.04% |
| 58. | Romania | $950,000 | 0.04% |
| 59. | Lebanon | $851,000 | 0.04% |
| 60. | Turks/Caicos Islands | $797,000 | 0.04% |
| 61. | Jamaica | $778,000 | 0.03% |
| 62. | India | $757,000 | 0.03% |
| 63. | Kenya | $743,000 | 0.03% |
| 64. | Vietnam | $665,000 | 0.03% |
| 65. | Guatemala | $611,000 | 0.03% |
| 66. | El Salvador | $458,000 | 0.02% |
| 67. | Turkey | $424,000 | 0.02% |
| 68. | North Macedonia | $357,000 | 0.02% |
| 69. | Guyana | $340,000 | 0.01% |
| 70. | Malta | $278,000 | 0.01% |
| 71. | Switzerland | $211,000 | 0.01% |
| 72. | Jordan | $195,000 | 0.01% |
| 73. | Uzbekistan | $181,000 | 0.01% |
| 74. | Kyrgyzstan | $175,000 | 0.01% |
| 75. | Mongolia | $155,000 | 0.01% |
| 76. | Trinidad/Tobago | $149,000 | 0.01% |
| 77. | Israel | $142,000 | 0.01% |
| 78. | Dominican Republic | $138,000 | 0.01% |
| 79. | Kazakhstan | $82,000 | 0.004% |
| 80. | Eswatini | $79,000 | 0.003% |
| 81. | Peru | $74,000 | 0.003% |
| 82. | Solomon Islands | $52,000 | 0.002% |
| 83. | Azerbaijan | $51,000 | 0.002% |
| 84. | Taiwan | $48,000 | 0.002% |
| 85. | Bermuda | $39,000 | 0.002% |
| 86. | Belize | $38,000 | 0.002% |
| 87. | Mauritius | $32,000 | 0.001% |
| 88. | Dominica | $31,000 | 0.001% |
| 89. | British Virgin Islands | $26,000 | 0.001% |
| 90. | Cuba | $23,000 | 0.001% |
| 91. | Philippines | $19,000 | 0.001% |
| 92. | Suriname | $15,000 | 0.001% |
| 93. | Mozambique | $14,000 | 0.001% |
| 94. | Curaçao | $13,000 | 0.001% |
| 95. | Fiji | $13,000 | 0.001% |
| 96. | Zimbabwe | $12,000 | 0.001% |
| 97. | Morocco | $12,000 | 0.001% |
| 98. | Togo | $12,000 | 0.001% |
| 99. | Madagascar | $9,000 | 0.0004% |
| 100. | Nepal | $7,000 | 0.0003% |
| 101. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $7,000 | 0.0003% |
| 102. | Botswana | $4,000 | 0.0002% |
| 103. | Argentina | $4,000 | 0.0002% |
| 104. | Bahamas | $4,000 | 0.0002% |
| 105. | Venezuela | $4,000 | 0.0002% |
| 106. | Burkina Faso | $4,000 | 0.0002% |
| 107. | Albania | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 108. | Faroe Islands | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 109. | Antigua/Barbuda | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 110. | Sudan | $3,000 | 0.0001% |
| 111. | Afghanistan | $2,000 | 0.0001% |
| 112. | Senegal | $1,000 | 0.00004% |
| 113. | Paraguay | $1,000 | 0.00004% |
See also Wine Exports by Country, Top Wine Importing Countries and Major Export Companies: Alcoholic Beverages
Research Sources:
Investopedia, Net Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 27, 2019
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 27, 2019
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 27, 2019
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on May 27, 2019
Wikipedia, List of vodkas. Accessed on June 4, 2018
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