Overall, the value of barley exports rose by an average 20.1% for all exporting countries since 2016 when barley shipments were valued at $6.2 billion.
From 2019 to 2020, exports of barley sold on international markets appreciated by 6%.
Barley is a traditional food ingredient used in soups, stews, breads and beverages. More recently, this major cereal grain has become a staple component for health foods. Barley is also used to ferment malt beer. A member of the grass family, barley has an additional food use serving as animal fodder.
The 5 biggest exporters (France, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Canada) generated 62.7% of all exported barley by value during 2020. That percentage indicates a relatively concentrated cohort of international barley suppliers.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported barley during 2020 with shipments valued at $5.1 billion or over three-quarters (69.4%) of total barley exports. In second place were exporters in Oceania (12.3%) mostly Australia ahead of North America (8.7%).
Smaller percentages came from Latin America plus the Caribbean (6.2%), Asia (3.3%) and Africa (0.04%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for raw barley is 1003 (which is the focus of this analysis). Please note that the HTS codes for rolled, flaked, pearled or otherwise worked barley are scattered under 6-digit subgroups attached to a 1104 prefix.
Barley Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of barley during 2020.
- France: US$1.4 billion (18.3% of total barley exports)
- Australia: $913.3 million (12.3%)
- Russia: $898.9 million (12.1%)
- Ukraine: $877.5 million (11.8%)
- Canada: $599.2 million (8.1%)
- Germany: $484.2 million (6.5%)
- Argentina: $449.9 million (6.1%)
- United Kingdom: $302.7 million (4.1%)
- Romania: $243.6 million (3.3%)
- Kazakhstan: $176.2 million (2.4%)
- Denmark: $155.5 million (2.1%)
- Hungary: $147.1 million (2%)
- Sweden: $86.5 million (1.2%)
- Lithuania: $74.4 million (1%)
- Czech Republic: $69.2 million (0.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.2% of global barley exported in 2020.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing barley exporters since 2019 were: Sweden (up 85.8%), Hungary (up 71.6%), Germany (up 55.8%) and Czech Republic (up 36.8%).
Four countries posted declines in their exported barley sales, namely: Kazakhstan (down -41.2%), Argentina (down -37.5%), United Kingdom (down -16.2%) and France (down -10.3%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for barley during 2020. 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 barley and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- France: US$1.3 billion (net export surplus down -10.2% since 2019)
- Australia: $913.2 million (up 25.7%)
- Russia: $891.3 million (up 17.9%)
- Ukraine: $874.9 million (up 23.7%)
- Canada: $576.4 million (up 9.8%)
- Argentina: $444.7 million (down -37.9%)
- United Kingdom: $282.9 million (down -17.2%)
- Germany: $185.7 million (up 696.3%)
- Kazakhstan: $164.8 million (down -43.8%)
- Denmark: $139.7 million (up 45.6%)
- Hungary: $136.5 million (up 69.8%)
- Romania: $112.1 million (down -37.2%)
- Sweden: $74.3 million (up 326%)
- Bulgaria: $65.1 million (up 33.3%)
- Lithuania: $63.8 million (up 39.5%)
France generated the highest surplus in the international trade of barley during 2020. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms France’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for barley during 2020. 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 barley purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- China: -US$1.9 billion (net export deficit up 20.4% since 2019)
- Saudi Arabia: -$616.1 million (up 13.7%)
- Netherlands: -$483.3 million (up 12.3%)
- Belgium: -$372.8 million (down -4.1%)
- Japan: -$303.2 million (down -6.1%)
- Morocco: -$242.9 million (up 210.1%)
- Thailand: -$172.4 million (up 85.6%)
- Tunisia: -$172 million (up 34.5%)
- Algeria: -$166.3 million (up 119.3%)
- Brazil: -$164.7 million (down -12.8%)
- Turkey: -$160.8 million (up 45.1%)
- Iran: -$154.4 million (down -73.9%)
- Libya: -$137.3 million (down -3.5%)
- Jordan: -$120 million (down -43.8%)
- Colombia: -$93.8 million (down -5.9%)
Mainland China posted the highest deficit in the international trade of barley. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights strong Chinese competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for barley-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Beverages
Types of Barley-based Drinks
The following beverages are made with barley as one of the key ingredients.
- barley water
- barley wine
- barley-based soft drinks
- beer
- expresso-style hot drinks
- instant barley cereal drinks
- malt whisky
- malted milk
- roasted barley tea
- roasted grain beverages
Searchable List of Barley Exporting Countries in 2020
The 79 key suppliers by country in the automated database below represent 100% of barley exported around the globe during 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Barley Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | France | $1,358,864,000 | -10.3% |
| 2. | Australia | $913,325,000 | +25.7% |
| 3. | Russia | $898,888,000 | +18% |
| 4. | Ukraine | $877,475,000 | +23.6% |
| 5. | Canada | $599,188,000 | +12.6% |
| 6. | Germany | $484,215,000 | +55.8% |
| 7. | Argentina | $449,920,000 | -37.5% |
| 8. | United Kingdom | $302,739,000 | -16.2% |
| 9. | Romania | $243,631,000 | +17.6% |
| 10. | Kazakhstan | $176,172,000 | -41.2% |
| 11. | Denmark | $155,524,000 | +31% |
| 12. | Hungary | $147,141,000 | +71.6% |
| 13. | Sweden | $86,478,000 | +85.8% |
| 14. | Lithuania | $74,375,000 | +34.8% |
| 15. | Czech Republic | $69,208,000 | +36.8% |
| 16. | Bulgaria | $65,490,000 | +32.2% |
| 17. | Syrian Arab Republic | $63,120,000 | +523.9% |
| 18. | Poland | $56,197,000 | +240.8% |
| 19. | Estonia | $55,663,000 | -21% |
| 20. | United States | $47,156,000 | +31.1% |
| 21. | Belgium | $35,004,000 | -18.8% |
| 22. | Finland | $33,234,000 | +25.7% |
| 23. | Spain | $25,747,000 | -36.2% |
| 24. | Slovakia | $25,477,000 | +73.5% |
| 25. | Croatia | $24,090,000 | +205.7% |
| 26. | Netherlands | $23,700,000 | -16.4% |
| 27. | Latvia | $23,682,000 | -36.4% |
| 28. | Austria | $19,183,000 | +40.3% |
| 29. | Serbia | $15,679,000 | +88.6% |
| 30. | Belarus | $12,051,000 | +5531.3% |
| 31. | Ireland | $9,125,000 | +18% |
| 32. | Italy | $9,111,000 | +360.6% |
| 33. | Uruguay | $8,720,000 | -58.5% |
| 34. | Slovenia | $3,482,000 | +168.1% |
| 35. | Moldova | $3,396,000 | -58.3% |
| 36. | Turkey | $2,603,000 | -74.8% |
| 37. | Luxembourg | $2,538,000 | -16.9% |
| 38. | Greece | $2,034,000 | +345.1% |
| 39. | Portugal | $1,826,000 | -73.2% |
| 40. | Jordan | $1,552,000 | 0% |
| 41. | Kenya | $1,334,000 | -13.5% |
| 42. | Lebanon | $1,233,000 | +2063% |
| 43. | South Africa | $968,000 | -50.3% |
| 44. | India | $860,000 | +25.7% |
| 45. | Iran | $636,000 | +1531% |
| 46. | Switzerland | $558,000 | +73.8% |
| 47. | North Macedonia | $461,000 | -35.9% |
| 48. | Afghanistan | $446,000 | 0% |
| 49. | Uganda | $408,000 | +75.1% |
| 50. | New Zealand | $353,000 | +383.6% |
| 51. | South Korea | $314,000 | +46.7% |
| 52. | Chile | $253,000 | +6225% |
| 53. | Norway | $240,000 | -19.2% |
| 54. | Hong Kong | $171,000 | +8450% |
| 55. | Malaysia | $143,000 | +110.3% |
| 56. | Singapore | $142,000 | +273.7% |
| 57. | Philippines | $136,000 | +58.1% |
| 58. | Japan | $65,000 | -26.1% |
| 59. | China | $56,000 | -56.6% |
| 60. | Georgia | $55,000 | -95.2% |
| 61. | Peru | $50,000 | +2% |
| 62. | Togo | $47,000 | 0% |
| 63. | Thailand | $41,000 | +925% |
| 64. | Ecuador | $36,000 | -21.7% |
| 65. | Pakistan | $34,000 | +3300% |
| 66. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $32,000 | +255.6% |
| 67. | Vietnam | $21,000 | 0% |
| 68. | Tanzania | $19,000 | -89.3% |
| 69. | Tunisia | $17,000 | -91.7% |
| 70. | Guatemala | $15,000 | +25% |
| 71. | Mozambique | $14,000 | 0% |
| 72. | Egypt | $8,000 | +700% |
| 73. | Sri Lanka | $6,000 | +100% |
| 74. | Yemen | $5,000 | +400% |
| 75. | Brazil | $4,000 | +33.3% |
| 76. | Taiwan | $4,000 | -33.3% |
| 77. | Ethiopia | $3,000 | 0% |
| 78. | Iceland | $1,000 | 0% |
| 79. | Barbados | $1,000 | -50% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means 2019 data was unavailable.
See also Corn Exports by Country, Wheat Exports by Country and Rice Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 10, 2021
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 10, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 10, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 10, 2021
Wikipedia, general description of barley and its uses. Accessed on August 10, 2021
Wikipedia, List of barley-based beverages. Accessed on August 10, 2021
