The overall value of exported tofu accelerated by an average 35.6% for all exporting countries since 2017 when worldwide shipments of tofu were valued at $1 billion.
Year over year, sales of globally exported tofu appreciated by 7.9% compared to $1.28 billion for 2020.
A cheese-like food made from curdled soyabean milk, tofu is also called bean curd. The textured food product is made by pressing curds of coagulated soy milk into solid white blocks.
Key Geographic Insights for Tofu Exports
The 5 biggest tofu exporters are the United States of America, Italy, Bolivia, Serbia and Ethiopia. Combined, that leading cohort generated 92.6% of international sales of tofu during 2021. Such a high percentage belies a highly concentrated group of global tofu suppliers.
Among continents, North American countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported tofu during 2021 with shipments valued at $1.13 billion or 81.2% of the world total. In second place were exporters in Europe at 11.1%.
Smaller percentages came from Latin America (3.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (2.6%), Asia (1.6%), then Oceania’s (0.3%) Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 120810 for soyabean flour and meal. Those are key ingredients for making tofu with boiling water.
Best Tofu Exporters by Global Sales per Country
Listed below are the 15 major suppliers of exported tofu ranked in descending order by total sales per country.
Also shown is percentage that each exporter furnishes in terms of the overall value of globally exported tofu.
- United States: US$1.1 billion (81% of total exported tofu)
- Italy: $68.9 million (5%)
- Bolivia: $42.3 million (3.1%)
- Serbia: $28.8 million (2.1%)
- Ethiopia: $20 million (1.4%)
- Austria: $14.8 million (1.1%)
- Netherlands: $14.6 million (1.1%)
- India: $13.5 million (1%)
- Portugal: $11.7 million (0.8%)
- Togo: $4.8 million (0.3%)
- Tanzania: $4.6 million (0.3%)
- Australia: $4.4 million (0.3%)
- Belgium: $4.3 million (0.3%)
- Vietnam: $4.1 million (0.3%)
- South Africa: $2.5 million (0.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.3% of global sales for exported tofu in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing tofu exporters since 2020 were: Vietnam (up 408,900%), Tanzania (up 345.6%), Togo (up 345.1%) and Ethiopia (up 334%).
A pair of leading suppliers posted declines in their exported tofu sales namely India (down -22.7% from 2020) and Portugal (down -16.9%).
Lowest Average Unit Prices for Tofu Exports by Country
In addition to total export sales, this article highlights key countries that offer the lowest and highest unit price per ton of exported tofu. Also identified are the biggest exporting countries in terms of shipment weight.
The average unit price for per ton of tofu soyabean flour and meal was US$455 per ton in 2021. That average unit price for tofu is 16.7% greater than the average $390 per ton during 2020.
Ranked starting with the most economical providers, listed below are the tofu suppliers offering the lowest average unit prices in 2021.
- Burundi: US$155 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Pakistan: $156 per ton (Down -26.8% from 2020)
- Spain: $327 per ton (Down -4.4%)
- Togo: $400 per ton (Up 27.4%)
- Latvia: $429 per ton (Up 5.1%)
- Tanzania: $444 per ton (Down -29.4%)
- United States: $452 per ton (Up 21.5%)
- Zambia: $454 per ton (Up 13.8%)
- Bolivia: $459 per ton (Up 36.6%)
- Croatia: $462 per ton (Down -45.6%)
Eight among the above tofu supplying countries offer average unit prices less than the global average unit value of $455 per ton.
The greatest percentage decline from 2020 to 2021 is the -45.6% reduction charged by exporters in Croatia, albeit the corresponding average unit price for tofu furnished by Croatia is above the worldwide per-ton average of $455.
The highest inflation among these low-cost suppliers in terms of increased average unit price from 2020 to 2021 was charged by Bolivia thanks to its 36.6% expansion.
Highest Average Unit Prices for Tofu Exports by Country
The following 10 tofu supplying nations charge an average unit price as high as 19 times greater than the global average of $455 per ton.
The average unit price for per ton of tofu soyabean flour and meal is US$390 per ton in 2021. The average unit price for tofu is -9.7% lower than an estimated $432 per ton during 2020.
Ranked starting with the costliest suppliers, listed below are the tofu exporters charging the greatest average unit prices in 2021.
- Estonia: US$7,667 per ton (Up 30.3% from 2020)
- Denmark: $4,291 per ton (Up 7.5%)
- Japan: $4,289 per ton (Down -20.5%)
- France: $3,727 per ton (Up 596.6%)
- Guatemala: $3,333 per ton (Up 21.2%)
- Thailand: $3,000 per ton (Up 26.9%)
- Sri Lanka: $2,750 per ton (Down -8.3%)
- South Korea: $2,692 per ton (Up 37.1%)
- Chile: $2,389 per ton (Up 131.7%)
- Mozambique: $2,242 per ton (Down -13.7%)
The average unit price for the above high-cost exporters of tofu is $3,638 per ton. That metric is 8 times greater than tofu’s global average tonnage price of $455.
The biggest percentage gains in average unit price were charged by tofu exporters in France (up 596.6% from 2020) and Chile (up 131.7%).
The severest percentage declines from 2020 to 2021 were -20.5% for suppliers in Japan (down -20.5%) and Mozambique (down -13.7%).
Top Tofu Exporters by Weight
In terms of weight, a total 3.05 million tons in key tofu ingredients were exported during 2021.
Tonnage for globally exported tofu declined by -7.4% from 2020 to 2021.
Below, you will find the top 15 exporters of tofu sorted in descending order starting with the heaviest total shipments by tonnage.
- United States: 2,487,023 tons (Down -13.2% from 2020)
- Italy: 117,946 tons (Down -10.7%)
- Ivory Coast: 94,000 tons (Up 375900.0%)
- Bolivia: 92,188 tons (Up 21.1%)
- Burkina Faso: 50,009 tons (Down 0.0%)
- Serbia: 30,406 tons (Up 37.3%)
- Ethiopia: 26,975 tons (Up 242.1%)
- Portugal: 24,633 tons (Down -25.2%)
- Netherlands: 21,908 tons (Up 146.1%)
- Austria: 14,902 tons (Down -0.5%)
- India: 13,830 tons (Down -41.7%)
- Togo: 11,948 tons (Up 248.8%)
- Tanzania: 10,385 tons (Up 532.1%)
- Belgium: 8,315 tons (Up 17.4%)
- Spain: 7,388 tons (Up 44.7%)
By weight, shipments of tofu from the number one supplier, the United States of America, were 4.7 times greater than the combined subtotal for the other 14 competitors listed above.
The fastest weight increases from 2020 to 2021 were posted by tofu exporters in Ivory Coast (up 375,900%), Tanzania (up 532.1%), Togo (up 248.8%), Ethiopia (up 242.1%) and the Netherlands (up 146.1%).
The most dramatic annual drops in shipment weight are attributed to shippers in India (down -41.7%), Portugal (down -25.2%), United States of America (down -13.2%) and Italy (down -10.7%).
See also Soya Beans Exports by Country, Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Top Red Meat Exporters Ranked by Dollar Value, Top Ginger Exporters and Top Vitamins Exports & Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, China Exporters of Tofu Supplements. Accessed on November 27, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 27, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 27, 2022
SELF, 10 of the Cheapest Healthy Foods You Can Buy. Accessed on November 27, 2022
Wikipedia, Tofu. Accessed on November 27, 2022
