Overall, the value of globally exported butter accelerated by an average 60.6% for all exporting countries 5 years earlier in 2020 when butter shipments were valued at $6.4 billion.
Year over year, the value of exported butter advanced by 17% compared to $8.8 billion starting from 2023.
The top 5 most lucrative exporters of this food spread are Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany and France. Collectively, that cohort of major dairy product exporters sold over two-thirds (67.1%) of the world’s exported butter during 2024.
Among continents, suppliers based in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported butter during 2024 with shipments valued at $7.6 billion or nearly three-quarters (74.1%) of the global total. In second place was Oceania mostly New Zealand and Australia at 17.8%.
Smaller percentages originated from shippers in Asia (4.7%), North America (2%), Latin America (1.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Africa (0.3%).
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for butter is 040510. That code prefix excludes dehydrated butter and ghee. The term ghee means clarified butter (fat) made from the milk of a buffalo or cow and is commonly used in South Asian cooking.
Butter Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of butter during 2024.
- Ireland: US$1.78 billion (17.3% of total butter exports)
- Netherlands: $1.75 billion (17%)
- New Zealand: $1.72 billion (16.8%)
- Germany: $863.4 million (8.4%)
- France: $784.7 million (7.6%)
- Belgium: $721 million (7%)
- Denmark: $438.5 million (4.3%)
- Poland: $416.5 million (4.1%)
- Finland: $207.9 million (2%)
- United States: $206.1 million (2%)
- United Kingdom: $168.8 million (1.6%)
- India: $157.6 million (1.5%)
- Australia: $103.9 million (1%)
- Italy: $103.9 million (1%)
- Iran: $98.2 million (1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.7% of worldwide butter exports in 2024.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of butter since 2023 were: India (up 272.7%), Australia (up 209.3%), Iran (up 92.7%) and Ireland (up 27.7%).
A pair of major suppliers posted declines in their international sales of butter were the United Kingdom (down -6.2% from 2023) and Belgium (down -4.4%).
Searchable List of Butter Exporting Countries in 2024
The 100 countries showcased in the automated database below accounted for 99.999% of all butter exported during 2024.
| Rank | Exporter | Butter Exports | 2023-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ireland | $1,778,172,000 | +27.7% |
| 2. | Netherlands | $1,745,936,000 | +9.2% |
| 3. | New Zealand | $1,720,471,000 | +12.8% |
| 4. | Germany | $863,399,000 | +18.8% |
| 5. | France | $784,706,000 | +24.6% |
| 6. | Belgium | $720,974,000 | -4.4% |
| 7. | Denmark | $438,452,000 | +2.4% |
| 8. | Poland | $416,547,000 | +6.8% |
| 9. | Finland | $207,944,000 | +15.9% |
| 10. | United States | $206,140,000 | +26.9% |
| 11. | United Kingdom | $168,767,000 | -6.2% |
| 12. | India | $157,605,000 | +272.7% |
| 13. | Australia | $103,934,000 | +209.3% |
| 14. | Italy | $103,908,000 | +0.5% |
| 15. | Iran | $98,246,000 | +92.7% |
| 16. | Portugal | $81,515,000 | +17.1% |
| 17. | Azerbaijan | $78,398,000 | +1012.7% |
| 18. | Uruguay | $63,587,000 | +37.3% |
| 19. | Ukraine | $43,989,000 | +28.7% |
| 20. | Spain | $40,800,000 | +30.8% |
| 21. | Saudi Arabia | $35,778,000 | +47.8% |
| 22. | Austria | $30,086,000 | +5.6% |
| 23. | Czech Republic | $29,625,000 | +41.7% |
| 24. | Sweden | $29,363,000 | -2.7% |
| 25. | Kazakhstan | $27,118,000 | +245.1% |
| 26. | Lithuania | $25,056,000 | -29.4% |
| 27. | Luxembourg | $24,061,000 | +12.2% |
| 28. | Belarus | $23,282,000 | +23.4% |
| 29. | Argentina | $21,212,000 | -16.3% |
| 30. | Türkiye | $12,347,000 | +75.3% |
| 31. | China | $12,174,000 | +72.2% |
| 32. | Uzbekistan | $11,681,000 | +5138% |
| 33. | Armenia | $10,816,000 | +17.7% |
| 34. | Kyrgyzstan | $10,393,000 | +66.4% |
| 35. | South Africa | $9,377,000 | +6.4% |
| 36. | Latvia | $8,999,000 | +58.6% |
| 37. | Uganda | $8,974,000 | -23.3% |
| 38. | Costa Rica | $8,551,000 | +36.7% |
| 39. | Slovakia | $8,188,000 | -3.1% |
| 40. | Croatia | $6,816,000 | +13.7% |
| 41. | Singapore | $6,792,000 | -12.6% |
| 42. | Russia | $6,190,000 | +30.7% |
| 43. | Bulgaria | $6,108,000 | +32.1% |
| 44. | Hong Kong | $5,763,000 | -3.9% |
| 45. | Chile | $4,693,000 | +978.9% |
| 46. | Estonia | $4,618,000 | -33.1% |
| 47. | Brazil | $4,557,000 | +99.3% |
| 48. | Paraguay | $4,549,000 | +39.5% |
| 49. | Malaysia | $4,479,000 | -23.4% |
| 50. | Romania | $3,795,000 | +165.6% |
| 51. | United Arab Emirates | $3,308,000 | -82.9% |
| 52. | Hungary | $3,127,000 | +35.7% |
| 53. | Canada | $2,767,000 | +76.4% |
| 54. | Serbia | $2,676,000 | -21.6% |
| 55. | Thailand | $2,576,000 | -9% |
| 56. | Greece | $2,496,000 | +46.8% |
| 57. | Angola | $2,252,000 | +834.4% |
| 58. | Benin | $2,147,000 | +113.6% |
| 59. | Kuwait | $1,529,000 | -14.5% |
| 60. | Pakistan | $1,512,000 | -21.5% |
| 61. | Honduras | $1,502,000 | -34.7% |
| 62. | Bolivia | $1,190,000 | -64.7% |
| 63. | Morocco | $959,000 | +4259% |
| 64. | Cameroon | $938,000 | 0% |
| 65. | Slovenia | $875,000 | +11.5% |
| 66. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $858,000 | +68.9% |
| 67. | Qatar | $830,000 | 0% |
| 68. | Vietnam | $805,000 | +1391% |
| 69. | Ghana | $616,000 | +20433% |
| 70. | Syria | $564,000 | -69.4% |
| 71. | Philippines | $520,000 | -7.8% |
| 72. | Kenya | $484,000 | +296.7% |
| 73. | Indonesia | $421,000 | +150.6% |
| 74. | Iceland | $415,000 | +117.3% |
| 75. | El Salvador | $400,000 | -2% |
| 76. | Japan | $375,000 | +11.3% |
| 77. | Egypt | $356,000 | -33.6% |
| 78. | Sri Lanka | $337,000 | +93.7% |
| 79. | Israel | $239,000 | 0% |
| 80. | North Macedonia | $205,000 | +9.6% |
| 81. | Jamaica | $126,000 | +2420% |
| 82. | Malta | $111,000 | +2675% |
| 83. | Bangladesh | $98,000 | +88.5% |
| 84. | South Korea | $80,000 | +33.3% |
| 85. | Trinidad and Tobago | $76,000 | +11.8% |
| 86. | Lebanon | $75,000 | -1.3% |
| 87. | Panama | $69,000 | +81.6% |
| 88. | Brunei Darussalam | $69,000 | +130% |
| 89. | Fiji | $64,000 | -70.4% |
| 90. | Guinea-Bissau | $64,000 | 0% |
| 91. | Taiwan | $48,000 | +269.2% |
| 92. | Samoa | $45,000 | +125% |
| 93. | Colombia | $34,000 | -85.2% |
| 94. | Venezuela | $33,000 | +725% |
| 95. | Norway | $28,000 | -94.2% |
| 96. | Dominica | $26,000 | 0% |
| 97. | Nigeria | $21,000 | +10.5% |
| 98. | Togo | $20,000 | 0% |
| 99. | Cyprus | $19,000 | 0% |
| 100. | Zimbabwe | $18,000 | +20% |
Expanding the scope to encompass all showcased butter exporters, the fastest growers were: Ghana (up 20,433% from 2023), Uzbekistan (up 5,138%), Morocco (up 4,259%), Jamaica (up 2,420%) and Vietnam (up 1,391%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2023 data is unavailable.
Countries Earning Best Trade Surpluses from Butter
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for butter during 2024. 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 butter and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Ireland: US$1.74 billion (net export surplus up 28% since 2023)
- New Zealand: $1.72 billion (up 12.7%)
- Netherlands: $975.1 million (up 13.1%)
- Denmark: $359.5 million (down -3.4%)
- Poland: $332.9 million (up 8%)
- Belgium: $307.7 million (up 19.2%)
- Finland: $205.1 million (up 15.9%)
- India: $156 million (up 277.9%)
- Germany: $124.2 million (reversing a -$49 million deficit)
- Iran: $96.8 million (up 89.9%)
- Uruguay: $60.3 million (up 43.9%)
- Portugal: $48.8 million (up 11.3%)
- Ukraine: $31.9 million (up 32.3%)
- Belarus: $20.8 million (up 12.1%)
- Argentina: $18 million (down -27.8%)
Ireland and New Zealand generated billion-dollar surpluses in the international trade of butter. In turn, these positive cashflows confirm both countries’ strong competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Trade Deficits from Butter
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for butter during 2024. 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 butter purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- mainland China: -US$725.3 million (net export deficit up 19% since 2023)
- France: -$661.9 million (up 7.2%)
- United States: -$523.4 million (up 52.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$247.2 million (down -0.3%)
- Canada: -$207.3 million (up 12.4%)
- United Kingdom: -$185.6 million (up 108.7%)
- South Korea: -$174.1 million (up 0.1%)
- Spain: -$168.7 million (up 15.4%)
- Italy: -$157.4 million (up 38.6%)
- Russia: -$150.5 million (up 279.6%)
- Czech Republic: -$147.1 million (up 26.6%)
- Indonesia: -$142.3 million (up 28.2%)
- Romania: -$128.9 million (up 35.3%)
- Taiwan: -$126.4 million (up 11.3%)
- Japan: -$113.8 million (up 22.4%)
Mainland China and France incurred the highest deficits in the international trade of butter. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights both countries’ competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for butter-supplying countries to help satisfy the powerful demand.
Butter Exporting Companies
Below are global butter-producing cooperatives and multi-national dairy companies. Shown within parenthesis is the city and country where the headquarters for each business is located.
- Arla Foods (Viby, Denmark)
- Fonterra (Auckland, New Zealand)
- Lactalis (Laval, France)
- Müller (Fischach, Germany)
- Parmalat (Collecchio, Italy)
- Zott (Mertingen,Germany)
See also Top Milk Exporting Countries, Cheese Exports by Country, Top Yogurt Exporters and Fresh Eggs Exporters by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 27, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 27, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 27, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 27, 2025
Wikipedia, Category:Multinational dairy companies . Accessed on September 27, 2025