Overall, the value of globally exported butter increased by an average 5.4% for all exporting countries since 2017 when butter shipments were valued at $7.25 billion.
Year over year, the value of globally exported butter accelerated by 19.4% compared to $6.4 billion during 2020.
The top 5 most lucrative exporters of this food spread are the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Germany, and Belgium. Collectively, that cohort of dairy product exporters sold approaching two-thirds (64.5%) of the world’s exported butter during 2021.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported butter during 2021 with shipments valued at $5.88 billion or over three-quarters (77%) of the global total. In second place were New Zealand, Australia plus Fiji in Oceania at 16.5%.
Smaller percentages originated from shippers in North America (2.3%), Asia (2.1%), Latin America (1.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Africa (0.2%).
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 2021.
- Netherlands: US$1.26 billion (16.4% of total butter exports)
- Ireland: $1.24 billion (16.3%)
- New Zealand: $1.17 billion (15.3%)
- Germany: $630.4 million (8.3%)
- Belgium: $628.2 million (8.2%)
- France: $504.3 million (6.6%)
- Belarus: $401.4 million (5.3%)
- Denmark: $296.9 million (3.9%)
- Poland: $234.2 million (3.1%)
- United States: $177.9 million (2.3%)
- United Kingdom: $163.8 million (2.1%)
- Finland: $144.7 million (1.9%)
- Australia: $93.7 million (1.2%)
- Italy: $81.7 million (1.1%)
- Portugal: $75.5 million (1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93% of globally exported butter in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of butter since 2020 were: United States of America (up 106.2%), Australia (up 71.5%), Portugal (up 37.5%) and Belgium (up 26.9%).
Finland was the lone major supplier to post a decline in its international sales of butter, weighed down by a -1.7% drop year over year.
Countries Earning Best Trade Surpluses from Butter
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for butter during 2021. 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$1.24 billion (net export surplus up 14.1% since 2020)
- New Zealand: $1.17 billion (up 16.2%)
- Netherlands: $532.2 million (up 18.1%)
- Belarus: $401.1 million (up 25.7%)
- Denmark: $237.5 million (up 6.5%)
- Belgium: $160.5 million (up 35.7%)
- Finland: $142.5 million (down -1.5%)
- Poland: $141.3 million (down -10.4%)
- Argentina: $62.9 million (up 20.4%)
- Portugal: $57.1 million (up 49.4%)
- Uruguay: $46.6 million (up 11%)
- India: $34.5 million (up 70.2%)
- Kyrgyzstan: $15.6 million (down -6%)
- Iran: $13.5 million (reversing -$51.2 million deficit)
- Ukraine: $11 million (up 44.4%)
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 2021. 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.
- Russia: -US$516.2 million (net export deficit up 6.3% since 2020)
- China: -$486.6 million (up 23.2%)
- France: -$375.7 million (up 28.5%)
- Germany: -$172.2 million (up 22%)
- United States: -$169.8 million (down -10.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$131.2 million (down -22.1%)
- South Korea: -$118.3 million (up 67.3%)
- Czech Republic: -$108.7 million (up 20%)
- Canada: -$101.1 million (up 24.7%)
- Taiwan: -$95.4 million (up 19.5%)
- Italy: -$89.1 million (up 59.4%)
- Singapore: -$83.3 million (up 22.4%)
- Egypt: -$82.3 million (down -21.6%)
- Romania: -$81.5 million (up 29.7%)
- Indonesia: -$76.4 million (up 22.5%)
The Russian Federation incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of butter. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Russia’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for butter-supplying countries that 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)
Searchable List of Butter Exporting Countries in 2021
The 100 countries showcased in the automated database below accounted for 99.999% of all butter exported during 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Butter Exports | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Netherlands | $1,256,287,000 | +23.2% |
| 2. | Ireland | $1,243,403,000 | +12.4% |
| 3. | New Zealand | $1,169,138,000 | +16.2% |
| 4. | Germany | $630,381,000 | +15.7% |
| 5. | Belgium | $628,239,000 | +26.9% |
| 6. | France | $504,299,000 | +17.6% |
| 7. | Belarus | $401,375,000 | +25.7% |
| 8. | Denmark | $296,919,000 | +10.5% |
| 9. | Poland | $234,209,000 | +9.2% |
| 10. | United States | $177,910,000 | +106.2% |
| 11. | United Kingdom | $163,811,000 | +11.1% |
| 12. | Finland | $144,659,000 | -1.7% |
| 13. | Australia | $93,671,000 | +71.5% |
| 14. | Italy | $81,703,000 | +15.5% |
| 15. | Portugal | $75,508,000 | +37.5% |
| 16. | Argentina | $63,423,000 | +20.9% |
| 17. | Uruguay | $49,475,000 | +12.7% |
| 18. | Spain | $47,286,000 | +53.4% |
| 19. | Ukraine | $44,104,000 | +6.5% |
| 20. | India | $35,645,000 | +56.6% |
| 21. | Saudi Arabia | $29,655,000 | +50.8% |
| 22. | Austria | $26,864,000 | +31.9% |
| 23. | Lithuania | $24,257,000 | -14.8% |
| 24. | Turkey | $16,117,000 | +76.5% |
| 25. | Iran | $16,085,000 | +7081% |
| 26. | Kyrgyzstan | $15,714,000 | -7.4% |
| 27. | Kazakhstan | $15,518,000 | +167.5% |
| 28. | Russia | $12,911,000 | +3.4% |
| 29. | Czech Republic | $12,292,000 | +35.7% |
| 30. | Sweden | $12,078,000 | +32% |
| 31. | Luxembourg | $10,678,000 | +92.3% |
| 32. | Costa Rica | $8,436,000 | +19.7% |
| 33. | South Africa | $7,635,000 | +2.2% |
| 34. | Malaysia | $7,600,000 | +32.5% |
| 35. | Singapore | $7,315,000 | +17.2% |
| 36. | Slovakia | $6,664,000 | +28.8% |
| 37. | Hong Kong | $6,361,000 | +42.4% |
| 38. | China | $4,649,000 | +26.9% |
| 39. | Uganda | $4,449,000 | +468.2% |
| 40. | Paraguay | $4,326,000 | +47.9% |
| 41. | Estonia | $4,315,000 | -15.5% |
| 42. | Colombia | $4,151,000 | +11.3% |
| 43. | Croatia | $4,002,000 | +2.9% |
| 44. | Romania | $2,755,000 | +67.4% |
| 45. | Honduras | $2,606,000 | -8.3% |
| 46. | United Arab Emirates | $2,554,000 | -74.9% |
| 47. | Bulgaria | $2,484,000 | +34.5% |
| 48. | Brazil | $2,454,000 | +71.6% |
| 49. | Latvia | $2,257,000 | -42% |
| 50. | Greece | $2,046,000 | -3.4% |
| 51. | Serbia | $1,871,000 | +58.3% |
| 52. | Switzerland | $1,838,000 | -58.1% |
| 53. | Hungary | $1,748,000 | -68.7% |
| 54. | Ghana | $1,400,000 | +70.7% |
| 55. | Azerbaijan | $1,288,000 | -25.1% |
| 56. | Thailand | $1,224,000 | +20.1% |
| 57. | Tunisia | $1,089,000 | +3933% |
| 58. | Iceland | $1,087,000 | +32.2% |
| 59. | Armenia | $817,000 | +246.2% |
| 60. | Bolivia | $720,000 | -27.3% |
| 61. | Uzbekistan | $628,000 | +330.1% |
| 62. | Slovenia | $622,000 | +40.7% |
| 63. | Indonesia | $512,000 | +226.1% |
| 64. | Kenya | $470,000 | +446.5% |
| 65. | Japan | $376,000 | +129.3% |
| 66. | Canada | $326,000 | +156.7% |
| 67. | Kuwait | $224,000 | -67.7% |
| 68. | Philippines | $222,000 | -54.5% |
| 69. | Guyana | $167,000 | 0% |
| 70. | Egypt | $165,000 | -36% |
| 71. | Georgia | $157,000 | -63.1% |
| 72. | Pakistan | $155,000 | +30.3% |
| 73. | Syria | $134,000 | +47.3% |
| 74. | El Salvador | $127,000 | -5.9% |
| 75. | Macao | $121,000 | 0% |
| 76. | Dominican Republic | $118,000 | +38.8% |
| 77. | Morocco | $116,000 | +728.6% |
| 78. | Panama | $102,000 | +264.3% |
| 79. | Bangladesh | $91,000 | +35.8% |
| 80. | Oman | $90,000 | 0% |
| 81. | Malta | $82,000 | 0% |
| 82. | Fiji | $82,000 | -40.1% |
| 83. | Brunei Darussalam | $62,000 | +416.7% |
| 84. | Zambia | $56,000 | +143.5% |
| 85. | South Korea | $48,000 | -90.4% |
| 86. | Ecuador | $46,000 | 0% |
| 87. | Angola | $44,000 | -12% |
| 88. | North Macedonia | $44,000 | +25.7% |
| 89. | Jordan | $40,000 | -88.3% |
| 90. | Namibia | $30,000 | -63% |
| 91. | Zimbabwe | $29,000 | +625% |
| 92. | Trinidad/Tobago | $27,000 | -32.5% |
| 93. | Taiwan | $27,000 | +125% |
| 94. | Nepal | $19,000 | -82.7% |
| 95. | Vietnam | $19,000 | -67.2% |
| 96. | Senegal | $18,000 | -72.3% |
| 97. | Ethiopia | $16,000 | -44.8% |
| 98. | Benin | $13,000 | +85.7% |
| 99. | Curaçao | $12,000 | 0% |
| 100. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $10,000 | +233.3% |
Expanding the scope to encompass all butter exporters, the fastest growers from 2020 to 2021 are Iran (up 7,081%), Tunisia (up 3,933%), Morocco (up 728.6%), Zimbabwe (up 625%), Uganda (up 468.2%), and Kenya (up 446.5%).
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 2020 data is unavailable.
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 9, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 9, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 9, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 9, 2022
Wikipedia, Category:Multinational dairy companies . Accessed on September 9, 2022
