Overall, the value of fresh chicken exports by country increased by an average 32% since 2018 when fresh chicken meat shipments were valued at $6.7 billion. In comparison, total frozen chicken meat shipments appreciated by 36.4% from $16.4 billion over the same 5-year period.
By value, the 5 largest exporters of fresh chicken are Poland, Netherlands, United States of America, Belgium and Germany. That leading quintet sold approaching three-quarters (72.1%) of fresh poultry exported worldwide.
Exports of frozen poultry are slightly more concentrated than their fresh meat counterparts. The top 5 shippers (Brazil, United States of America, Netherlands, Thailand and Poland) generated for 72.9% of globally exported frozen chicken meat in 2022.
Six-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code prefixes are 020711 for whole fresh or chilled chicken, 020713 for fresh or chilled chicken cuts and offal, 020712 for whole frozen chicken and 020714 for frozen chicken cuts and offal. The statistics from those four HTS code prefixes were consolidated for the following analysis.
In 2018, the percentage of shipments for frozen chicken was 70.9% compared to 29.1% for fresh poultry meat. Five years later the percentage share for frozen poultry shipments in 2022 rose to 71.5% while exports of fresh chicken fell to 28.5%.
Fresh Chicken Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of fresh or chilled chicken during 2022, encompassing both cut and whole fresh chicken.
- Poland: US$2.3 billion (26.2% of total fresh poultry exports)
- Netherlands: $1.8 billion (20.2%)
- United States: $909.3 million (10.2%)
- Belgium: $851.2 million (9.6%)
- Germany: $527 million (5.9%)
- China: $294.9 million (3.3%)
- France: $245 million (2.8%)
- Austria: $212.6 million (2.4%)
- Italy: $203.7 million (2.3%)
- Hungary: $194.4 million (2.2%)
- Spain: $183.7 million (2.1%)
- Romania: $160.3 million (1.8%)
- Ukraine: $126.2 million (1.4%)
- United Kingdom: $97 million (1.1%)
- Canada: $71.6 million (0.8%)
By value, the above countries produced 92.3% of fresh chicken exported during 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of fresh poultry since 2018 were: Poland (up 79.4%), United States of America (up 67.6%), Hungary (up 48.9%) and Romania (up 46.2%).
There was a pair of decliners in their exported fresh poultry sales, namely Ukraine (down -9.3% from 2018) and the United Kingdom (down -8.5%).
Frozen Chicken Exports by Country
Fresh chicken meat export leaders Netherlands, Poland and the United States also make the list of major frozen chicken exporters. However, they fall far behind Brazil in topping international sales of frozen poultry.
The following list showcases the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of frozen chicken during 2022.
- Brazil: US$8.7 billion (38.9% of total frozen poultry)
- United States of America: $4.1 billion (18.2%)
- Netherlands: $1.3 billion (5.9%)
- Thailand: $1.13 billion (5.1%)
- Poland: $1.11 billion (4.9%)
- Türkiye: $1.06 billion (4.7%)
- Ukraine: $715.4 million (3.2%)
- Russian Federation: $518.3 million (2.3%)
- China: $303.6 million (1.4%)
- Germany: $292.0 million (1.3%)
- France: $279.1 million (1.2%)
- Argentina: $279.0 million (1.2%)
- Belarus: $237.7 million (1.1%)
- Belgium: $181.8 million (0.8%)
- Spain: $171.3 million (0.8%)
- Denmark: $97.3 million (0.4%)
By value, the 15 countries listed above shipped 91.4% of all exported frozen chicken meat for 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing frozen poultry exporters since 2018 were: Belarus (up 234%), Russia (up 233.6%), Ukraine (up 96.1%) and Türkiye (up 93.5%).
A trio of major suppliers that posted declines in their exported frozen poultry sales were comprised of Denmark (down -16.1% from 2018), Belgium (down -12.3%) and France (down -6.3%).
See also Top Fresh or Frozen Chicken Imports by Country, Big Export Sales for Frozen Shrimps, Top Beef Exporting Countries, Pork Exports by Country and Top Red Meat Exporters Ranked by Dollar Value
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on June 30, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 30, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 30, 2023
