International sales for exported trucks increased by 9% from $130.9 billion during 2017.
Year over year, the overall value of trucks exported in 2021 reflects a 26.9% acceleration from $111.8 billion for 2020.
Trucks represent an essential means of transportation for people. As an economic entity, trucks also serve a critical role in the flow of international trade of goods around the globe.
The 5 leading exporters of trucks are Mexico, United States of America, Germany, Japan and France. Collectively, that cohort of major competitors generated over half (53.6%) of the worldwide value of exported trucks during 2021.
From a continental perspective, the value of trucks exported from Europe totaled $42 billion in 2021 or 38.3% of the world’s total. North America accounted for 36.4% of globally exported trucks while another 19.1% came from Asia.
Smaller percentages originated from Latin America (3.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (2.6%) and Oceania (0.1%) mostly Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 8704 for trucks. Technically, that code prefix encompasses transportation vehicles including chassis with engine and cab.
Trucks Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of trucks during 2021.
- Mexico: US$30.7 billion (21.6% of exported trucks)
- United States: $16.5 billion (11.6%)
- Germany: $10.3 billion (7.3%)
- Japan: $10 billion (7.1%)
- France: $8.5 billion (6%)
- Thailand: $8.1 billion (5.7%)
- China: $6.6 billion (4.6%)
- Spain: $5.7 billion (4%)
- Turkey: $5.4 billion (3.8%)
- Italy: $5 billion (3.5%)
- South Africa: $4 billion (2.8%)
- Poland: $3.8 billion (2.7%)
- Belgium: $3.4 billion (2.4%)
- Argentina: $3.3 billion (2.3%)
- Netherlands: $3.2 billion (2.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 87.8% of trucks exported in 2020.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing trucks exporters since 2020 were: mainland China (up 116.9%), Thailand (up 63.7%), Argentina (up 63.5%) and Japan (up 52.5%).
Germany posted the most modest upturn in exported trucks sales, up by 6.8% year over year.
Countries Generating Best Trade Surpluses from Trucks
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for truck 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 truck and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Mexico: US$29.4 billion (net export surplus up 26.2% since 2020)
- Japan: $9.4 billion (up 54.3%)
- Thailand: $8 billion (up 67.4%)
- China: $6.1 billion (up 235.9%)
- Turkey: $4.3 billion (up 29.1%)
- Spain: $3.7 billion (up 38.9%)
- South Africa: $3.3 billion (up 47.5%)
- Germany: $3 billion (up 2.6%)
- Argentina: $2.7 billion (up 82.5%)
- Italy: $2.3 billion (up 42.2%)
- Poland: $1.4 billion (down -26%)
- India: $1.2 billion (up 143.5%)
- France: $1.2 billion (up 57.5%)
- South Korea: $894.2 million (up 23.9%)
- Portugal: $518.2 million (up 21.9%)
Continuing a historical trend, Mexico generated the highest surplus in the international trade of trucks. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Mexican competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Trade Deficits from Trucks
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for truck 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 truck purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$14.6 billion (net export deficit up 21.4% since 2020)
- Canada: -$13.4 billion (up 32.3%)
- Australia: -$8.7 billion (up 50.8%)
- United Kingdom: -$7 billion (up 60.5%)
- Chile: -$3.2 billion (up 111.2%)
- Russia: -$1.9 billion (up 114.7%)
- Philippines: -$1.8 billion (up 55.2%)
- New Zealand: -$1.5 billion (up 81.3%)
- Peru: -$1.4 billion (up 78.2%)
- Vietnam: -$1.36 billion (up 150.2%)
- Brazil: -$1.3 billion (up 63.6%)
- Switzerland: -$1.16 billion (up 9.9%)
- Norway: -$1.16 billion (up 10.8%)
- Israel: -$1.11 billion (up 60.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$987.1 million (up 20.1%)
The United States of America in incurring the highest deficit in the international trade of trucks in 2021. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantage producing this specific product category but also signals opportunities for competitive truck-supplying countries that can alternatively capture the powerful demand.
Searchable List of Truck Exporting Countries
The 100 key exporters highlighted in the automated database below represent 99.99% of the overall value for globally exported trucks in 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Truck Exports | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mexico | $30,686,694,000 | +24.3% |
| 2. | United States | $16,499,944,000 | +18% |
| 3. | Germany | $10,291,296,000 | +6.8% |
| 4. | Japan | $10,025,629,000 | +52.5% |
| 5. | France | $8,458,026,000 | +22.8% |
| 6. | Thailand | $8,072,496,000 | +63.7% |
| 7. | China | $6,565,942,000 | +116.9% |
| 8. | Spain | $5,735,650,000 | +27.8% |
| 9. | Turkey | $5,354,546,000 | +27.6% |
| 10. | Italy | $5,020,666,000 | +37.5% |
| 11. | South Africa | $4,016,294,000 | +45.2% |
| 12. | Poland | $3,809,714,000 | +7.8% |
| 13. | Belgium | $3,406,348,000 | +16% |
| 14. | Argentina | $3,315,107,000 | +63.5% |
| 15. | Netherlands | $3,240,220,000 | +22.4% |
| 16. | United Kingdom | $1,982,513,000 | +30.1% |
| 17. | Sweden | $1,768,155,000 | +16.5% |
| 18. | Austria | $1,757,072,000 | -2.1% |
| 19. | Brazil | $1,623,582,000 | +44.5% |
| 20. | South Korea | $1,497,488,000 | +26.1% |
| 21. | Canada | $1,341,242,000 | -16.8% |
| 22. | India | $1,315,648,000 | +114.6% |
| 23. | Portugal | $1,115,186,000 | +15.2% |
| 24. | Finland | $803,935,000 | +15.3% |
| 25. | Slovakia | $589,572,000 | +143.1% |
| 26. | Russia | $356,186,000 | +17.5% |
| 27. | Hungary | $331,725,000 | +3.9% |
| 28. | Czech Republic | $297,587,000 | +48.5% |
| 29. | Norway | $289,485,000 | +29.3% |
| 30. | Indonesia | $217,795,000 | +29.4% |
| 31. | Denmark | $216,847,000 | +20.9% |
| 32. | Switzerland | $168,811,000 | +7.5% |
| 33. | Uruguay | $148,990,000 | +101.1% |
| 34. | Slovenia | $136,075,000 | +27.1% |
| 35. | Australia | $134,584,000 | +12.5% |
| 36. | United Arab Emirates | $131,994,000 | -83.1% |
| 37. | Estonia | $120,924,000 | +21.4% |
| 38. | Lithuania | $99,634,000 | +51.3% |
| 39. | Colombia | $96,638,000 | +53.2% |
| 40. | Latvia | $71,369,000 | +128.9% |
| 41. | Luxembourg | $53,576,000 | -8.2% |
| 42. | Serbia | $44,076,000 | +13.2% |
| 43. | Bulgaria | $41,957,000 | +68.5% |
| 44. | Singapore | $41,260,000 | +39.6% |
| 45. | Lebanon | $40,309,000 | +451.3% |
| 46. | Chile | $38,579,000 | +39.5% |
| 47. | Romania | $37,438,000 | +86% |
| 48. | Croatia | $36,482,000 | -5.4% |
| 49. | Ireland | $36,027,000 | -47.4% |
| 50. | Kazakhstan | $27,839,000 | -5.9% |
| 51. | Burkina Faso | $22,514,000 | +395.1% |
| 52. | Guatemala | $18,293,000 | +18.2% |
| 53. | Armenia | $17,251,000 | +2691% |
| 54. | Zambia | $16,362,000 | -29.9% |
| 55. | Tanzania | $16,079,000 | +59.9% |
| 56. | Kenya | $15,882,000 | +30.2% |
| 57. | Israel | $15,679,000 | -10.1% |
| 58. | Taiwan | $14,683,000 | -28.4% |
| 59. | Senegal | $14,413,000 | +15.7% |
| 60. | Malaysia | $11,535,000 | -30.8% |
| 61. | Sri Lanka | $10,627,000 | -5.2% |
| 62. | Hong Kong | $10,282,000 | -13.6% |
| 63. | Botswana | $9,254,000 | +8.1% |
| 64. | Uzbekistan | $8,678,000 | -19.8% |
| 65. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $7,588,000 | +38.9% |
| 66. | Greece | $7,113,000 | +64.2% |
| 67. | Tunisia | $5,573,000 | -60.3% |
| 68. | Mozambique | $5,493,000 | +412.4% |
| 69. | Ecuador | $5,095,000 | -81.3% |
| 70. | Morocco | $4,910,000 | -16.8% |
| 71. | Togo | $3,397,000 | -0.7% |
| 72. | Congo | $3,200,000 | +155.6% |
| 73. | Ukraine | $3,188,000 | +154.4% |
| 74. | Nauru | $2,901,000 | +2537% |
| 75. | Benin | $2,654,000 | +3638% |
| 76. | Oman | $2,641,000 | +801.4% |
| 77. | Ivory Coast | $2,613,000 | -64.5% |
| 78. | Ethiopia | $2,447,000 | -36.2% |
| 79. | Vietnam | $2,142,000 | +65.2% |
| 80. | Jamaica | $1,990,000 | +24775% |
| 81. | Bhutan | $1,879,000 | 0% |
| 82. | Montenegro | $1,829,000 | +21.9% |
| 83. | Albania | $1,804,000 | -53.2% |
| 84. | Niger | $1,718,000 | -46.2% |
| 85. | Namibia | $1,716,000 | -92.9% |
| 86. | Fiji | $1,562,000 | -52.1% |
| 87. | North Korea | $1,545,000 | -49.1% |
| 88. | Saudi Arabia | $1,515,000 | +17% |
| 89. | Zimbabwe | $1,485,000 | +5.7% |
| 90. | Panama | $1,457,000 | -35.1% |
| 91. | Jordan | $1,444,000 | -80.1% |
| 92. | Guyana | $1,443,000 | -72.4% |
| 93. | Azerbaijan | $1,298,000 | +1586% |
| 94. | Cyprus | $1,294,000 | -19% |
| 95. | Qatar | $1,237,000 | -95.8% |
| 96. | Honduras | $1,234,000 | -21.2% |
| 97. | Eswatini | $1,180,000 | -56.5% |
| 98. | Costa Rica | $1,123,000 | +104.2% |
| 99. | Cameroon | $1,087,000 | -25.1% |
| 100. | Dominican Republic | $1,046,000 | +108.4% |
Focusing on the 100 leading truck exporters, the fastest growers from 2020 to 2021 are Cabo Verde (up 1,107%), Indonesia (up 600.5%), Qatar (up 184.2%), Iran (up 169.4%) and Vietnam (up 150.2%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the above table’s right-most column means that 2020 data was unavailable.
Truck Exporting Companies
According to Forbes Global 2000 rankings, the following car and truck producing companies are among the top 100 largest companies in the world.
- Toyota Motor (Japan)
- Volkswagen Group (Germany)
- Daimler (Germany)
- Ford Motor (United States)
- BMW Group (Germany)
- General Motors (United States)
- Honda Motor (Japan)
- Hyundai Motor (South Korea)
- Nissan Motor (Japan)
- SAIC Motor (China)
See also Car Exports by Country, Automotive Parts Exports by Country, Electric Cars Imports by Country, Cars Imports by Country and Best Global Consumer Markets for Selling Imported Cars
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 2, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 2, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 2, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 2, 2022
