That dollar amount is comprised of $3.1 billion (89.1% of the total) for unsweetened cocoa powder exports plus another $376.8 million for sweetened cocoa powder exports (10.9%).
Overall, the value of exported hot chocolate in 2022 increased by 28.2% compared to $2.7 billion for 2018.
Year over year, hot chocolate exports slowed to a 3% upturn from $3.4 billion during 2021.
From a continental perspective, 51.6% of total hot chocolate exports originated from suppliers in Europe while another 30.7% were shipped from Asia.
Smaller percentages came from sellers in Africa (6.9%), North America (6.2%), Latin America (4.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code prefix for unsweetened cocoa powder is 1805. The HTS 6-digit prefix for sweetened cocoa powder is 180610.
Hot Chocolate Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of overall hot chocolate shipped during 2022.
- Netherlands: US$812.7 million (23.5% of hot chocolate exports)
- Malaysia: $422.3 million (12.2%)
- Germany: $363.8 million (10.5%)
- Indonesia: $304.4 million (8.8%)
- Spain: $208 million (6%)
- France: $167 million (4.8%)
- Singapore: $159.5 million (4.6%)
- United States: $148.3 million (4.3%)
- Ghana: $142.5 million (4.1%)
- Brazil: $74.1 million (2.1%)
- Ivory Coast: $69.2 million (2%)
- Türkiye: $65.6 million (1.9%)
- Italy: $49.4 million (1.4%)
- Mexico: $43.5 million (1.3%)
- Belgium: $38.6 million (1.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 88.8% of globally exported hot chocolate in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of hot chocolate since 2018 were: Indonesia (up 107.4%), Malaysia (up 65.2%), Ghana (up 56.1%) and Türkiye (up 53.5%).
Italy was the lone major supplier to post a decline in its export sales of hot chocolate, down by -11.8% from 2021.
Unsweetened Hot Chocolate Exports
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of unsweetened cocoa powder shipped during 2022.
- Netherlands: US$805.7 million (26.2% of unsweetened cocoa powder exports)
- Malaysia: $394.5 million (12.8%)
- Germany: $327 million (10.6%)
- Indonesia: $301.3 million (9.8%)
- Spain: $201 million (6.5%)
- France: $161.6 million (5.2%)
- Singapore: $145.4 million (4.7%)
- Ghana: $121.2 million (3.9%)
- United States: $113.5 million (3.7%)
- Brazil: $73.8 million (2.4%)
- Ivory Coast: $69.2 million (2.2%)
- Türkiye: $64.4 million (2.1%)
- Italy: $33 million (1.1%)
- Peru: $30.7 million (1%)
- Belgium: $29.6 million (1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93.3% of globally exports for unsweetened cocoa powder in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of unsweetened cocoa powder since 2018 were: Peru (up 144%), Indonesia (up 106.2%), Malaysia (up 74.6%) and Ghana (up 52.8%).
Italy was the only major supplier to post a decline in its sales of exported unsweetened cocoa powder, dragged down by a -11.5% retreat.
Sweetened Hot Chocolate Exports
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of sweetened cocoa powder shipped during 2022.
- Mexico: US$38.5 million (10.2% of sweetened cocoa powder exports)
- South Korea: $37.8 million (10%)
- Germany: $36.8 million (9.8%)
- United States: $34.8 million (9.2%)
- Malaysia: $27.8 million (7.4%)
- Ghana: $21.3 million (5.7%)
- Thailand: $20.1 million (5.3%)
- Italy: $16.4 million (4.3%)
- Singapore: $14.1 million (3.8%)
- United Kingdom: $10.8 million (2.9%)
- Ireland: $10.5 million (2.8%)
- Belgium: $8.9 million (2.4%)
- Spain: $7 million (1.9%)
- Netherlands: $7 million (1.9%)
- Nigeria: $6 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 79.1% of globally exported sweetened cocoa powder in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing exporters of sweetened cocoa powder since 2018 were: Nigeria (up 1,818%), Ghana (up 77.9%), Spain (up 63.7%) and Singapore (up 31.1%).
Supplier countries that posted double-digit declines in their sales of exported sweetened cocoa powder were: Ireland (down -62.6% from 2018), Germany (down -26.3%), United Kingdom (down -23.2%), Italy (down -12.3%) and Mexico (down -11.5%).
<2>Hot Chocolate Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of hot chocolate-trading exporters that deal in hot chocolate or related products.
- Abundex International (Singapore)
- Food Basics (Netherlands)
- Franzese USA Inc (United States)
- NBC Food Industries (Malaysia)
- Royal Natural Cocoa Powder (Ghana)
- Veneta Granulati (Italy)
- Veruver GmbH (Germany)
- Xporia Najahindo (Indonesia)
The home-country location for each business is shown above within parentheses.
See also Coffee Exports by Country, Tea Exports by Country, Chocolate Exporters by Country and Sugar Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 8, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 8, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 8, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 8, 2023
Wikipedia, Hot chocolate. Accessed on November 8, 2023