Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of water and ice during 2020.

1. China: US$608.2 million (49.4% of total water/ice exports)
2. United States: $120.4 million (9.8%)
3. Fiji: $120.1 million (9.7%)
4. France: $82.8 million (6.7%)
5. Turkey: $38.5 million (3.1%)
6. Norway: $35.1 million (2.8%)
7. Germany: $26.4 million (2.1%)
8. Iceland: $20.4 million (1.7%)
9. Thailand: $18.6 million (1.5%)
10. Netherlands: $18.5 million (1.5%)
11. Malaysia: $15.8 million (1.3%)
12. Belgium: $14.2 million (1.2%)
13. Russia: $11.4 million (0.9%)
14. United Kingdom: $10.9 million (0.9%)
15. New Zealand: $10.3 million (0.8%)

By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 93.5% of globally exported water and ice in 2020.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of water and ice since 2019 were: Fiji (up 83,294%), Netherlands (up 123%), Thailand (up 64.1%) and Norway (up 21.3%).

Those countries that posted declines in their international sales of water and ice were led by New Zealand (down -19.9%), Turkey (down -18.2%), Belgium (down -12.9%), United Kingdom (down -12.4%) and China (down -8.6%).

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for water and ice during 2020. 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 water and ice and its import purchases for that same commodity.

1. China: US$592.3 million (net export surplus down -8.3% since 2019)
2. Fiji: $120.1 million (up 266,744%)
3. France: $70.3 million (up 7.8%)
4. Turkey: $38.2 million (down -18.3%)
5. Norway: $34 million (up 22.1%)
6. Iceland: $20.3 million (up 3.9%)
7. Thailand: $18.2 million (up 69.2%)
8. Germany: $13.9 million (up 7%)
9. Malaysia: $13.6 million (up 24%)
10. New Zealand: $9.8 million (down -19.9%)
11. Russia: $6.1 million (up 27.6%)
12. Czech Republic: $5.1 million (up 34.1%)
13. Lithuania: $3.2 million (up 19.6%)
14. Greece: $2.8 million (down -34.4%)
15. Indonesia: $2.6 million (up 24%)

Mainland China generated the highest surplus in the international trade of water and ice. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms China’s competitive advantage for this specific product category.

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for water and ice during 2020. 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 water and ice purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

1. Hong Kong: -US$565.1 million (net export deficit down -7.9% since 2019)
2. Netherlands: -$43.8 million (down -7.4%)
3. United States: -$40.1 million (down -67.4%)
4. Macao: -$34.8 million (down -6.5%)
5. Belgium: -$26 million (down -5.5%)
6. Singapore: -$21.3 million (down -23.1%)
7. Ireland: -$17.2 million (up 26%)
8. Canada: -$11.7 million (up 290.8%)
9. Mexico: -$11.4 million (down -30.2%)
10. Japan: -$10.9 million (up 22.8%)
11. United Arab Emirates: -$8.1 million (down -10.7%)
12. Panama: -$7.2 million (up 53.9%)
13. United Kingdom: -$6 million (down -24.3%)
14. Belarus: -$5.9 million (up 44.1%)
15. Taiwan: -$4.4 million (down -10%)

Hong Kong incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of water and ice. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Hong Kong’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for water and ice-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.

Ice Maker Machinery Exporters

According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following companies manufacture ice-making machinery available for international sales. The home-country country for each business is shown within parentheses.

• Dongguan Hengxing Kitchen Equipment Co, Ltd (China)
• Hangzhou Icedeer Refrigeration Equipment Co, Ltd (China)
• IKLIM Hardward & Machinery SDN BHD (Malaysia)
• Rosen Ice Machines & Refrigeration Systems (Turkey)
• Shenzhen Sindeice Systems Co, Ltd (China)
• Soluzioni e Referenze Srls (Italy)
• US Ice Machine Manufacturing Co (United States)