Overall, the value of imported milk increased by 19.6% for all importer countries since 2016 when import purchases of milk were valued at $25.1 billion. From 2019 to 2020, international purchases of milk dipped by -1.2% in value.
The world’s 5 biggest markets for imported milk are China, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. Collectively, those 5 countries bought about one third (33%) of milk imported worldwide during 2020.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries imported the highest dollar worth of milk during 2020 with purchases costing $11.2 billion or 45.4% of the global total. In second place were European importers at 33.4% while 11.3% of the world’s imported milk was delivered to Africa.
Smaller percentages arrived in Latin America (5.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (3.4%) and Oceania (1.3%) led by Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
The metrics below combine subtotals for two 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefixes for milk. Specifically, those prefixes are 0401 for unsweetened milk and 0402 for milk concentrated or containing added sugar or other sweetening ingredients.
Separated out, unsweetened milk imports under HTS prefix 0401 amounted to $8.9 billion (29.8% of the global total) while sweetened milk items under code 0402 cost $21.1 billion (70.2%).
Milk Imports by Country
Top 15
Milk: Top 15 Importer Countries
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of milk during 2020, including both sweetened and unsweetened varieties.
- China: US$4.6 billion (15.5% of total milk imports)
- Germany: $1.8 billion (6.2%)
- Netherlands: $1.3 billion (4.2%)
- Belgium: $1.11 billion (3.7%)
- Italy: $1.06 billion (3.5%)
- Hong Kong: $1.04 billion (3.5%)
- Algeria: $1.02 billion (3.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: $895.2 million (3%)
- Mexico: $788 million (2.6%)
- Nigeria: $772.6 million (2.6%)
- Indonesia: $733.2 million (2.4%)
- United Arab Emirates: $665.2 million (2.2%)
- Philippines: $635 million (2.1%)
- Malaysia: $594 million (2%)
- Russia: $526.5 million (1.8%)
Among the above top importers of milk, the fastest-growing markets since 2016 were: China (up 115.4%), Nigeria (up 105.4%), Indonesia (up 56.4%) and Malaysia (up 38%).
Three top countries posted declines in their imported milk purchases namely: Hong Kong (down -35.9%), Russia (down -18.6%) and United Arab Emirates (down -9.2%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 58.6% of all milk imports in 2020.
All Countries
Milk: All Importer Countries in 2020
The 100 key milk importers showcased in the following automated database represent 95.6% of imported milk purchased in 2020.
| Rank | Importer | Imported Milk (US$) | 2016-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $4,640,142,000 | +115.4% |
| 2. | Australia | $246,420,000 | +108.2% |
| 3. | Nigeria | $772,589,000 | +105.4% |
| 4. | Lithuania | $217,687,000 | +86.0% |
| 5. | Denmark | $149,237,000 | +77.1% |
| 6. | United States | $190,392,000 | +68% |
| 7. | Taiwan | $352,617,000 | +64.1% |
| 8. | Thailand | $396,359,000 | +63.2% |
| 9. | Japan | $120,506,000 | +62.2% |
| 10. | South Korea | $168,824,000 | +60.3% |
| 11. | Dominican Republic | $163,362,000 | +57.7% |
| 12. | Indonesia | $733,160,000 | +56.4% |
| 13. | Peru | $153,701,000 | +51.7% |
| 14. | Romania | $157,015,000 | +46.5% |
| 15. | Colombia | $158,246,000 | +45.8% |
| 16. | Vietnam | $463,156,000 | +43.1% |
| 17. | Ireland | $356,490,000 | +40% |
| 18. | Bangladesh | $322,538,000 | +39.8% |
| 19. | Malaysia | $594,011,000 | +38% |
| 20. | Sri Lanka | $316,990,000 | +36.6% |
| 21. | Singapore | $497,188,000 | +34.8% |
| 22. | Germany | $1,845,900,000 | +30.6% |
| 23. | Philippines | $635,010,000 | +29.2% |
| 24. | Algeria | $1,023,296,000 | +27.4% |
| 25. | Yemen | $151,040,000 | +26% |
| 26. | Netherlands | $1,252,080,000 | +25.7% |
| 27. | Kazakhstan | $125,440,000 | +24.2% |
| 28. | Jordan | $125,295,000 | +21.6% |
| 29. | Mexico | $787,996,000 | +19.5% |
| 30. | Spain | $315,206,000 | +17.6% |
| 31. | United Kingdom | $390,171,000 | +11.6% |
| 32. | Saudi Arabia | $895,181,000 | +8.8% |
| 33. | Belgium | $1,109,016,000 | +8.6% |
| 34. | Kuwait | $257,801,000 | +5.9% |
| 35. | Greece | $274,377,000 | +3.4% |
| 36. | Austria | $169,057,000 | +2.4% |
| 37. | Italy | $1,056,897,000 | +1.9% |
| 38. | Poland | $391,700,000 | +1.9% |
| 39. | Egypt | $248,597,000 | -8.2% |
| 40. | United Arab Emirates | $665,171,000 | -9.2% |
| 41. | Oman | $320,546,000 | -12.6% |
| 42. | Russia | $526,513,000 | -18.6% |
| 43. | Brazil | $340,939,000 | -18.6% |
| 44. | Libya | $185,620,000 | -29% |
| 45. | Hong Kong | $1,035,351,000 | -35.9% |
| 46. | France | $313,388,000 | -46.9% |
| 47. | Iraq | $127,508,000 | -67.4% |
| 48. | Qatar | $114,828,000 | 0% |
| 49. | Cuba | $113,212,000 | -22.9% |
| 50. | Croatia | $108,548,000 | +31.3% |
| 51. | Guatemala | $104,595,000 | +25.5% |
| 52. | Slovakia | $103,043,000 | +38.7% |
| 53. | Sweden | $99,114,000 | -19.7% |
| 54. | Portugal | $94,962,000 | -4.3% |
| 55. | Bulgaria | $90,838,000 | +12.1% |
| 56. | Hungary | $84,653,000 | +20.2% |
| 57. | Chile | $81,493,000 | +77.9% |
| 58. | Sudan | $81,005,000 | +0.7% |
| 59. | Kenya | $79,510,000 | +189.2% |
| 60. | Mauritania | $77,574,000 | +23.1% |
| 61. | Latvia | $73,978,000 | 0% |
| 62. | El Salvador | $73,898,000 | +69.1% |
| 63. | Ghana | $73,409,000 | +45.2% |
| 64. | Mauritius | $71,138,000 | +9.1% |
| 65. | Lebanon | $67,756,000 | -35.8% |
| 66. | Bahrain | $65,784,000 | -23.4% |
| 67. | Czech Republic | $64,449,000 | -19.9% |
| 68. | New Zealand | $59,706,000 | +72.5% |
| 69. | South Africa | $59,329,000 | +74.9% |
| 70. | Haiti | $58,221,000 | -20.6% |
| 71. | Pakistan | $54,681,000 | -64.7% |
| 72. | Angola | $52,933,000 | +4.6% |
| 73. | Senegal | $49,573,000 | +8.7% |
| 74. | Canada | $49,032,000 | -5% |
| 75. | Côte d'Ivoire | $48,850,000 | -0.5% |
| 76. | Panama | $45,916,000 | +91.9% |
| 77. | Cameroon | $45,309,000 | +36.4% |
| 78. | Myanmar | $42,569,000 | -53.9% |
| 79. | Slovenia | $40,210,000 | +10.4% |
| 80. | Serbia | $38,649,000 | +129.3% |
| 81. | Somalia | $37,559,000 | -55.2% |
| 82. | Israel | $36,529,000 | +53.1% |
| 83. | Switzerland | $35,250,000 | +16.4% |
| 84. | Luxembourg | $34,237,000 | -23% |
| 85. | Cambodia | $33,834,000 | +95.8% |
| 86. | Trinidad/Tobago | $32,750,000 | +9.5% |
| 87. | Honduras | $31,855,000 | +71.1% |
| 88. | Botswana | $31,392,000 | -0.9% |
| 89. | Georgia | $30,546,000 | +44.2% |
| 90. | Gabon | $29,989,000 | +10.9% |
| 91. | Guyana | $28,492,000 | +48% |
| 92. | Ethiopia | $28,076,000 | +197.1% |
| 93. | Niger | $27,410,000 | 0% |
| 94. | Morocco | $27,138,000 | +125.7% |
| 95. | Syrian Arab Republic | $26,856,000 | -56.6% |
| 96. | Macedonia, North | $26,188,000 | +70.3% |
| 97. | Ukraine | $25,629,000 | +700.9% |
| 98. | Afghanistan | $25,420,000 | -35% |
| 99. | Fiji | $23,416,000 | -20.8% |
| 100. | Mali | $22,491,000 | -27.8% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns above. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2019 data is available.
Among all listed geographies, the fastest-growing markets for milk since 2016 were: Ukraine (up 700.9%), Ethiopia (up 197.1%), Kenya (up 189.2%), Serbia (up 129.3%), Morocco (up 125.7%) and China (up 115.4%).
Over the 5-year period, those countries that posted declines in their imported milk purchases were led by: Iraq (down -67.4%), Pakistan (down -56.6%), Somalia (down -55.2%), Myanmar (down -53.9%) then Afghanistan (down -53.4%).
Companies
Milk Suppliers
Below are global milk-processing companies that represent established players engaged in the international milk trade. Many of these business entities are cooperatives. The home country for each company is shown within parenthesis.
- Almarai (Saudi Arabia)
- Arla Foods (Denmark)
- Borden Milk Products (United States)
- Canberra Milk (Australia)
- First Milk (United Kingdom)
- Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited (New Zealand)
- FrieslandCampina (Netherlands)
- La Serenísima (Argentina)
- Lactalis (France)
- Zott (Germany)
See also Top Milk Exporting Countries, Fresh or Frozen Beef Imports by Country, Natural Honey Imports by Country and Most Valuable Red Meat Import Markets by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on July 19, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 19, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 19, 2021
Wikipedia, Category:Dairy products companies by country. Accessed on July 19, 2021
Wikipedia, Dairy. Accessed on July 19, 2021
