Overall, the value of lemons and limes exports increased by an average 12% for all exporting countries since 2017 when shipments were valued at $3.4 billion.
Year over year, the value for these specific exported citrus fruits flatlined via a -1.5% decline from $3.86 billion during 2020.
The 5 biggest exporters of lemons and limes are Spain, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa and Turkey. Collectively, that cohort of major fruits shippers generated more than two-thirds (69.4%) of globally exported lemons and limes. That percentage belies a relatively concentrated group of exporting countries providing lemons and limes on international markets.
Switching to a continental view, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported lemons and limes during 2021 with shipments valued at $1.6 billion or 41.5% of the global total. In second place were North American exporters at 23%. Another 12.9% of worldwide lemons and limes shipments originated from Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, compared to 11.6% from provider in Asia and 10.7% for suppliers in Africa.
Just 0.3% comes from distant Oceania led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 080550 for fresh or dried lemons and limes. Specifically excluded are plastic containers of concentrated lemon or lime juice shaped to resemble the citrus fruit.
Lemons and Limes Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of lemons and limes during 2021.
- Spain: US$950.8 million (25% of exported lemons/limes)
- Mexico: $690.3 million (18.2%)
- Netherlands: $356.6 million (9.4%)
- South Africa: $347.8 million (9.2%)
- Turkey: $292.1 million (7.7%)
- United States: $184.2 million (4.8%)
- Argentina: $172.1 million (4.5%)
- Brazil: $125.1 million (3.3%)
- Chile: $92.4 million (2.4%)
- Italy: $78.2 million (2.1%)
- China: $70.2 million (1.8%)
- Colombia: $50.4 million (1.3%)
- Egypt: $45.7 million (1.2%)
- Portugal: $36.6 million (1%)
- Germany: $35.4 million (0.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.9% of globally exported lemons and limes in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of lemons and limes since 2020 were: Colombia (up 57.1%), Mexico (up 36.2%), Brazil (up 22.4%) and Portugal (up 13.1%).
Those top suppliers that posted declines in their export sales of lemons and limes sales led by: mainland China (down -58.4%), Italy (down -19.2%), Spain (down -7.7%), South Africa (down -7.4%) and Germany (down -6.8%).
Countries Earning Largest Trade Surpluses from Lemons and Limes
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for lemons and limes 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 lemons and limes versus its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Spain: US$907.4 million (net export surplus down -6.3% since 2020)
- Mexico: $687.5 million (up 35.7%)
- South Africa: $347.4 million (down -7.4%)
- Turkey: $290.2 million (up 7.4%)
- Argentina: $170.1 million (down -5.8%)
- Brazil: $122.7 million (up 22.9%)
- Chile: $80.4 million (down -4.4%)
- Colombia: $50.1 million (up 56.8%)
- China: $49.9 million (down -67.4%)
- Netherlands: $46.1 million (down -16.5%)
- Egypt: $45.6 million (up 5.6%)
- Vietnam: $33.1 million (down -9.6%)
- Peru: $24.4 million (up 63.7%)
- Uruguay: $14.1 million (up 28%)
- India: $8.7 million (down -9.7%)
World leader Spain generated the highest surplus in the international trade of lemons and limes. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Spain’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Causing Worst Trade Deficits from Lemons and Limes
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for lemons and limes 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 import purchases of lemons and limes versus its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$708.4 million (net export deficit up 48% since 2020)
- Germany: -$352.5 million (down -15.3%)
- France: -$220.5 million (down -10.3%)
- Russia: -$213.1 million (down -5.7%)
- United Kingdom: -$167.7 million (down -11%)
- Poland: -$155.3 million (down -12.3%)
- Canada: -$140.9 million (up 10.6%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$94.5 million (down -12.6%)
- Japan: -$88.1 million (down -2.5%)
- Iraq: -$76.4 million (down -30.1%)
- Romania: -$63.5 million (down -9.2%)
- Italy: -$60.2 million (up 45.7%)
- Switzerland: -$56 million (down -9.9%)
- Austria: -$55.1 million (down -16.5%)
- Belgium: -$55 million (down -3%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of lemons and limes. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for suppliers of lemons and limes that help satisfy the powerful American consumer demand for these citrus fruits.
Lemons/Limes Export Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers sell lemons and limes internationally. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- Alfafood GmbH (Germany)
- Italian Food Traders (Italy)
- Jining Eagle International Trade Co, Ltd (China)
- Mexican Star Co (Mexico)
- Molobela ML Trading (South Africa)
- Novagen Genetica LtdA-EPP (Brazil)
- Salix Fruits LLC (United States)
- Serinmose SL (Spain)
- Turkish Citron Lemon Interdonato Lamas (Turkey)
- Valexotique (France)
Searchable List of Countries Exporting Lemons and Limes in 2021
The 100 key exporters showcased in the automated database below collected 99.997% of the overall revenues from globally exported lemons and limes during 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Lemons/Limes Exports | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Spain | $950,802,000 | -7.7% |
| 2. | Mexico | $690,298,000 | +36.2% |
| 3. | Netherlands | $356,606,000 | +9.2% |
| 4. | South Africa | $347,833,000 | -7.4% |
| 5. | Turkey | $292,137,000 | +7.5% |
| 6. | United States | $184,216,000 | +2% |
| 7. | Argentina | $172,142,000 | -6.3% |
| 8. | Brazil | $125,131,000 | +22.4% |
| 9. | Chile | $92,354,000 | -0.9% |
| 10. | Italy | $78,201,000 | -19.2% |
| 11. | China | $70,237,000 | -58.4% |
| 12. | Colombia | $50,394,000 | +57.1% |
| 13. | Egypt | $45,661,000 | +5.4% |
| 14. | Portugal | $36,608,000 | +13.1% |
| 15. | Germany | $35,425,000 | -6.8% |
| 16. | Vietnam | $33,275,000 | -9.4% |
| 17. | France | $31,833,000 | +1.2% |
| 18. | Peru | $24,355,000 | +63.7% |
| 19. | Bulgaria | $14,767,000 | +37.2% |
| 20. | Uruguay | $14,714,000 | +23.5% |
| 21. | Belgium | $13,340,000 | +59.1% |
| 22. | Greece | $13,256,000 | -22.7% |
| 23. | Hong Kong | $11,138,000 | +28.8% |
| 24. | India | $8,769,000 | -10% |
| 25. | Austria | $8,681,000 | -20.3% |
| 26. | Australia | $6,876,000 | +0.9% |
| 27. | Czech Republic | $6,797,000 | -16.3% |
| 28. | Morocco | $6,297,000 | -40.5% |
| 29. | Denmark | $5,599,000 | -6.6% |
| 30. | New Zealand | $5,544,000 | +21.8% |
| 31. | Uzbekistan | $4,974,000 | -42.3% |
| 32. | Iran | $4,751,000 | -54% |
| 33. | Guatemala | $4,147,000 | +15.4% |
| 34. | Slovenia | $3,229,000 | -34.7% |
| 35. | Somalia | $3,176,000 | -69.7% |
| 36. | Lithuania | $3,085,000 | -45.1% |
| 37. | Croatia | $2,930,000 | +37.4% |
| 38. | Poland | $2,751,000 | -43.2% |
| 39. | Latvia | $2,488,000 | -16% |
| 40. | Honduras | $2,140,000 | +112.5% |
| 41. | Thailand | $2,129,000 | -68.4% |
| 42. | Russia | $2,042,000 | -24.3% |
| 43. | Lebanon | $1,767,000 | +13.6% |
| 44. | Syria | $1,704,000 | +36.9% |
| 45. | Dominican Republic | $1,696,000 | +62.6% |
| 46. | Hungary | $1,632,000 | -52.1% |
| 47. | Singapore | $1,548,000 | -13.2% |
| 48. | Taiwan | $1,516,000 | -8.9% |
| 49. | Malaysia | $1,384,000 | +4.4% |
| 50. | Eswatini | $1,332,000 | +58.9% |
| 51. | Yemen | $1,090,000 | +90.2% |
| 52. | Bolivia | $1,056,000 | -42.5% |
| 53. | United Arab Emirates | $1,022,000 | -98.5% |
| 54. | United Kingdom | $1,002,000 | -89.6% |
| 55. | Indonesia | $839,000 | -18.4% |
| 56. | Cyprus | $815,000 | +62% |
| 57. | El Salvador | $680,000 | -17.9% |
| 58. | Pakistan | $669,000 | -31.4% |
| 59. | Romania | $653,000 | -41.5% |
| 60. | Ireland | $648,000 | -64.2% |
| 61. | Ecuador | $624,000 | +191.6% |
| 62. | Sweden | $571,000 | -17.4% |
| 63. | Luxembourg | $529,000 | +10.4% |
| 64. | Zimbabwe | $428,000 | +355.3% |
| 65. | Bangladesh | $392,000 | -43.2% |
| 66. | Slovakia | $365,000 | -87.8% |
| 67. | Serbia | $340,000 | +61.1% |
| 68. | Israel | $316,000 | -67.9% |
| 69. | Kenya | $309,000 | +7.7% |
| 70. | Myanmar | $281,000 | +80.1% |
| 71. | New Caledonia | $268,000 | +48.9% |
| 72. | Georgia | $210,000 | -48% |
| 73. | Tajikistan | $204,000 | +117% |
| 74. | Tanzania | $201,000 | +20000% |
| 75. | Saudi Arabia | $189,000 | -37% |
| 76. | North Macedonia | $185,000 | +103.3% |
| 77. | Ghana | $175,000 | +5733.3% |
| 78. | Ethiopia | $169,000 | +5% |
| 79. | Albania | $119,000 | 0% |
| 80. | Kyrgyzstan | $114,000 | -29.2% |
| 81. | Kazakhstan | $99,000 | -12.4% |
| 82. | Ukraine | $92,000 | -85.6% |
| 83. | Canada | $82,000 | +485.7% |
| 84. | Algeria | $79,000 | +41.1% |
| 85. | Jordan | $79,000 | -94% |
| 86. | Switzerland | $70,000 | -6.7% |
| 87. | Bahrain | $67,000 | -95.4% |
| 88. | South Korea | $56,000 | +16.7% |
| 89. | Finland | $52,000 | -52.7% |
| 90. | Sri Lanka | $50,000 | -88.8% |
| 91. | French Polynesia | $46,000 | 0% |
| 92. | Namibia | $42,000 | +4100% |
| 93. | Estonia | $35,000 | +9.4% |
| 94. | Guam | $33,000 | +175% |
| 95. | Central African Rep | $32,000 | 0% |
| 96. | Tunisia | $27,000 | -95.4% |
| 97. | Afghanistan | $26,000 | -23.5% |
| 98. | Venezuela | $24,000 | -66.2% |
| 99. | Costa Rica | $14,000 | +180% |
| 100. | Azerbaijan | $13,000 | -91.7% |
Focusing on the top 100 exporters of lemons and limes, the fastest growing international suppliers were Tanzania (up 20,000% from 2020), Ghana (up 5,733%), Namibia (up 4,100%), Canada (up 485.7%), Zimbabwe (up 355.3%) and Ecuador (up 191.6%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2020 data was unavailable.
See also Sweet Cherries Exports by Country, Grapes Exports by Country, Apples Exports by Country, Oranges Exports by Country and Kiwifruits Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for lemons. Accessed on July 20, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 20, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 20, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 20, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 20, 2022
Wikipedia, Citrus production. Accessed on July 20, 2022
