Overall, the value of lemons and limes exports rose by an average 10.9% for all exporting countries since 2016 when shipments were valued at $3.4 billion.
From 2019 to 2020, the value for these specific exported fruits appreciated by 12.2%.
The 5 biggest exporters of lemons and limes are Spain, Mexico, South Africa, Netherlands and Turkey. Collectively, that cohort of fruits shippers generate two-thirds (66.9%) of globally exported lemons and limes. That percentage represents a relatively concentrated group of exporting countries.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported lemons and limes during 2020 with shipments valued at $1.7 billion or 43.7% of the global total. In second place were North American exporters at 18.7% while 13.9% of worldwide lemons and limes shipments originated from Asia.
Those percentages compare to 11.9% for Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and 11.5% for suppliers in Africa.
Just 0.3% comes from distant Australia and New Zealand in Oceania.
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
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of lemons and limes during 2020.
- Spain: US$1 billion (27.2% of exported lemons/limes)
- Mexico: $530.2 million (14%)
- South Africa: $375.8 million (9.9%)
- Netherlands: $329.4 million (8.7%)
- Turkey: $271.9 million (7.2%)
- Argentina: $184.9 million (4.9%)
- United States: $180.3 million (4.8%)
- China: $168.7 million (4.4%)
- Brazil: $102.2 million (2.7%)
- Italy: $95.4 million (2.5%)
- Chile: $93 million (2.5%)
- Egypt: $43.3 million (1.1%)
- Germany: $37.1 million (1%)
- Vietnam: $36.7 million (1%)
- Colombia: $32.1 million (0.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 92.6% of global lemons/limes exported in 2020.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of lemons/limes since 2019 were: Germany (up 35.3%), South Africa (up 33.2%), Egypt (up 29.9%) and Italy (up 27.6%).
A trio of top countries posted declines in their exported lemons and limes sales, namely: United States (down -7.6%), Mexico (down -5.3%) and Chile (down -1.4%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for lemons and limes 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 lemons and limes versus its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Spain: US$968.8 million (net export surplus up 29.8% since 2019)
- Mexico: $528.9 million (down -5.5%)
- South Africa: $375.1 million (up 33.3%)
- Turkey: $270.1 million (up 11.5%)
- Argentina: $181.8 million (down -0.9%)
- China: $153 million (up 11.7%)
- Brazil: $99.9 million (up 11.4%)
- Chile: $83.9 million (up 6.5%)
- Netherlands: $53.3 million (up 52.5%)
- Egypt: $43.2 million (up 29.7%)
- Vietnam: $36.6 million (up 15.6%)
- Colombia: $31.9 million (up 21%)
- Peru: $14.9 million (up 14.5%)
- Uruguay: $11 million (down -6.3%)
- Morocco: $10.5 million (up 23.8%)
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.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for lemons and limes 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 import purchases of lemons and limes versus its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$478.8 million (net export deficit down -3.6% since 2019)
- Germany: -$416.7 million (up 40.4%)
- France: -$245.3 million (up 24%)
- Russia: -$225.9 million (up 12.6%)
- United Kingdom: -$185.9 million (up 10.4%)
- Poland: -$177 million (up 30.4%)
- Canada: -$127.4 million (down -0.8%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$108.1 million (up 29.2%)
- Japan: -$90.4 million (down -20.4%)
- Iraq: -$87.5 million (up 38.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$85.4 million (up 444.9%)
- Romania: -$70 million (up 13.6%)
- Austria: -$66.1 million (up 31.6%)
- Switzerland: -$62.1 million (up 32.2%)
- Ukraine: -$57.2 million (up 33.9%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of lemons and limes. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for suppliers of lemons and limes that help satisfy the powerful American consumer demand for these citrus fruits.
Companies
Lemons/Limes Export Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers sell lemons and limes internationally. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- Alfafood GmbH (Germany)
- Italian Food Traders (Italy)
- Jining Eagle International Trade Co, Ltd (China)
- Mexican Star Co (Mexico)
- Molobela ML Trading (South Africa)
- Novagen Genetica LtdA-EPP (Brazil)
- Salix Fruits LLC (United States)
- Serinmose SL (Spain)
- Turkish Citron Lemon Interdonato Lamas (Turkey)
- Valexotique (France)
Searchable List of Countries Exporting Lemons and Limes in 2020
The 100 key exporters showcased in the automated database below collected 99.997% of the overall revenues from globally exported lemons and limes during 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Lemons/Limes Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Spain | $1,030,466,000 | +26.5% |
| 2. | Mexico | $530,164,000 | -5.3% |
| 3. | South Africa | $375,755,000 | +33.2% |
| 4. | Netherlands | $329,406,000 | +21.2% |
| 5. | Turkey | $271,850,000 | +11.5% |
| 6. | Argentina | $184,858,000 | +0.6% |
| 7. | United States | $180,349,000 | -7.6% |
| 8. | China | $168,745,000 | +10.2% |
| 9. | Brazil | $102,195,000 | +9.1% |
| 10. | Italy | $95,390,000 | +27.6% |
| 11. | Chile | $93,002,000 | -1.4% |
| 12. | Egypt | $43,303,000 | +29.9% |
| 13. | Germany | $37,109,000 | +35.3% |
| 14. | Vietnam | $36,741,000 | +15.8% |
| 15. | Colombia | $32,080,000 | +20% |
| 16. | Portugal | $31,645,000 | +38.5% |
| 17. | France | $31,465,000 | +27.2% |
| 18. | Greece | $17,149,000 | +86.1% |
| 19. | Peru | $14,881,000 | +14.5% |
| 20. | Uruguay | $11,915,000 | -5.9% |
| 21. | Austria | $10,891,000 | +10.4% |
| 22. | Bulgaria | $10,760,000 | +0.1% |
| 23. | Morocco | $10,589,000 | +21.2% |
| 24. | India | $9,741,000 | +52% |
| 25. | United Kingdom | $9,572,000 | +42.1% |
| 26. | Hong Kong | $8,648,000 | +1.3% |
| 27. | Uzbekistan | $8,623,000 | -32.9% |
| 28. | Czech Republic | $8,143,000 | +65.4% |
| 29. | Australia | $6,813,000 | +42.7% |
| 30. | Thailand | $6,734,000 | +1033.7% |
| 31. | Belgium | $6,061,000 | +15.8% |
| 32. | Denmark | $5,982,000 | +27.8% |
| 33. | Lithuania | $5,623,000 | +75.1% |
| 34. | Slovenia | $4,943,000 | +18.5% |
| 35. | Poland | $4,841,000 | +62.3% |
| 36. | New Zealand | $4,551,000 | -27.8% |
| 37. | Somalia | $3,979,000 | -58.4% |
| 38. | Guatemala | $3,671,000 | -19.3% |
| 39. | Hungary | $3,410,000 | +49.7% |
| 40. | Honduras | $3,123,000 | +338% |
| 41. | Slovakia | $2,997,000 | -12.8% |
| 42. | Latvia | $2,968,000 | +42.6% |
| 43. | Russia | $2,696,000 | +21.2% |
| 44. | Croatia | $2,133,000 | +417.7% |
| 45. | Bolivia | $1,835,000 | +302.4% |
| 46. | Ireland | $1,802,000 | +76.7% |
| 47. | Singapore | $1,784,000 | -2.8% |
| 48. | Taiwan | $1,665,000 | -34.2% |
| 49. | Lebanon | $1,556,000 | +54.5% |
| 50. | Malaysia | $1,326,000 | -11.1% |
| 51. | Jordan | $1,312,000 | +270.6% |
| 52. | Romania | $1,116,000 | +65.1% |
| 53. | Dominican Republic | $1,043,000 | -68.1% |
| 54. | Indonesia | $1,028,000 | +21.2% |
| 55. | Pakistan | $974,000 | +399.5% |
| 56. | Israel | $965,000 | +148.7% |
| 57. | El Salvador | $828,000 | -16.2% |
| 58. | Syrian Arab Republic | $825,000 | -27.2% |
| 59. | Sweden | $694,000 | -9.8% |
| 60. | Ukraine | $637,000 | +2448% |
| 61. | Yemen | $547,000 | +35.4% |
| 62. | Bangladesh | $534,000 | -2.6% |
| 63. | Luxembourg | $479,000 | -1.6% |
| 64. | Sri Lanka | $446,000 | +146.4% |
| 65. | Cyprus | $443,000 | -24.9% |
| 66. | Iran | $437,000 | -66.7% |
| 67. | Sudan | $436,000 | +119.1% |
| 68. | Georgia | $404,000 | +10000% |
| 69. | Palestine | $351,000 | -53.6% |
| 70. | Saudi Arabia | $300,000 | -18.3% |
| 71. | Kenya | $287,000 | -45.6% |
| 72. | United Arab Emirates | $254,000 | -99.6% |
| 73. | Armenia | $217,000 | 0% |
| 74. | Ecuador | $214,000 | -58.8% |
| 75. | Serbia | $211,000 | +50.7% |
| 76. | New Caledonia | $180,000 | -49.7% |
| 77. | Sierra Leone | $178,000 | 0% |
| 78. | Kyrgyzstan | $161,000 | +203.8% |
| 79. | Ethiopia | $161,000 | -13% |
| 80. | Azerbaijan | $156,000 | +7700% |
| 81. | Myanmar | $156,000 | +300% |
| 82. | Antigua/Barbuda | $136,000 | 0% |
| 83. | Kazakhstan | $113,000 | -34.3% |
| 84. | Belarus | $112,000 | +25.8% |
| 85. | Finland | $111,000 | +236.4% |
| 86. | Tunisia | $102,000 | -57.1% |
| 87. | Tajikistan | $94,000 | +176.5% |
| 88. | Zimbabwe | $94,000 | +56.7% |
| 89. | North Macedonia | $91,000 | +550% |
| 90. | Switzerland | $75,000 | -40.5% |
| 91. | Algeria | $56,000 | +12% |
| 92. | French Polynesia | $52,000 | -10.3% |
| 93. | South Korea | $48,000 | +269.2% |
| 94. | Venezuela | $37,000 | -61.1% |
| 95. | Afghanistan | $34,000 | 0% |
| 96. | Estonia | $32,000 | -30.4% |
| 97. | Panama | $31,000 | 0% |
| 98. | Ivory Coast | $19,000 | -20.8% |
| 99. | Timor-Leste | $18,000 | -58.1% |
| 100. | Burkina Faso | $16,000 | -38.5% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2019 data was unavailable.
See also Apples Exports by Country, Oranges Exports by Country and Kiwifruits Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for lemons. Accessed on August 8, 2021
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 8, 2021
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 8, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 8, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 8, 2021
Wikipedia, Citrus production. Accessed on August 8, 2021
