Overall, the value of motorcycles exported by all countries rose by an average 44.2% for all exporting countries since 2016 when motorcycle shipments were valued at $21.1 billion.
From 2019 to 2020, the value of exported motorcycles appreciated 4.3%.
The 5 biggest exporters of motorcycles are China, Germany, Japan, Thailand and India. Collectively, those major motorcycle exporters generated well over half (57.2%) of the total value for international motorcycle sales in 2020.
Among continents, countries in Asia sold the highest dollar worth of exported motorcycles during 2020 with shipments valued at $18.4 billion or 60.4% of the global total. In second place were European exporters at 36.3% while 2.7% of worldwide motorcycle shipments originated from North America.
Tinier percentages came from Latin America (0.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.2%) and Oceania (also 0.1%) mostly Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 8711 for motorcycles including mopeds and cycles fitted with an auxiliary motor. This includes motorcycles with or without side-cars.
Motorcycle Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of motorcycles during 2020.
- China: US$8.6 billion (28.3% of total exported motorcycles)
- Germany: $2.87 billion (9.4%)
- Japan: $2.1 billion (6.9%)
- Thailand: $2 billion (6.5%)
- India: $1.8 billion (6%)
- Netherlands: $1.71 billion (5.6%)
- Austria: $1.65 billion (5.4%)
- Italy: $1.6 billion (5.3%)
- Indonesia: $1.4 billion (4.5%)
- Taiwan: $1.2 billion (4.1%)
- Vietnam: $855.6 million (2.8%)
- United States: $604.2 million (2%)
- France: $525.4 million (1.7%)
- United Kingdom: $396.6 million (1.3%)
- Hungary: $391.6 million (1.3%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 91.2% of global motorcycles exported in 2020 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing motorcycles exporters since 2019 were: Netherlands (up 26.6%), United Kingdom (up 15.4%), China (up 12.4%) and Germany (up 12%).
Four countries endured declines in their exported motorcycles sales namely: United States (down -47.8%), Japan (down -14.2%), India (down -12.3%) and Indonesia (down -8.3%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for motorcycles 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 motorcycles and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- China: US$7.9 billion (net export surplus up 8.3% since 2019)
- India: $1.8 billion (down -11.3%)
- Thailand: $1.7 billion (up 14%)
- Japan: $1.34 billion (down -24.9%)
- Indonesia: $1.3 billion (down -7.4%)
- Taiwan: $1.09 billion (up 8.5%)
- Austria: $1.06 billion (up 0.6%)
- Italy: $532.6 million (up 26.3%)
- Vietnam: $488.3 million (up 45%)
- Germany: $342.4 million (up 35.5%)
- Hungary: $319.8 million (down -2.7%)
- Bulgaria: $293.2 million (up 62%)
- Brazil: $49 million (up 35.2%)
- Czech Republic: $34 million (up 70.3%)
- Romania: $33.5 million (down -28.3%)
Mainland China earned the highest surplus in the international trade of motorcycles. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Chinese competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for motorcycles 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 motorcycle purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$2.16 billion (net export deficit up 63.6% since 2019)
- France: -$1.37 billion (up 2.3%)
- Nigeria: -$1.17 billion (down -15.0%)
- Philippines: -$994.5 million (down -30.5%)
- Spain: -$616.6 million (down -9.6%)
- Switzerland: -$531 million (up 29.6%)
- Togo: -$483.2 million (up 3,071%)
- Australia: -$444 million (down -0.3%)
- South Korea: -$434.6 million (up 28.6%)
- United Kingdom: -$364.5 million (down -18%)
- Myanmar: -$333.3 million (down -10%)
- Canada: -$298.5 million (down -22.8%)
- Belgium: -$277.0 million (up 26.7%)
- Norway: -$225.8 million (up 15.5%)
- Mexico: -$225.8 million (down -4%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of motorcycles during 2020. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for motorcycle-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Companies
Motorcycle Exporting Companies
Below are global motorcycle makers that represent established players engaged in the international motorcycle trade. The home country for each company’s headquarters are shown within parenthesis.
- Bajaj Auto (India)
- Baotian Motorcycle Company (China)
- BMW Motorrad (Germany)
- Ducati (Italy)
- Harley-Davidson (United States)
- Honda (Japan)
- Indian (United States)
- Janus Motorcycles (United States)
- Kawasawki (Japan)
- Suzuki (Japan)
- Yamaha (Japan)
- Zero Electric Motorcycles (United States)
Searchable List of Motorcycle Exporting Countries in 2020
The top 100 countries in the automated database below account for 99.998% of the overall international sales of motorcycles in 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Motorcycle Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $8,600,061,000 | +12.4% |
| 2. | Germany | $2,872,708,000 | +12% |
| 3. | Japan | $2,104,253,000 | -14.2% |
| 4. | Thailand | $1,975,511,000 | +7.8% |
| 5. | India | $1,834,826,000 | -12.3% |
| 6. | Netherlands | $1,713,846,000 | +26.6% |
| 7. | Austria | $1,652,140,000 | +6.6% |
| 8. | Italy | $1,607,053,000 | +3.2% |
| 9. | Indonesia | $1,355,592,000 | -8.3% |
| 10. | Taiwan | $1,233,236,000 | +10.8% |
| 11. | Vietnam | $855,587,000 | +11% |
| 12. | United States | $604,201,000 | -47.8% |
| 13. | France | $525,432,000 | +4.2% |
| 14. | United Kingdom | $396,551,000 | +15.4% |
| 15. | Hungary | $391,595,000 | +0.9% |
| 16. | Spain | $349,986,000 | +42.6% |
| 17. | Bulgaria | $311,772,000 | +59.5% |
| 18. | Belgium | $247,005,000 | +8.4% |
| 19. | Czech Republic | $233,812,000 | +8.6% |
| 20. | Hong Kong | $201,063,000 | -7.8% |
| 21. | Switzerland | $185,403,000 | +38.8% |
| 22. | Canada | $176,770,000 | +27.7% |
| 23. | Portugal | $101,960,000 | +41.9% |
| 24. | Romania | $84,413,000 | -5.5% |
| 25. | Brazil | $78,686,000 | -10.8% |
| 26. | Singapore | $73,300,000 | -31.3% |
| 27. | Denmark | $71,832,000 | +59.3% |
| 28. | Poland | $57,665,000 | +21.1% |
| 29. | Slovakia | $50,979,000 | +72.6% |
| 30. | Turkey | $45,798,000 | +203.8% |
| 31. | Mexico | $43,447,000 | -59.5% |
| 32. | Sweden | $43,381,000 | +67.2% |
| 33. | Lithuania | $42,311,000 | +37.7% |
| 34. | Qatar | $26,968,000 | +70% |
| 35. | Malaysia | $20,975,000 | +9.6% |
| 36. | South Korea | $19,749,000 | +187.8% |
| 37. | Slovenia | $18,988,000 | +26.4% |
| 38. | South Africa | $18,488,000 | +4.2% |
| 39. | Australia | $17,632,000 | -34.6% |
| 40. | Russia | $14,910,000 | +5.7% |
| 41. | Uganda | $14,097,000 | +131.6% |
| 42. | Philippines | $11,566,000 | -0.8% |
| 43. | Croatia | $10,177,000 | +79.7% |
| 44. | Colombia | $10,055,000 | -33.6% |
| 45. | Greece | $9,598,000 | +61.3% |
| 46. | Belarus | $8,216,000 | +0.6% |
| 47. | Estonia | $7,861,000 | -6.8% |
| 48. | Serbia | $6,521,000 | +135.3% |
| 49. | Norway | $6,154,000 | +57.4% |
| 50. | United Arab Emirates | $6,149,000 | -75.9% |
| 51. | Luxembourg | $6,125,000 | +43.1% |
| 52. | Togo | $5,974,000 | -86.2% |
| 53. | Latvia | $5,403,000 | -1.4% |
| 54. | Cambodia | $4,336,000 | -38.7% |
| 55. | Finland | $4,153,000 | +107.9% |
| 56. | Morocco | $3,370,000 | +66.7% |
| 57. | Burkina Faso | $2,862,000 | +610.2% |
| 58. | Pakistan | $1,621,000 | +70.6% |
| 59. | Curaçao | $1,573,000 | -54.7% |
| 60. | Guatemala | $1,539,000 | -52.1% |
| 61. | Chile | $1,407,000 | +54.8% |
| 62. | Eswatini | $1,344,000 | -42.6% |
| 63. | Ireland | $1,304,000 | +12.6% |
| 64. | Niger | $1,212,000 | +190% |
| 65. | Bahamas | $1,112,000 | +27700% |
| 66. | Panama | $949,000 | +12% |
| 67. | Sri Lanka | $922,000 | +33.6% |
| 68. | Benin | $846,000 | +114.2% |
| 69. | Lebanon | $836,000 | +95.8% |
| 70. | Mauritius | $661,000 | +1437% |
| 71. | Israel | $656,000 | -42.8% |
| 72. | Bangladesh | $648,000 | -26.3% |
| 73. | Senegal | $641,000 | +140.1% |
| 74. | New Zealand | $575,000 | -50.4% |
| 75. | Kenya | $560,000 | +0.4% |
| 76. | Costa Rica | $419,000 | +201.4% |
| 77. | Honduras | $346,000 | -71.7% |
| 78. | Dominican Republic | $333,000 | -69.5% |
| 79. | Egypt | $328,000 | +530.8% |
| 80. | Tunisia | $323,000 | +10667% |
| 81. | Iceland | $305,000 | +30400% |
| 82. | El Salvador | $285,000 | -64.2% |
| 83. | North Macedonia | $259,000 | +38.5% |
| 84. | Georgia | $215,000 | +4200% |
| 85. | Barbados | $191,000 | 26.29 |
| 86. | Uruguay | $176,000 | +1660% |
| 87. | Kazakhstan | $162,000 | -89.2% |
| 88. | Nicaragua | $158,000 | -81.3% |
| 89. | Sierra Leone | $156,000 | +7700% |
| 90. | Jordan | $150,000 | +172.7% |
| 91. | Andorra | $124,000 | +93.8% |
| 92. | Namibia | $121,000 | -80.4% |
| 93. | Nauru | $120,000 | -28.6% |
| 94. | Macao | $120,000 | +155.3% |
| 95. | Angola | $103,000 | -27% |
| 96. | Br. Indian Ocean Terr. | $93,000 | +43.1% |
| 97. | Montenegro | $92,000 | -27.6% |
| 98. | New Caledonia | $90,000 | -13.5% |
| 99. | British Virgin Is. | $90,000 | +8900% |
| 100. | Botswana | $82,000 | +54.7% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the above columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2019 data is available.
Drilling down on the international sales for these top exporters, 67 increased the value of motorcycles exported from 2019 to 2020 while the remaining 33 experienced reduced sales.
Year over year, the greatest declines for sales of motorcycles on global markets belong to: Kazakhstan (down -89.2%), Togo (down -86.2%), Nicaragua (down -81.3%), Namibia (down -80.4%), United Arab Emirates (down -75.9%), Honduras (down -71.7%), Dominican Republic (down -69.5%), El Salvador (down -64.2%) and Mexico (down -59.5%).
See also China’s Top Trading Partners, Car Exports by Country, Truck Exports by Country and Bicycles Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 13, 2021
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 13, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 13, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 13, 2021
Wikipedia, List of motorcycle manufacturers. Accessed on July 13, 2021
