The overall value of exported onions rose by an average 18.6% for all exporting countries since 2018 when international sales of onions were valued at $3.6 billion.
Year over year, the value of internationally sold onions increased by 5.8% compared to $4.03 billion for 2021.
The 5 biggest exporters of onions are the Netherlands, mainland China, India, Mexico and the United States of America. Collectively, that cohort of major exporters sold almost two-thirds (63.4%) of all onions exported during 2022. That percentage suggests a relatively concentrated subset of onions exporters.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported onions during 2022 with shipments valued at $1.43 billion or about a third (33.5%) of the global total. Close behind in second place were exporters in Asia at 32.9%, while another 19.7% of worldwide onions shipments originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from sellers in Africa (7.3%), Latin America (4.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (2.4%) comprised mostly of onions exported from New Zealand and Australia.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code is 070310 for onions and shallots. A shallot is a small bulb that resembles an onion. Shallots are used to make pickles or as an onion substitute.
Onions Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of onions during 2022.
- Netherlands: US$849.9 million (20% of total exported onions)
- China: $564.9 million (13.3%)
- India: $524.6 million (12.3%)
- Mexico: $437.6 million (10.3%)
- United States: $321 million (7.5%)
- Egypt: $217.5 million (5.1%)
- Spain: $184.3 million (4.3%)
- Poland: $114.7 million (2.7%)
- Peru: $104.6 million (2.5%)
- France: $86 million (2%)
- Canada: $81.2 million (1.9%)
- New Zealand: $80.6 million (1.9%)
- Afghanistan: $50.1 million (1.2%)
- Pakistan: $45.4 million (1.1%)
- Germany: $44.5 million (1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 87.1% of onions exported worldwide in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing onions exporters since 2021 were: Egypt (up 53.5%), Canada (up 49.4%), Poland (up 47.4%) and Afghanistan (up 45%).
A trio of major suppliers posted declines in their exported onions sales namely Pakistan (down -68.9% from 2021) and New Zealand (down -27.4%) and France (down -17.5%).
Countries Earning Largest Trade Surpluses from Onions
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for onions during 2022. 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 onions and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Netherlands: US$709.4 million (net export surplus up 14.1% since 2021)
- mainland China: $563.2 million (up 29.3%)
- India: $523.8 million (up 20.2%)
- Mexico: $400.9 million (up 7.5%)
- Egypt: $217.2 million (up 53.3%)
- Spain: $133.2 million (up 26.8%)
- Peru: $104.6 million (up 5.5%)
- New Zealand: $78.8 million (down -28.9%)
- Poland: $52.5 million (up 31.6%)
- Afghanistan: $46.9 million (up 41.4%)
- Myanmar: $38.6 million (up 10.2%)
- Uzbekistan: $34.8 million (up 39%)
- Türkiye: $28.5 million (down -36.3%)
- South Africa: $24.6 million (down -15.5%)
- Morocco: $21.3 million (up 5.8%)
World leader the Netherlands earned the highest surplus in the international trade of onions. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Netherlands’ strong competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Causing Worst Trade Deficits from Onions
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for onions during 2022. 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 onions purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United Kingdom: -US$253.6 million (net export deficit up 57.5% since 2021)
- United States of America: -$247.5 million (down -9.1%)
- Vietnam: -$242.8 million (up 1026.8%)
- Malaysia: -$204.6 million (up 2.5%)
- Japan: -$178.3 million (up 40.9%)
- Canada: -$167.5 million (up 24.5%)
- Bangladesh: -$145.2 million (down -5.6%)
- Germany: -$132.8 million (down -21.6%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$107.9 million (up 51.2%)
- Indonesia: -$92.3 million (up 71.4%)
- Sri Lanka: -$82.8 million (down -30.2%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$65.3 million (down -26.7%)
- Pakistan: -$58.2 million (reversing a $122.7 million surplus)
- Russia: -$56.4 million (up 16.1%)
- Ukraine: -$55.8 million (up 883.5%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of onions. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for onions-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful US consumer demand.
Onions Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following companies are examples of onions-trading exporters. Home-country location is shown within parentheses.
- Aalia Gmbh (Germany)
- Agricola Dece SL (Spain)
- BHK Krakow Joint Venture Sp ZOO (Poland)
- Camill Alimentos S/A (United States)
- JDGC (France)
- Jinxiang Luteng Trading Co, Ltd (China)
- Naqshbandi Enterprise (Pakistan)
- Silas Export (Netherlands)
- SMA Trading (Egypt)
- Sri Parvathi Exports (India)
Searchable List of Onions Exporting Countries in 2022
The 100 biggest exporters of onions in the automated database below represent 99.98% of the overall value of globally exported onions during 2022.
| Rank | Exporter | Onion Exports | 2021-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Netherlands | $849,850,000 | +9% |
| 2. | China | $564,863,000 | +29.6% |
| 3. | India | $524,591,000 | +16.7% |
| 4. | Mexico | $437,633,000 | +5.9% |
| 5. | United States | $320,995,000 | +21.1% |
| 6. | Egypt | $217,474,000 | +53.5% |
| 7. | Spain | $184,285,000 | +10.8% |
| 8. | Poland | $114,669,000 | +47.4% |
| 9. | Peru | $104,580,000 | +5.5% |
| 10. | France | $85,971,000 | -17.5% |
| 11. | Canada | $81,181,000 | +49.4% |
| 12. | New Zealand | $80,572,000 | -27.4% |
| 13. | Afghanistan | $50,148,000 | +45% |
| 14. | Pakistan | $45,361,000 | -68.9% |
| 15. | Germany | $44,527,000 | +4.7% |
| 16. | Italy | $40,495,000 | -30.8% |
| 17. | Myanmar | $38,557,000 | +10.2% |
| 18. | Uzbekistan | $35,955,000 | +43.8% |
| 19. | Türkiye | $28,518,000 | -36.3% |
| 20. | South Africa | $27,982,000 | -10% |
| 21. | Belgium | $27,669,000 | +24.9% |
| 22. | Austria | $25,335,000 | +12.6% |
| 23. | Argentina | $25,129,000 | +8.2% |
| 24. | Australia | $23,431,000 | -14.4% |
| 25. | Morocco | $21,682,000 | +7.3% |
| 26. | Iran | $20,923,000 | -63% |
| 27. | Chile | $20,610,000 | +49.1% |
| 28. | Kazakhstan | $15,458,000 | +6% |
| 29. | Senegal | $12,808,000 | -5.8% |
| 30. | Niger | $12,680,000 | -60.3% |
| 31. | Thailand | $12,440,000 | -16.9% |
| 32. | Japan | $12,367,000 | +241.5% |
| 33. | Brazil | $12,093,000 | +496.9% |
| 34. | Malaysia | $10,451,000 | +39.8% |
| 35. | Vietnam | $8,602,000 | +67.3% |
| 36. | Singapore | $8,137,000 | +12.7% |
| 37. | Slovakia | $7,382,000 | +1.9% |
| 38. | Serbia | $7,316,000 | +91.8% |
| 39. | Tajikistan | $6,769,000 | +24.6% |
| 40. | Guatemala | $5,802,000 | -4.2% |
| 41. | Denmark | $5,497,000 | +64% |
| 42. | Czech Republic | $5,131,000 | +31.3% |
| 43. | United Kingdom | $4,562,000 | -27.6% |
| 44. | Colombia | $4,288,000 | +11.9% |
| 45. | Portugal | $4,064,000 | -1.9% |
| 46. | Namibia | $4,061,000 | +63.8% |
| 47. | Indonesia | $3,985,000 | -43.3% |
| 48. | Azerbaijan | $3,350,000 | -12% |
| 49. | Moldova | $3,255,000 | +285.2% |
| 50. | South Korea | $2,641,000 | -52.5% |
| 51. | Ireland | $2,456,000 | -14.3% |
| 52. | Latvia | $2,068,000 | +22.9% |
| 53. | Ecuador | $2,057,000 | +130.3% |
| 54. | Russia | $1,937,000 | -64.4% |
| 55. | Ghana | $1,872,000 | +278.2% |
| 56. | Lithuania | $1,831,000 | -8.1% |
| 57. | Cameroon | $1,687,000 | +86.8% |
| 58. | Ivory Coast | $1,594,000 | +72.1% |
| 59. | Hong Kong | $1,472,000 | -86.3% |
| 60. | Ethiopia | $1,440,000 | -56.7% |
| 61. | North Macedonia | $1,388,000 | +8.7% |
| 62. | Tanzania | $1,374,000 | -60.9% |
| 63. | Madagascar | $1,361,000 | -24% |
| 64. | Sudan | $1,298,000 | -30.7% |
| 65. | Yemen | $1,166,000 | -97.9% |
| 66. | United Arab Emirates | $1,101,000 | -94.8% |
| 67. | Sweden | $1,033,000 | +22.5% |
| 68. | Greece | $1,025,000 | -40.4% |
| 69. | Turkmenistan | $874,000 | 0% |
| 70. | Oman | $830,000 | -90.4% |
| 71. | Hungary | $775,000 | +40.4% |
| 72. | Lebanon | $762,000 | -66.9% |
| 73. | Luxembourg | $740,000 | +41.2% |
| 74. | Kenya | $725,000 | +14.5% |
| 75. | Slovenia | $705,000 | +7% |
| 76. | Burkina Faso | $689,000 | -17.7% |
| 77. | Jordan | $658,000 | +9.1% |
| 78. | Romania | $653,000 | +206.6% |
| 79. | Kyrgyzstan | $630,000 | -52.3% |
| 80. | Philippines | $505,000 | +202.4% |
| 81. | Bulgaria | $482,000 | +70.9% |
| 82. | Croatia | $454,000 | -51.9% |
| 83. | Honduras | $432,000 | +340.8% |
| 84. | Nigeria | $395,000 | -75.6% |
| 85. | Nicaragua | $339,000 | +70.4% |
| 86. | Trinidad/Tobago | $302,000 | -18.8% |
| 87. | Taiwan | $261,000 | -75.6% |
| 88. | Switzerland | $258,000 | +196.6% |
| 89. | Jamaica | $242,000 | +0.4% |
| 90. | Estonia | $190,000 | +5.6% |
| 91. | Angola | $186,000 | +173.5% |
| 92. | Finland | $159,000 | +307.7% |
| 93. | Congo | $158,000 | +351.4% |
| 94. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $116,000 | +11.5% |
| 95. | Fiji | $104,000 | +42.5% |
| 96. | Laos | $104,000 | -97.4% |
| 97. | Saudi Arabia | $95,000 | +1483% |
| 98. | Sri Lanka | $93,000 | +40.9% |
| 99. | Ukraine | $80,000 | -98% |
| 100. | Belarus | $77,000 | -77.7% |
Focusing on the top 100 shippers of onions by value, the fastest growers were Saudi Arabia (up 1,483% from 2021), Brazil (up 496.9%), Congo (up 351.4%), Honduras (up 340.8%) and Finland (up 307.7%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns. Note that a 0% entry in the right-most column means no 2021 data was available.
See also Top Cucumbers Exporting Countries, Soya Beans Exports by Country, Asparagus Exports by Country and Top Sweet Pepper and Chili Pepper Exports
Research Sources:
Alibaba, supplier information for onions. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 10, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Wikipedia, Onion. Accessed on August 10, 2023
