Overall, the value of raw potatoes imports increased by an average 6.6% for all importing countries since 2016 when international purchases of those fresh or chilled potatoes were valued at $4.3 billion.
From 2019 to 2020, the value of potato imports fell by -13.8%.
The biggest importers of potatoes are Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, United States and Germany. Those 5 countries bought 39.4% of the value of globally imported potatoes during 2020.
From a continental perspective, European countries bought the most imported raw potatoes during 2020 with purchases costing $2.9 billion or 63.2% of the global total. In second place were Asian importers at 17.9% while 9.6% of potatoes imported worldwide was delivered to North America. Another 9.6% arrived in North America.
Smaller percentages went to Latin America (2.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.3%) led by Fiji and French Polynesia).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for fresh or chilled potatoes is 0701.
Potatoes Imports by Country
Top 15
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of raw potatoes during 2020.
- Belgium: US$595 million (13.1% of total imported potatoes)
- Netherlands: $345.2 million (7.6%)
- Spain: $314.1 million (6.9%)
- United States: $285.8 million (6.3%)
- Germany: $249.9 million (5.5%)
- Italy: $201.3 million (4.4%)
- United Kingdom: $133.3 million (2.9%)
- Russia: $125.7 million (2.8%)
- France: $101.9 million (2.2%)
- Portugal: $99.1 million (2.2%)
- Canada: $89.1 million (2%)
- Malaysia: $86 million (1.9%)
- Egypt: $76.8 million (1.7%)
- Greece: $73.2 million (1.6%)
- Poland: $64 million (1.4%)
Among the above countries, the 2 growth markets for potatoes since 2019 were the United States (up 29.7%) and Malaysia (up 10.1%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported potatoes purchases were led by: Poland (down -39.4%), France (down -35.4%), Greece (down -34.3%) and Germany (down -30.6%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 62.5% of all potatoes imported in 2020.
Belgium
Potatoes Imports into Belgium
Belgium’s global purchases of imported raw potatoes totaled US$595 million in 2020. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Belgium imported the highest dollar value worth of potatoes during 2020. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2019 to 2020.
- France: US$288 million (up 5% from 2019)
- Netherlands: $171.6 million (down -20%)
- Germany: $85.9 million (down -44.6%)
- Spain: $23.5 million (down -9.4%)
- United Kingdom: $11 million (down -49.2%)
- Egypt: $7.6 million (up 280.4%)
- Italy: $2.6 million (down -16.3%)
- Cyprus: $2.5 million (down -22%)
- Luxembourg: $1.5 million (down -7.2%)
- Israel: $286,000 (down -36%)
- Denmark: $181,000 (down -63.5%)
- Portugal: $113,000 (down -68.1%)
- Malta: $88,000 (no 2019 data)
- Romania: $72,000 (up 188%)
- Ireland: $65,000 (up 75.7%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.99% of potatoes imported by Belgium in 2020.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of potatoes to Belgium since 2019 were: Egypt (up 280.4%), Romania (up 188%), Ireland (up 75.7%) and France (up 5%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their potatoes supplied to Belgian importers included: Portugal (down -68.1%), Denmark (down -63.5%), United Kingdom (down -49.2%) and Germany (down -44.6%).
Overall, the value of Belgium’s imported potatoes fell by an average -15.4% from all supplying countries since 2019 when potatoes purchased cost $703.2 million.
Netherlands
Potatoes Imports into Netherlands
Dutch global purchases of imported raw potatoes totaled US$345.2 million in 2020. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the Netherlands imported the highest dollar value worth of potatoes during 2020. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2019 to 2020.
- Germany: US$166.5 million (down -10.7% from 2019)
- Belgium: $71.2 million (down -24.5%)
- France: $47.8 million (down -32.8%)
- Israel: $18.4 million (down -34.9%)
- Spain: $10 million (down -9.1%)
- United Kingdom: $9.8 million (down -36.5%)
- Italy: $6 million (up 11.5%)
- Denmark: $3 million (down -20.8%)
- Portugal: $2.2 million (up 33.9%)
- Morocco: $2.2 million (down -41.5%)
- Malta: $1.3 million (down -58.3%)
- Luxembourg: $1.2 million (up 53.4%)
- Poland: $1.2 million (up 0.4%)
- Cyprus: $961,000 (up 1,101%)
- Egypt: $960,000 (down -68.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.3% of potatoes imported by Netherlands in 2020.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of potatoes to Netherlands since 2019 were: Cyprus (up 1,101%), Luxembourg (up 53.4%), Portugal (up 33.9%) and Italy (up 11.5%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their potatoes supplied to Dutch importers included: Egypt (down -68.1%), Malta (down -58.3%), Morocco (down -41.5%) and United Kingdom (down -36.5%).
Overall, the value of Netherlands’s imported potatoes dropped by an average -20.1% from all supplying countries since 2019 when potatoes purchased cost $432.3 million.
Spain
Potatoes Imports into Spain
Spain’s global purchases of imported raw potatoes totaled US$314.1 million in 2020. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Spain imported the highest dollar value worth of potatoes during 2020. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2019 to 2020.
- France: US$209.3 million (down -1.6% from 2019)
- Netherlands: $36.3 million (down -19.1%)
- United Kingdom: $31.6 million (down -0.8%)
- Portugal: $10.4 million (down -25.7%)
- Israel: $9 million (up 106.4%)
- Belgium: $5.5 million (down -8.7%)
- Egypt: $2.6 million (up 97.7%)
- Morocco: $2.5 million (down -73.4%)
- Germany: $2.3 million (down -6%)
- Denmark: $2 million (up 3.7%)
- Luxembourg: $1.2 million (down -48.9%)
- Cyprus: $583,000 (up 13.9%)
- Algeria: $424,000 (up 86.8%)
- Switzerland: $78,000 (up 56%)
- Italy: $57,000 (down -91.5%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.9% of potatoes imported by Spain in 2020.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of potatoes to Spain since 2019 were: Israel (up 106.4%), Egypt (up 97.7%), Algeria (up 86.8%) and Switzerland (up 56%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their potatoes supplied to Spanish importers included: Italy (down -91.5%), Morocco (down -73.4%), Luxembourg (down -48.9%) and Portugal (down -25.7%).
Overall, the value of Spain’s imported potatoes retreated by an average -5.8% from all supplying countries since 2019 when potatoes purchased cost $333.4 million.
USA
Potatoes Imports into the United States
America’s global purchases of imported raw potatoes totaled US$285.8 million in 2020. Below are the top suppliers from which the US imported the highest dollar value worth of potatoes during 2020. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2019 to 2020.
- Canada: US$285.6 million (up 29.8% from 2019)
- Colombia: $122,000 (up 76.8%)
- Netherlands: $14,000 (up 180%)
The listed countries shipped 100% of potatoes imported by Germany in 2020.
Overall, the value of potatoes imported by the United States rose by an average 29.7% from all supplying countries since 2019 when potatoes purchased cost $220.3 million.
Searchable List of Potatoes Importing Countries in 2020
The automated database below showcases 100 key import markets for potatoes supplied during 2020.
| Rank | Importer | Potato Imports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Belgium | $594,999,000 | -15.4% |
| 2. | Netherlands | $345,227,000 | -20.1% |
| 3. | Spain | $314,118,000 | -5.8% |
| 4. | United States | $285,759,000 | +29.7% |
| 5. | Germany | $249,852,000 | -30.6% |
| 6. | Italy | $201,321,000 | -24% |
| 7. | United Kingdom | $133,272,000 | -9.1% |
| 8. | Russia | $125,654,000 | -5.3% |
| 9. | France | $101,851,000 | -35.4% |
| 10. | Portugal | $99,086,000 | -21.2% |
| 11. | Canada | $89,123,000 | -17.2% |
| 12. | Malaysia | $85,975,000 | +10.1% |
| 13. | Egypt | $76,813,000 | -25.6% |
| 14. | Greece | $73,197,000 | -34.3% |
| 15. | Poland | $63,969,000 | -39.4% |
| 16. | Ukraine | $62,710,000 | +32.2% |
| 17. | Mexico | $60,291,000 | +2.5% |
| 18. | Czech Republic | $55,389,000 | -26% |
| 19. | Romania | $53,220,000 | -28% |
| 20. | United Arab Emirates | $52,084,000 | -10.5% |
| 21. | Azerbaijan | $49,517,000 | -4.4% |
| 22. | Iraq | $45,203,000 | -25.7% |
| 23. | Austria | $43,803,000 | -9.9% |
| 24. | Sri Lanka | $42,710,000 | +19.6% |
| 25. | Uzbekistan | $41,008,000 | +60.4% |
| 26. | Ireland | $39,909,000 | -27.3% |
| 27. | Slovakia | $36,813,000 | -8.3% |
| 28. | Nepal | $36,082,000 | -33.5% |
| 29. | Algeria | $34,514,000 | -40.4% |
| 30. | Hungary | $32,779,000 | +11.8% |
| 31. | Denmark | $32,258,000 | -20.6% |
| 32. | Lebanon | $31,472,000 | -29.8% |
| 33. | Morocco | $30,260,000 | +19.2% |
| 34. | Norway | $29,512,000 | +20.2% |
| 35. | Syrian Arab Republic | $29,212,000 | -28% |
| 36. | Oman | $27,814,000 | +11.1% |
| 37. | Vietnam | $27,668,000 | +19.7% |
| 38. | Singapore | $26,467,000 | +7.8% |
| 39. | Thailand | $26,336,000 | -17.2% |
| 40. | Saudi Arabia | $25,455,000 | -28.3% |
| 41. | Slovenia | $24,568,000 | -20.7% |
| 42. | Israel | $23,683,000 | +31.1% |
| 43. | Switzerland | $22,180,000 | +47.8% |
| 44. | Sweden | $21,686,000 | -24% |
| 45. | Kuwait | $21,255,000 | -39.1% |
| 46. | Taiwan | $20,803,000 | +34.9% |
| 47. | Pakistan | $19,230,000 | +313.9% |
| 48. | Qatar | $19,048,000 | +5.5% |
| 49. | Mozambique | $18,608,000 | -4.6% |
| 50. | Indonesia | $17,649,000 | -1.2% |
| 51. | El Salvador | $17,643,000 | -6.8% |
| 52. | Turkey | $17,194,000 | -69.3% |
| 53. | Senegal | $17,002,000 | +14% |
| 54. | Turkmenistan | $16,148,000 | +695.1% |
| 55. | South Korea | $15,481,000 | -10.3% |
| 56. | Moldova | $14,997,000 | -25.6% |
| 57. | Croatia | $14,993,000 | -20.6% |
| 58. | Mauritania | $14,342,000 | +251.7% |
| 59. | Hong Kong | $14,274,000 | -42.7% |
| 60. | Tunisia | $13,678,000 | -38.2% |
| 61. | Japan | $13,341,000 | -25.6% |
| 62. | Philippines | $12,723,000 | +11.4% |
| 63. | Bulgaria | $10,881,000 | -29.3% |
| 64. | Fiji | $10,801,000 | -18.3% |
| 65. | Mali | $10,443,000 | -11% |
| 66. | Luxembourg | $10,429,000 | -10.5% |
| 67. | Ivory Coast | $9,753,000 | +12.7% |
| 68. | Trinidad/Tobago | $9,549,000 | -20.4% |
| 69. | Namibia | $9,409,000 | -6.3% |
| 70. | Brazil | $9,123,000 | -30% |
| 71. | Honduras | $8,785,000 | +24.3% |
| 72. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $8,378,000 | -17.1% |
| 73. | Dominican Republic | $7,807,000 | +2.4% |
| 74. | Bahrain | $7,341,000 | -30.4% |
| 75. | Jordan | $7,338,000 | -12.1% |
| 76. | Botswana | $7,087,000 | +23% |
| 77. | Bangladesh | $6,532,000 | +152.5% |
| 78. | Latvia | $6,347,000 | -32.4% |
| 79. | Mauritius | $6,341,000 | +36.8% |
| 80. | Serbia | $6,198,000 | -50.9% |
| 81. | Somalia | $5,971,000 | -40.9% |
| 82. | Libya | $5,802,000 | -31.9% |
| 83. | Paraguay | $5,770,000 | +59% |
| 84. | Albania | $5,473,000 | -21.1% |
| 85. | Belarus | $5,359,000 | +22% |
| 86. | Cuba | $5,228,000 | -48.2% |
| 87. | Uruguay | $5,226,000 | +125% |
| 88. | Guatemala | $5,003,000 | -0.4% |
| 89. | Finland | $4,999,000 | +9.7% |
| 90. | Uganda | $4,976,000 | +952% |
| 91. | Cyprus | $4,764,000 | -36.5% |
| 92. | Zimbabwe | $4,722,000 | +79.8% |
| 93. | Kazakhstan | $4,441,000 | +70.2% |
| 94. | Yemen | $4,063,000 | -9.7% |
| 95. | Tajikistan | $4,057,000 | +778.1% |
| 96. | Lithuania | $3,622,000 | -42.8% |
| 97. | Georgia | $3,566,000 | +46.2% |
| 98. | Sudan | $3,528,000 | -16.4% |
| 99. | Iran | $3,463,000 | +96.8% |
| 100. | Nigeria | $3,434,000 | +65.6% |
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 was available.
See also Potatoes Exports by Country, Belgium’s Top Trading Partners and Netherlands Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on July 31, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 31, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 31, 2021
Wikipedia, Potato. Accessed on July 31, 2021
