The overall value for exported sweet potatoes is 3.6 times that for exported yams, even though the average unit price for yams is about 36% higher than the average for sweet potatoes.
Revenues from exported sweet potatoes increased by 43% over the 5-year period starting in 2016 but flatlined via a -1% deceleration from 2019 to 2020. In contrast, international sales of exported yams expanded by 22.6% since 2016 and by 30.7% compared to one year earlier in 2019.
Sweet potatoes are distinctly different vegetables from yams, albeit some people use the terms interchangeably. Sweet potatoes have a softer, reddish skin as well as a creamier interior and typically a darker interior than yams. Yams are starchy with a rough, brown skin and are well-known foods in Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean and some Asian countries.
The top 5 exporters of sweet potatoes by overall sales are the United States of America, Netherlands, Vietnam, Spain and Egypt. Combined, those leading exporters generated almost three-quarters (72.2%) of global sales for sweet potatoes.
At over three-quarters (77.7%), the 5 major exporters of yams account for a more concentrated percentage of worldwide exports by value. The main shippers of yams are Ghana, Jamaica, United States, Japan and China.
From a continental perspective, 37.9% of exported sweet potatoes came from Europe trailed by international shippers in North America (30.9%) and Asia (17.5%). Smaller percentages originated in Africa (7.8%), Latin America plus the Caribbean (5.5%) and Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia.
The leading continental entity for exporting yams is Latin America plus the Caribbean (33.5% of globally exported yams). In second place were suppliers in Asia (23.4%), Africa (22.8%), North America (14.4%) and Europe (5.6%). A tiny 0.4% of yam exports came from Oceania led by Tonga.
In addition to total export sales for sweet potatoes and yams, this article delves into the lowest and highest average unit prices per ton as well as the major export countries as measured by shipment weight.
For research purposes, the Harmonized System (HS) code is 070420 for fresh, chilled, dried or frozen sweet potatoes. The HS code is 070430 for fresh, chilled, dried or frozen yams.
Top Exporters of Sweet Potatoes by Global Sales
Listed below are the most lucrative countries for supplying sweet potatoes 2020 ranked by total international sales.
Also shown is percentage that each country represents in terms of globally exported sweet potatoes.
- United States: US$189.3 million (27.5% of sweet potato exports)
- Netherlands: $144.7 million (21%)
- Vietnam: $61.6 million (9%)
- Spain: $55.1 million (8%)
- Egypt: $46.1 million (6.7%)
- Canada: $23.3 million (3.4%)
- Japan: $19.3 million (2.8%)
- China: $15.6 million (2.3%)
- Honduras: $14.1 million (2.1%)
- Portugal: $13.7 million (2%)
- United Kingdom: $12.5 million (1.8%)
- Belgium: $11.1 million (1.6%)
- Indonesia: $9.7 million (1.4%)
- Germany: $8.2 million (1.2%)
- Brazil: $6.2 million (0.9%)
By value, the above 15 main export countries represent 91.7% of globally exported sweet potatoes in 2020.
The fastest-growing top exporters of sweet potatoes from 2019 to 2020 are Honduras (up 209.7%), Portugal (up 48.7%), Vietnam (up 46.5%), Brazil (up 37.5%), Japan (up 24.2%) and Indonesia (up 11.3%).
There were 5 decliners: China (down -56.2%), United Kingdom (down -16.4%), Netherlands (down -5.9%), Egypt (down -4.8%) and Belgium (down -3.9%).
Top Yam Exporters by Global Sales
Listed below are the best countries for selling yams on international markets during 2020.
Also shown is percentage that each country represents in terms of globally exported yams.
- Ghana: US$42.7 million (22.6% of yam exports)
- Jamaica: $38.2 million (20.2%)
- United States: $27.2 million (14.4%)
- Japan: $19.9 million (10.6%)
- China: $18.8 million (9.9%)
- Costa Rica: $10.5 million (5.6%)
- Colombia: $7.9 million (4.2%)
- Brazil: $6.2 million (3.3%)
- Belgium: $4.5 million (2.4%)
- Netherlands: $3.4 million (1.8%)
- India: $3.1 million (1.7%)
- Italy: $1.3 million (0.7%)
- Tonga: $816,000 (0.4%)
- Afghanistan: $586,000 (0.3%)
- Philippines: $585,000 (0.3%)
By value, the above 15 main export countries represent 98.5% of yams exported in 2020. That percentage belies a more concentrated cohort of international suppliers compared to the major exporters for sweet potatoes.
The fastest-growing top exporters of yams from 2019 to 2020 were Ghana (up 235.8%), Philippines (up 51.9%), Italy (up 49.4%), Netherlands (up 39%), Jamaica (up 27.2%), United States (up 17.6%) then Belgium (up 10.1%).
The 4 decliners weighing down growth in yams exports were India (down -6.9%), Colombia (down -5.7%), Japan (down -4.2%) and Brazil (down -0.5%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Sweet Potato Exports
In 2020, the world’s average unit price for sweet potatoes was US$921 per ton. The average unit price for sweet potatoes is up by 10.3% from an average $835 per ton for 2019.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries exporting sweet potatoes with the lowest unit prices in 2020.
- Myanmar (Burma): US$45 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Mali: $61 per ton (down -19.7% from 2019)
- Nigeria: $95 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Zimbabwe: $100 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Ethiopia: $100 per ton (down -35.1%)
- Malawi: $102 per ton (down -8.1%)
- Turkey: $231 per ton (down -88.5%)
- Nicaragua: $248 per ton (down -38%)
- Guinea-Bissau: $252 per ton (up 45.7%)
- Uganda: $266 per ton (up 2.7%)
- Peru: $328 per ton (down -25.8%)
- India: $334 per ton (up 52.5%)
- Argentina: $349 per ton (down -42.7%)
- Malaysia: $421 per ton (up 5%)
- Serbia: $429 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
Posting the strongest reductions in unit price per ton since 2019 were Turkey (down -88.5%), Argentina (down -42.7%), Nicaragua (down -38%) and Ethiopia (down -35.1%).
The following countries shipped exported sweet potatoes at the highest average unit prices.
- Finland: US$13,000 per ton (down -72.9% from 2019)
- Cyprus: $4,333 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- South Korea: $4,073 per ton (down -4.4%)
- Japan: $3,668 per ton (up 2.5%)
- New Zealand: $3,658 per ton (up 0.9%)
- Estonia: $3,500 per ton (down -19.2%)
- Bulgaria: $3,410 per ton (up 365.2%)
- Saint Lucia: $3,000 per ton (down -14.3%)
- Iceland: $3,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Ivory Coast: $3,000 per ton (up 200%)
- Hong Kong: $2,926 per ton (down -28.8%)
- Taiwan: $2,699 per ton (up 16.2%)
- Samoa: $2,500 per ton (down -37.5%)
- Jamaica: $2,412 per ton (down -14.5%)
- Slovenia: $2,339 per ton (down -5.5%)
There were 4 gainers in terms of average unit price hikes from 2019 to 2020 namely Bulgaria (up 365.2%), Ivory Coast (up 200%), Taiwan (up 16.2%) then Japan (up 2.5%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Exported Yams
In 2020, the world’s average unit price for yams was US$1,252 per ton–roughly 36% costlier than the global average unit price for sweet potatoes.
The top exporter of yams, Ghana, charged $842 per ton in 2020.
The global average unit price for yams rose by 16% from an average $1,079 per ton during 2019.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries collecting the lowest average unit prices for exported yams in 2020.
- Nicaragua: US$159 per ton (down -18.9% from 2019)
- Togo: $185 per ton (up 9.5%)
- Uganda: $195 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Afghanistan: $208 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Congo: $243 per ton (up 14.1%)
- Tanzania: $259 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Gabon: $300 per ton (up 971.4%)
- Samoa: $313 per ton (up 56.5%)
- India: $389 per ton (up 4%)
- United Arab Emirates: $469 per ton (up 0.9%)
- Niger: $500 per ton (up 400%)
- Dominica: $503 per ton (down -6.2%)
- Ivory Coast: $560 per ton (up 1117.4%)
- Malaysia: $566 per ton (down -2.9%)
- Tonga: $598 per ton (up 16.8%)
Posting reductions in average unit price per ton for yams since 2019 were low-cost providers Nicaragua (down -18.9%), Dominica (down -6.2%) and Malaysia (down -2.9%).
The following countries shipped exported yams charging the greatest average unit prices.
- Spain: US$21,923 per ton (up 6.2% from 2019)
- Czech Republic: $13,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Hong Kong: $11,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Austria: $9,000 per ton (down -3.6%)
- South Korea: $7,000 per ton (down -15.2%)
- Trinidad and Tobago: $7,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Taiwan: $5,182 per ton (up 29.6%)
- Haiti: $5,000 per ton (up 275.1%)
- United Kingdom: $4,333 per ton (up 208.4%)
- Hungary: $4,333 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Saint Lucia: $4,000 per ton (up 166.7%)
- Nepal: $3,667 per ton (up 266.7%)
- Japan: $3,329 per ton (down -4.9%)
- Singapore: $2,706 per ton (up 0.1%)
- Jamaica: $2,649 per ton (up 23.4%)
There were 7 gainers in terms of higher average unit prices in 2020 compared to 2019. These were Haiti (up 275.1%), Nepal (up 266.7%), United Kingdom (up 208.4%), Saint Lucia (up 166.7%), Taiwan (up 29.6%), Jamaica (up 23.4%) then Spain (up 6.2%).
Biggest Exporters of Sweet Potatoes by Weight
As measured by shipment weight, a total 747,058 tons in sweet potatoes were exported during 2020.
The overall weight of globally exported sweet potatoes fell by -10.1% compared to 2019.
Ranked by weight, listed below are the top 15 shippers of exported sweet potatoes.
- United States: 263 million tons (35.2% of sweet potatoes)
- Netherlands: 134.1 million tons (18%)
- Spain: 51.2 million tons (6.8%)
- Vietnam: 50.2 million tons (6.7%)
- Canada: 43 million tons (5.8%)
- Egypt: 37.5 million tons (5%)
- China: 22.8 million tons (3%)
- Honduras: 15.2 million tons (2%)
- Indonesia: 11.9 million tons (1.6%)
- Brazil: 11.9 million tons (1.6%)
- Peru: 11.5 million tons (1.5%)
- United Kingdom: 10.9 million tons (1.5%)
- Belgium: 10.2 million tons (1.4%)
- Dominican Republic: 7.9 million tons (1.1%)
- South Africa: 7.5 million tons (1%)
Posting double-digit increases in shipment weight were Vietnam (up 73.6% from 2019), Peru (up 53.6%), South Africa (up 42.7%), Brazil (up 34.4%) and Indonesia (up 10.3%).
Biggest Exporters of Yams by Weight
In total, 150,798 tons of yams were exported around the globe in 2020.
That shipment tonnage reflects a 12.6% expansion from 133,915 tons in 2019.
By weight, the following is a ranking of the 15 largest shippers of exported yams.
- Ghana: 50.7 million tons (33.6% of yam exports)
- United States: 18.1 million tons (12%)
- Jamaica: 14.4 million tons (9.6%)
- Colombia: 10.4 million tons (6.9%)
- China: 9.7 million tons (6.5%)
- Costa Rica: 9.5 million tons (6.3%)
- India: 8 million tons (5.3%)
- Brazil: 6.6 million tons (4.4%)
- Belgium: 6.5 million tons (4.3%)
- Japan: 6 million tons (4%)
- Afghanistan: 2.8 million tons (1.9%)
- Netherlands: 2 million tons (1.3%)
- Tonga: 1.4 million tons (0.9%)
- Italy: 1.1 million tons (0.7%)
- Togo: 718,000 tons (0.5%)
Recording the most intense increases in shipment weight were Ghana (up 85.7% from 2019), Italy (up 39.6%), Netherlands (up 27.3%), Belgium (up 25.5%), Togo (up 25.1%) and Brazil (up 17.9%).
See also Top Garlic Exports by Country, Best Tofu Exports by Sales, Average Unit Prices & Weight, Top Exported Spices by Sales, Weight and Unit Value, Top Salmon Exports & Imports by Country and Top Vitamins Exports & Imports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on January 23, 2022
Food & Wine, The Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes Is Structural Racism. Accessed on January 23, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 23, 2022
Wikipedia, Sweet potato. Accessed on January 23, 2022
Wikipedia, Yam (vegetable). Accessed on January 23, 2022
