That dollar amount reflects an average 17.1% gain for all Brussels sprouts shippers over the five-year period starting in 2016 when Brussels sprouts bought on international markets were worth $186.2 million. From 2019 to 2020, the value of globally exported Brussels sprouts increased by 5.6%.
The 3 biggest exporters of Brussels sprouts (Netherlands, Mexico, United States) collected almost four-fifths (79.2) of the overall value for Brussel sprouts during 2020. That percentage indicates a relatively concentrated cohort of Brussels sprouts exporters.
Among continents, suppliers in North America sold the highest dollar worth of exported Brussels sprouts during 2020 with shipments valued at $103.3 million approaching half (47.4%) of the worldwide total. Close behind at 44.5% were exporters in Europe while another 3.1% of worldwide Brussels sprouts shipments originated from Africa.
Smaller percentages came from exporters in Latin America (2.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Asia (2.2%) and Oceania’s (0.5%) Australia and New Zealand only.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 070420 for fresh or chilled Brussels sprouts.
Top Brussels Sprouts Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of Brussels sprouts during 2020.
- Netherlands: US$72.5 million (33.2% of exported Brussels sprouts)
- Mexico: $68.4 million (31.4%)
- United States: $31.8 million (14.6%)
- Belgium: $14.3 million (6.6%)
- Morocco: $4.534 million (2.1%)
- Guatemala: $4.525 million (2.1%)
- Iran: $4.4 million (2%)
- Spain: $3.7 million (1.7%)
- Canada: $3 million (1.4%)
- Poland: $2.4 million (1.1%)
- South Africa: $1.1 million (0.5%)
- Australia: $1 million (0.5%)
- Egypt: $968,000 (0.4%)
- France: $863,000 (0.4%)
- United Kingdom: $836,000 (0.4%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 98.3% of global Brussels sprouts exports in 2020 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing Brussels sprouts exporters since 2019 were: Guatemala (up 52.3%), Poland (up 46.6%), United States (up 26%) and Mexico (up 10.4%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported Brussels sprouts sales were led by: Australia (down -23.8%), United Kingdom (down -15.7%), Egypt (down -15.5%), Spain (down -14.9%) and France (down -14.4%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for Brussels sprouts 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 Brussels sprouts and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Mexico: US$64.5 million (net export surplus up 6.2% since 2019)
- Netherlands: $58 million (down -1.3%)
- Belgium: $10.2 million (down -1.7%)
- Morocco: $4.5 million (down -8.5%)
- Guatemala: $4.5 million (up 51.2%)
- Iran: $4.4 million (down -6.4%)
- Spain: $1.2 million (down -31%)
- South Africa: $1.1 million (down -6.7%)
- Australia: $1 million (down -23.8%)
- Egypt: $968,000 (down -15.5%)
- Poland: $587,000 (down -5.5%)
- Dominican Republic: $385,000 (down -73.4%)
- Indonesia: $251,000 (down -21.8%)
- Chile: $84,000 (down -5.6%)
- Syrian Arab Republic: $77,000 (down -49%)
Overtaking the Netherlands, Mexico earned the highest surplus in the international trade of Brussels sprouts during 2020. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Mexican competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for Brussels sprouts 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 Brussels sprouts purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$50.4 million (net export deficit up 14.9% since 2019)
- Germany: -$27.3 million (down -3.7%)
- Canada: -$23.2 million (up 4%)
- United Kingdom: -$15 million (down -7.1%)
- France: -$10.7 million (up 22.9%)
- Italy: -$5.3 million (up 34.8%)
- Qatar: -$4.8 million (up 4%)
- Switzerland: -$2.6 million (up 10.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$2.1 million (up 170.6%)
- Austria: -$1.9 million (up 29.6%)
- Sweden: -$1.9 million (down -16.6%)
- Czech Republic: -$1.3 million (up 44.7%)
- South Korea: -$1.2 million (up 50.6%)
- Denmark: -$929,000 (down -1.4%)
- Singapore: -$920,000 (up 15.6%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of Brussels sprouts. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for Brussels sprouts-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Companies
Brussels Sprouts Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of Brussels sprouts-trading exporters that deal in fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts. Canadian firm SeedsIntl.com sells Brussels sprouts seeds.
- 3SI Commerce (France)
- AA Group, S. Coop (Spain)
- Cyndacation (United States)
- Hangzhou ZGF Group Co (China)
- SeedsIntl.com (Canada)
The home-country location for each business is shown above within parentheses.
See also Top Lettuce Exports by Country, Tomatoes Exports by Country, Potatoes Exports by Country and Corn Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Products listing for Brussels sprouts. Accessed on September 9, 2021
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 9, 2021
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 9, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 9, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 9, 2021
Wikipedia, Brussels sprout. Accessed on September 9, 2021
