Exports of chestnuts fell in value by an overall average -2.5% from 5 years earlier in 2020 when export sales for chestnuts were $301.9 million.
From 2023 to 2024, export revenues dropped by -8.4% starting from $321.5 million for the seed that is sweet, buttery and soft when roasted–but tastes bitter when raw.
Chestnuts seeds come from the fruits of chestnut trees, contained within a green, spiny covering.
Chestnuts are typically roasted including their shells and can serve as standalone snacks. They can also be used to make flour for cakes, pancakes, pies, pastas and breads that can stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. Chestnuts can be made into thickeners for soups, stews and sauces.
Chestnuts can be candied, boiled, steamed, deep-fried, grilled or roasted according to delicious recipes. Chestnut stuffing is added to poultry, vegetables and other foods.
By value, the 5 biggest exporters of chestnuts (mainland China, Italy, Spain, Türkiye and Portugal) sold over three-quarters (76.4% of all chestnuts exported during 2024.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Europe supplied the highest dollar worth of exported chestnuts during 2024 with shipments valued at $176.8 million or three-fifths (60%) of the global total. Behind in second place were exporters in Asia (35.5%) trailed by those in Latin America (4.4%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.1%), Oceania Fiji, Australia and Tonga (0.03%) then Africa (0.0003%).
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of chestnuts in 2024 were Italy, Germany, Japan, France and Switzerland. Collectively, that quintet of top import countries bought less than two-fifths (39.2%) of globally imported chestnuts as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest the total 54 exporters of chestnuts (76.4% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to the 104 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total for imported chestnuts, as mentioned above at 39.2%.
As for global imports of chestnuts by continent, 57.3% of chestnuts purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Europe ahead of importers in Asia (34.1%), North America (7.3%), Latin America (1.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.2%), then Oceania (0.04%) led by Christmas Island and Australia.
We calculated the average unit price paid by importers of chestnuts still in-shell to be $2,836 per ton in 2024. That dollar amount reveals a -5% drop from the average tonnage rate of $2,986 during 2023.
Exports of shelled chestnuts demand a higher unit price. For shelled chestnuts, the average unit price paid by importers was $5,087 per ton in 2024 deflating by -2.2% from the average tonnage rate of $5,199 for 2023. The higher average price compared to unshelled chestnuts results in part from labor costs and other processing expenses.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 080241 for fresh or dried chestnuts in shell, and 080242 for fresh or dried shelled chestnuts.
Drilling down on those categories, 15% of chestnuts exported worldwide by value were for shelled chestnuts up from 7.1% in 2023. The remaining 85% in 2024 was paid for chestnuts in shell, down from 92.9%.
Top Chestnuts Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts during 2024, regardless of whether the shipped chestnuts were in-shell or shelled.
- Italy: US$75.5 million (25.7% of total exported chestnuts)
- mainland China: $70.9 million (24.1%)
- Spain: $38.4 million (13%)
- Portugal: $21.6 million (7.3%)
- France: $18.5 million (6.3%)
- Türkiye: $17.5 million (5.9%)
- South Korea: $10 million (3.4%)
- Chile: $9.7 million (3.3%)
- Greece: $7 million (2.4%)
- Austria: $4.7 million (1.6%)
- Netherlands: $3.4 million (1.2%)
- Dominican Republic: $2.8 million (0.9%)
- United Arab Emirates: $2.2 million (0.7%)
- Belgium: $2.2 million (0.7%)
- Japan: $1.9 million (0.6%)
- Germany: $1.4 million (0.5%)
- North Macedonia: $932,000 (0.3%)
- Malaysia: $616,000 (0.2%)
- Poland: $558,000 (0.2%)
- Georgia: $508,000 (0.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.6% of globally exported chestnuts in 2024.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of chestnuts since 2023 were: Austria (up 570.3%), Malaysia (up 183.9%), Dominican Republic (up 83.4%) and Germany (up 49.8%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their exported chestnuts sales were led by: Japan (down -53.3% from 2023), Georgia (down -41.1%), Türkiye (down -35.5%), South Korea (down -27.5%) and mainland China (down -26.9%).
Top Chestnuts Imports by Country
Overall spending on imported chestnuts slowed to a 0.5% gain over the 5-year period starting in 2020 but shrank by -9.1% year over year since 2023.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts imported during 2024, for any chestnuts regardless of whether shelled or not.
- Italy: US$37.4 million (12% of total imported chestnuts)
- Germany: $24.5 million (7.9%)
- Japan: $21.9 million (7%)
- France: $19.9 million (6.4%)
- Switzerland: $17.9 million (5.8%)
- Thailand: $17.1 million (5.5%)
- United States: $16.7 million (5.4%)
- Austria: $15.8 million (5.1%)
- Spain: $15.2 million (4.9%)
- mainland China: $8.5 million (2.7%)
- Portugal: $8.2 million (2.6%)
- Taiwan: $8.2 million (2.6%)
- United Kingdom: $6.5 million (2.1%)
- Canada: $5.9 million (1.9%)
- Netherlands: $4.8 million (1.6%)
- South Korea: $4.51 million (1.5%)
- Hungary: $3.96 million (1.3%)
- Belgium: $4 million (1.3%)
- Iraq: $3.5 million (1.1%)
- Israel: $3.3 million (1.1%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 79.8% of globally imported chestnuts in 2024.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing importers of chestnuts since 2023 were: Israel (up 69.2%), Iraq (up 47.9%), Hungary (up 34.3%) and Netherlands (up 25.2%).
Major markets that posted declines in their imported chestnuts purchased were led by: Italy (down -37.2% from 2023), mainland China (down -34.2%), Japan (down -33.4%), Taiwan (down -14.4%) and Thailand (down -11.3%).
Imported In-Shell Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
In 2024, the world’s average unit price for imports of in-shell chestnuts was US$2,836 per ton flatlining via a -5% reduction compared to $2,986 one year prior for 2023.
The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of unshelled chestnuts, Italy, was higher at $3,073 for 2024.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts in 2024.
- Turks/Caicos Islands: US$500 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Macao: $535 per ton (down -2.2% from 2023)
- Philippines: $545 per ton (up 8.6%)
- British Virgin Islands: $667 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- United Arab Emirates: $726 per ton (up 36.7%)
- Oman: $733 per ton (down -80.3%)
- Libya: $810 per ton (down -10.2%)
- Albania: $819 per ton (up 26.6%)
- Guyana: $857 per ton (down -29.4%)
- Türkiye: $880 per ton (up 33.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: $933 per ton (up 4.5%)
- Gabon: $1,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Cambodia: $1,000 per ton (down -50%)
- Ukraine: $1,000 per ton (down -50%)
- Morocco: $1,095 per ton (up 12%)
The severest reductions in average unit price paid per ton for in-shell chestnuts from 2023 to 2024 were paid by importers in Oman (down -80.3% from 2023), Cambodia (down -50%), Ukraine (also down -50%) and Guyana (down -29.4%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts.
- Bermuda: US$10,500 per ton (down -38.2% from 2023)
- Venezuela: $9,000 per ton (up 45.9%)
- Panama: $8,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Gibraltar: $8,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Ireland: $7,222 per ton (up 48.5%)
- Cabo Verde: $7,000 per ton (up 133.3%)
- Switzerland: $6,325 per ton (down -5%)
- Finland: $5,906 per ton (up 41.7%)
- Austria: $5,718 per ton (down -3.1%)
- United States: $5,579 per ton (up 10%)
- Germany: $5,570 per ton (down -3.5%)
- Slovakia: $5,408 per ton (down -10.2%)
- Czech Republic: $5,287 per ton (down -4.1%)
- Luxembourg: $5,200 per ton (up 1%)
- Brazil: $5,175 per ton (up 1.6%)
The strongest gains in terms of higher average unit prices in 2024 compared to 2023 were paid by importers in Cabo Verde (up 133.3%), Ireland (up 48.5%), Venezuela (up 45.9%), Finland (up 41.7%) and the United States of America (up 10%).
Imported Shelled Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
The world’s average unit price for imports of shelled chestnuts in 2024 was US$5,087 per ton, retreating by -2.2% compared to $5,199 one year earlier.
The tonnage payment for the number one importer of shelled chestnuts, Japan, was much higher at an average $8,418 per ton.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported chestnuts in 2024 that that have already had their shells removed.
- Papua New Guinea: US$500 per ton (down -50% from 2023)
- Senegal: $667 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Russia: $727 per ton (down -9.1%)
- Macao: $759 per ton (up 4.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $791 per ton (down -21.4%)
- Pakistan: $800 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Guyana: $1,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- North Macedonia: $1,143 per ton (up 14.3%)
- Oman: $1,214 per ton (down -79.8%)
- Bahrain: $1,222 per ton (down -2.2%)
- Qatar: $1,286 per ton (down -75.4%)
- Bulgaria: $1,403 per ton (up 6.4%)
- Angola: $1,500 per ton (down -25%)
- Kuwait: $1,652 per ton (down -49.2%)
- United States: $1,739 per ton (down -66.8%)
The severest percentage reductions in average unit price per ton for shelled chestnuts from 2023 to 2024 were paid by low-cost importers in Oman (down -79.8%), Qatar (down -75.4%), United States of America (down -66.8%), Papua New Guinea (down -50%) then Kuwait (down -49.2%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported chestnuts with their shells removed.
- Paraguay: US$15,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Finland: $12,000 per ton (up 15.4% from 2023)
- Ghana: $11,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Chile: $9,375 per ton (up 46.1%)
- Austria: $9,354 per ton (up 26.8%)
- Malta: $9,333 per ton (up 16.7%)
- Estonia: $9,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Iceland: $9,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Philippines: $9,000 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Latvia: $8,714 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Thailand: $8,667 per ton (up 85.7%)
- Japan: $8,418 per ton (down -4.7%)
- Australia: $7,750 per ton (up 72.2%)
- Slovenia: $7,700 per ton (up 6.2%)
- France: $7,189 per ton (up 18%)
The greatest percentage increases in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2024 compared to 2023 were paid by importers of shelled chestnuts in Thailand (up 85.7%), Australia (up 72.2%), Chile (up 46.1%), Austria (up 26.8%) and France (up 18%).
See also Top Peanuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Almonds Exporters by Country, Top Walnut Exporters by Country and Top Cashews Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Pistachios Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Hazelnuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Brazil Nuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices and Top Sunflower Seeds Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Chestnut Showroom. Accessed on January 4, 2026
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on January 4, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 4, 2026
Wikipedia, Chestnut. Accessed on January 4, 2026