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Top Chestnuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices

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Shelled raw chestnuts
Raw chestnuts
In 2020, worldwide exports of chestnuts were worth a total US$298.3 million.

Exports of chestnuts expanded in value by an overall average 59.8% since 2016 when export sales for chestnuts were $349.8 million.

From 2019 to 2020, export revenues shrank by -15.3% for the seed that is sweet, buttery and soft when roasted–but taste 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, Turkey and Portugal) sold four-fifths (79.8%% of all chestnuts exported during 2020.

Applying a continental perspective, countries in Europe supplied the highest dollar worth of exported chestnuts during 2020 with shipments valued at $170.8 million or 57.3% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Asia (40.3%) trailed by those in Latin America (2.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.4%), Oceania (0.01%) led by Australia, then Africa (0.0003%).

Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of chestnuts in 2020 were Italy, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. Collectively, that quintet of top import countries bought over half (53%) of globally imported chestnuts as measured by dollar value.

The above percentages suggest the total 49 exporters of chestnuts (79.8% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to 90 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total for imported chestnuts at 53%.

As for global imports of chestnuts by continent, 65.1% of chestnuts purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Europe ahead of importers in Asia (27.4%), North America (6.1%), Latin America (0.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Oceania (0.3%) led by Australia, then Africa (0.2%).

We calculated the average unit price paid by importers of chestnuts still in-shell to be $2,718 per ton in 2020. That dollar amount reflects a 0.1% gain from the average tonnage rate of $2,716 during 2019.

Exports of shelled chestnuts attract a higher unit price. For shelled chestnuts, the average unit price paid by importers was $5,167 per ton in 2020 down -6.9% from the average tonnage rate of $5,547 for 2019. The higher average price results in part from shelling 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, 12.6% of chestnuts exported worldwide by value were for shelled chestnuts. The remaining 87.4% was paid for chestnuts in shell.

Top Chestnuts Exports by Country

Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts during 2020, regardless of whether the shipped chestnuts were in-shell or shelled.

  1. China: US$81.8 million (27.4% of total exported chestnuts)
  2. Italy: $76.3 million (25.6%)
  3. Spain: $33.3 million (11.2%)
  4. Turkey: $24.1 million (8.1%)
  5. Portugal: $22.7 million (7.6%)
  6. France: $13.6 million (4.6%)
  7. Greece: $12.6 million (4.2%)
  8. South Korea: $9.6 million (3.2%)
  9. Chile: $5.1 million (1.7%)
  10. Germany: $3.2 million (1.1%)
  11. Netherlands: $2.5 million (0.8%)
  12. Japan: $1.8 million (0.6%)
  13. Austria: $1.2 million (0.4%)
  14. United States: $1.1 million (0.4%)
  15. United Arab Emirates: $1 million (0.3%)
  16. Belgium: $886,000 (0.3%)
  17. Georgia: $586,000 (0.2%)
  18. Poland: $556,000 (0.2%)
  19. Hong Kong: $478,000 (0.2%)
  20. Czech Republic: $404,000 (0.1%)

By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.1% of globally exported chestnuts in 2020.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing chestnuts exporters since 2019 were: Belgium (up 142.7%), Georgia (up 109.3%), United States of America (up 60.5%) and Hong Kong (up 55.7%).

Those countries that posted declines in their exported chestnuts sales were led by: Chile (down -83.1%), Portugal (down -43.3%), Germany (down -42.4%), Poland (down -37.2%) and Turkey (down -33.2%).

Top Chestnuts Imports by Country

Overall spending on imported chestnuts accelerated by 60.4% over the 5-year period starting in 2016 but declined by -13.1% year over year since 2019.

Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts imported during 2020, for any chestnuts regardless of whether shelled or not.

  1. Italy: US$65 million (21% of total imported chestnuts)
  2. France: $34 million (11%)
  3. Germany: $26.3 million (8.5%)
  4. Japan: $22.3 million (7.2%)
  5. Switzerland: $16.2 million (5.2%)
  6. Austria: $13.9 million (4.5%)
  7. Thailand: $12.9 million (4.2%)
  8. United States: $11.9 million (3.8%)
  9. Spain: $10.6 million (3.4%)
  10. Taiwan: $7.2 million (2.3%)
  11. Canada: $6.9 million (2.3%)
  12. United Kingdom: $5.3 million (1.7%)
  13. Portugal: $4.9 million (1.6%)
  14. Israel: $4.5 million (1.4%)
  15. Netherlands: $3.8 million (1.2%)
  16. Hungary: $3.62 million (1.2%)
  17. Belgium: $3.61 million (1.2%)
  18. Brazil: $2.7 million (0.9%)
  19. Malaysia: $2.2 million (0.7%)
  20. Vietnam: $2.1 million (0.7%)

By value, the listed 20 countries bought 84.2% of globally imported chestnuts in 2020.

Among the top importers, the fastest-growing chestnuts importers since 2019 were: Belgium (up 49%), Vietnam (up 29.5%), Taiwan (up 29.1%) and Netherlands (up 25.7%).

There were 6 countries that posted double-digit declines in their imported chestnuts purchases: Spain (down -36.6%), Italy (down -34.8%), Japan (down -26.6%), Brazil (down -20.6%), Thailand (down -12.3%) and Austria (down -12.2%).

Imported In-Shell Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2020, the world’s average unit price for imports of in-shell chestnuts was US$2,718 per ton.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of unshelled chestnuts, Italy, was lower at $2,632.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts in 2020.

  1. Cambodia: US$500 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  2. Macao: $582 per ton (down -81.3% from 2019)
  3. Senegal: $633 per ton (down -36.7%)
  4. South Africa: $643 per ton (down -89.3%)
  5. New Zealand: $667 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  6. Turkey: $678 per ton (down -9.8%)
  7. Albania: $691 per ton (up 24.3%)
  8. United Arab Emirates: $758 per ton (up 6%)
  9. Pakistan: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  10. Kenya: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  11. Kyrgyzstan: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  12. Armenia: $1,011 per ton (down -14%)
  13. Qatar: $1,051 per ton (down -16.6%)
  14. Morocco: $1,053 per ton (down -9.6%)
  15. Philippines: $1,069 per ton (up 1.1%)

There were 5 double-digit reductions in average unit price paid per ton for in-shell chestnuts from 2019 to 2020 namely low-cost importers South Africa (down -89.3%), Macao (down -81.3%), Senegal (down -36.7%), Qatar (down -16.6%) and Armenia (down -14%).

The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts.

  1. Finland: US$115,000 per ton (up 7.5% from 2019)
  2. Bermuda: $10,500 per ton (down -12.5%)
  3. Angola: $6,500 per ton (up 39.3%)
  4. Panama: $6,500 per ton (up 56%)
  5. Venezuela: $6,000 per ton (down -5.3%)
  6. Switzerland: $5,907 per ton (up 1.7%)
  7. Lithuania: $5,563 per ton (up 1.1%)
  8. Austria: $5,457 per ton (down -3%)
  9. Germany: $5,241 per ton (up 2.8%)
  10. Slovakia: $5,214 per ton (up 13.7%)
  11. Malta: $5,167 per ton (down -6.6%)
  12. Iceland: $5,000 per ton (up 66.7%)
  13. Cabo Verde: $5,000 per ton (down -16.7%)
  14. Poland: $4,968 per ton (down -3.1%)
  15. Hong Kong: $4,868 per ton (up 13.2%)

The 5 double-digit gains in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2020 compared to 2019 were experienced by importers in Iceland (up 66.7%), Panama (up 56%), Angola (up 39.3%), Slovakia (up 13.7%) and Hong Kong (up 13.2%).

Imported Shelled Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2020, the world’s average unit price for imports of shelled chestnuts was US$5,167 per ton.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of shelled chestnuts, Italy, was lower at $4,131.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported chestnuts in 2020 that that have already had their shells removed.

  1. Senegal: US$94 per ton (down -90.6% from 2019)
  2. Macao: $604 per ton (down -89%)
  3. North Macedonia: $750 per ton (down -30.6%)
  4. Russia: $863 per ton (down -10.5%)
  5. Kuwait: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  6. Bosnia/Herzegovina: $1,000 per ton (down -23.7%)
  7. Belize: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  8. Timor-Leste: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  9. Iraq: $1,083 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  10. Yemen: $1,100 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  11. Montenegro: $1,300 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  12. Serbia: $1,805 per ton (up 9.9%)
  13. United Arab Emirates: $1,844 per ton (up 28.7%)
  14. Chile: $1,886 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  15. Ireland: $1,944 per ton (down -33.1%)

The 6 double-digit reductions in average unit price paid per ton for shelled chestnuts from 2019 to 2020 belong to low-cost importers in Senegal (down -90.6%), Macao (down -89%), Ireland (down -33.1%), North Macedonia (down -30.6%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (down -23.7%) then the Russian Federation (down -10.5%).

The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported chestnuts without their shells .

  1. Finland: US$24,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
  2. Australia: $15,212 per ton (up 5.8% from 2019)
  3. Romania: $11,167 per ton (up 39.6%)
  4. Iceland: $11,000 per ton (up 175%)
  5. Cambodia: $11,000 per ton (up 22.2%)
  6. Malta: $10,200 per ton (up 149.3%)
  7. Oman: $8,923 per ton (down -2.7%)
  8. Latvia: $8,333 per ton (down -60.3%)
  9. Poland: $8,120 per ton (up 112.2%)
  10. Austria: $7,808 per ton (down -0.2%)
  11. Portugal: $7,667 per ton (up 33.6%)
  12. Thailand: $7,600 per ton (down -21%)
  13. Japan: $7,547 per ton (up 5.9%)
  14. United States: $7,485 per ton (up 9.2%)
  15. Luxembourg: $7,417 per ton (up 3.2%)

The 6 greatest increases in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2020 compared to 2019 were experienced by importers of shelled chestnuts in Iceland (up 175%), Malta (up 149.3%), Poland (up 112.2%), Romania (up 39.6%), Portugal (up 33.6%) and Cambodia (up 22.2%).

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 February 20, 2022

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on February 20, 2022

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 20, 2022

Wikipedia, Chestnut. Accessed on February 20, 2022