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Top Chestnuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices

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Shelled raw chestnuts
Raw chestnuts
In 2021, worldwide exports of chestnuts were worth a total US$324.8 million.

Exports of chestnuts fell in value by an overall average -2% since 2017 when export sales for chestnuts were $331.6 million.

Year over year, export revenues grew by 7.6% from $264.1 million in 2020 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.

Key Geographic Insights for Chestnut Exports & Imports

By value, the 5 biggest exporters of chestnuts are Italy, mainland China, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. Combined, that leading subgroup sold over three-quarters (76.4%) of all export revenues for chestnuts during 2021.

Applying a continental perspective, countries in Europe supplied the highest dollar worth of exported chestnuts during 2021 with shipments valued at $186.9 million or 57.5% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Asia (39.8%) trailed by those in Latin America (2.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (0.1%), Africa (0.03%), then Oceania (0.02%) led by Fiji and Australia.

Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of chestnuts in 2021 were Italy, Japan, France, Germany and Switzerland. That quintet of major import countries bought over half (52.4%) of globally imported chestnuts as measured by dollar value.

The above percentages suggest the total 54 exporters of chestnuts (79.8% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to 103 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total for imported chestnuts at 52.4%.

As for global imports of chestnuts by continent, 63.2% of chestnuts purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Europe ahead of importers in Asia (29.8%), North America (6%), Latin America (0.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.03%), then Oceania (0.03%) led by New Zealand.

We calculated the average unit price paid by importers of chestnuts still in-shell to be $3,314 per ton in 2021. That dollar amount reflects a 22.3% gain from the average tonnage rate of $2,710 during 2020.

Exports of shelled chestnuts attract a higher unit price. For shelled chestnuts, the average unit price paid by importers was $5,343 per ton in 2021 up 3.1% from the average tonnage rate of $5,184 for 2020. 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, 12.3% of chestnuts exported worldwide by value were for shelled chestnuts. The remaining 87.7% 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 2021, regardless of whether the shipped chestnuts were in-shell or shelled.

  1. Italy: US$74.7 million (23% of total exported chestnuts)
  2. China: $72.2 million (22.2%)
  3. Turkey: $35.1 million (10.8%)
  4. Spain: $33.1 million (10.2%)
  5. Portugal: $32.9 million (10.1%)
  6. France: $16.7 million (5.2%)
  7. Greece: $15.6 million (4.8%)
  8. South Korea: $14.5 million (4.5%)
  9. Chile: $6.5 million (2%)
  10. Japan: $3.5 million (1.1%)
  11. Austria: $3.3 million (1%)
  12. Netherlands: $2.9 million (0.9%)
  13. Germany: $2.4 million (0.7%)
  14. Albania: $1.8 million (0.6%)
  15. United Arab Emirates: $1.5 million (0.5%)
  16. Belgium: $1.2 million (0.4%)
  17. Georgia: $495,000 (0.2%)
  18. Thailand: $428,000 (0.1%)
  19. Hong Kong: $416,000 (0.1%)
  20. Poland: $415,000 (0.1%)

By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 98.5% of globally exported chestnuts in 2021.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing chestnuts exporters since 2020 were: Thailand (up 895.3%), Austria (up 184.5%), Japan (up 94.6%) and Albania (up 58.1%).

Those countries that posted declines in their exported chestnuts sales were led by: Germany (down -25.7%), Poland (down -25.4%), Georgia (down -15.5%), Hong Kong (down -13%) and mainland China (down -11.8%).

Top Chestnuts Imports by Country

Overall spending on imported chestnuts amounted to $345.8 million during 2021. That dollar amount reflects a 2.3% rise over the 5-year period starting in 2017 and an 11.7% year-over-year uptick since 2020.

Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of chestnuts imported during 2021, comprising all chestnuts regardless of whether shelled or not.

  1. Italy: US$75 million (21.7% of total imported chestnuts)
  2. Japan: $31.2 million (9%)
  3. France: $30.2 million (8.7%)
  4. Germany: $27.1 million (7.8%)
  5. Switzerland: $17.5 million (5.1%)
  6. Austria: $16.8 million (4.9%)
  7. China: $14.7 million (4.2%)
  8. United States: $13.6 million (3.9%)
  9. Spain: $12 million (3.5%)
  10. Taiwan: $10.6 million (3.1%)
  11. Thailand: $8.9 million (2.6%)
  12. Canada: $7 million (2%)
  13. Israel: $5.9 million (1.7%)
  14. United Kingdom: $5.7 million (1.6%)
  15. Portugal: $5.6 million (1.6%)
  16. Vietnam: $4.54 million (1.3%)
  17. Hungary: $4.46 million (1.3%)
  18. Netherlands: $4.3 million (1.2%)
  19. Belgium: $4.2 million (1.2%)
  20. Malaysia: $2.7 million (0.8%)

By value, the listed 20 countries bought 87.3% of globally imported chestnuts in 2021.

Among the top importers, the fastest-growing chestnuts importers since 2020 were: Vietnam (up 116.8%), mainland China (up 73.7%), Taiwan (up 47.5%) and Japan (up 39.9%).

Two major importers posted declines in their imported chestnuts purchases, namely Thailand (down -31.1% from 2020) and France (down -11%).

Imported In-Shell Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2021, the world’s average unit price for imports of in-shell chestnuts was US$3,314 per ton.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of unshelled chestnuts, Italy, was slightly higher at $3,324.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported in-shell chestnuts in 2021.

  1. Kazakhstan: US$208 per ton (down -86.1% from 2020)
  2. British Virgin Islands: $333 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  3. Turks & Caicos Islands: $500 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  4. Philippines: $502 per ton (down -53%)
  5. Macao: $516 per ton (down -11.3%)
  6. Albania: $675 per ton (down -1.6%)
  7. Algeria: $750 per ton (down -31.8%)
  8. Qatar: $771 per ton (down -26.6%)
  9. United Arab Emirates: $775 per ton (up 2.2%)
  10. Turkey: $795 per ton (up 17.3%)
  11. New Zealand: $800 per ton (up 19.9%)
  12. Cambodia: $840 per ton (up 68%)
  13. Laos: $1,000 per ton (up 100.4%)
  14. Angola: $1,000 per ton (down -87.5%)
  15. Congo: $1,000 per ton (2020 data unavailable)

There were 6 double-digit reductions in average unit price paid per ton for in-shell chestnuts from 2020 to 2021 namely low-cost importers Angola (down -87.5%), Kazakhstan (down -86.1%), Philippines (down -53%), Algeria (down -31.8%), Qatar (down -26.6%) and Macao (down -11.3%).

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

  1. Finland: US$166,000 per ton (up 44.3% from 2020)
  2. Ivory Coast: $21,000 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  3. Bermuda: $17,000 per ton (up 61.9%)
  4. Venezuela: $8,400 per ton (up 40%)
  5. Cabo Verde: $7,000 per ton (up 40%)
  6. Panama: $6,500 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  7. Switzerland: $6,474 per ton (up 9.6%)
  8. Lithuania: $6,000 per ton (up 7.9%)
  9. Malta: $5,830 per ton (up 12.8%)
  10. Germany: $5,708 per ton (up 8.9%)
  11. Slovakia: $5,659 per ton (up 8.5%)
  12. Austria: $5,392 per ton (down -1.2%)
  13. Norway: $5,359 per ton (up 50.2%)
  14. United States: $5,346 per ton (up 29.5%)
  15. Luxembourg: $5,322 per ton (up 13.2%)

The greatest inflation in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2021 compared to 2020 were experienced by chestnut importers in Bermuda (up 61.9%), Norway (up 50.2%), Finland (up 44.3%), Venezuela (up 40%), Cabo Verde (also up 40%) and the United States of America (up 29.5%).

Imported Shelled Chestnuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices

In 2021, the world’s average unit price for imports of shelled chestnuts was US$5,343 per ton.

The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of shelled chestnuts, Japan, was much higher at $8,770.

Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported chestnuts in 2021 that that have already had their shells removed.

  1. Macao: US$653 per ton (up 8.1% from 2020)
  2. Russia: $800 per ton (down -7.3%)
  3. China: $1,000 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  4. Guatemala: $1,000 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  5. Brazil: $1,214 per ton (down -82.7%)
  6. Angola: $1,500 per ton (down -25%)
  7. Bulgaria: $2,000 per ton (down -50%)
  8. Kuwait: $2,000 per ton (up 100%)
  9. Indonesia: $2,182 per ton (up 5.1%)
  10. Bahrain: $2,222 per ton (up 11.1%)
  11. Netherlands: $2,466 per ton (up 14%)
  12. Serbia: $2,545 per ton (up 41%)
  13. Canada: $2,595 per ton (up 3.6%)
  14. Jamaica: $2,667 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
  15. Hungary: $2,717 per ton (up 5.1%)

The 4 reductions in average unit price paid per ton for shelled chestnuts from 2020 to 2021 belong to low-cost importers in Brazil (down -82.7%), Bulgaria (down -50%), Angola (down -25%) and the Russian Federation (down -7.3%).

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

  1. Finland: US$17,000 per ton (down -29.2% from 2020)
  2. Saudi Arabia: $10,935 per ton (up 182.8%)
  3. Iceland: $10,000 per ton (down -9.1%)
  4. Japan: $8,770 per ton (up 16.2%)
  5. Thailand: $8,667 per ton (up 14%)
  6. Malta: $8,636 per ton (down -15.3%)
  7. Cyprus: $8,500 per ton (up 91.3%)
  8. Maldives: $8,000 per ton (up 33.3%)
  9. Austria: $7,602 per ton (down -2.6%)
  10. Chile: $7,583 per ton (up 3.4%)
  11. Portugal: $7,308 per ton (down -4.7%)
  12. United States: $7,246 per ton (down -3.2%)
  13. Poland: $7,200 per ton (down -11.3%)
  14. Latvia: $7,200 per ton (down -13.6%)
  15. Czech Republic: $7,143 per ton (up 101.9%)

The strongest percentage increases in terms of higher average unit prices in 2021 compared to 2020 were paid by importers of shelled chestnuts in Saudi Arabia (up 182.8%), Czech Republic (up 101.9%) and Cyprus (up 91.3%).

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 December 20, 2022

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

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

Wikipedia, Chestnut. Accessed on December 20, 2022