
Overall sales of exported cranberries increased by an average 34.8% since 2016 when globally exported cranberries sales were $445.8 million.
From 2019 to 2020, the dollar value of exported cranberries shrank by -2.6%.
A cranberry is a hard, sour and bitter-tasting fruit. Therefore, roughly 95% of cranberries are processed into cranberry juice or sauce. Cranberry juices are typically sweetened with one teaspoon of sugar per ounce or are blended with other fruit juices to reduce tartness.
The 5 biggest exporters of cranberries (United States, Netherlands, Canada, Germany and Chile) generated 93.1% of all international cranberries sold during 2020.
Applying a continental lens, countries in North America sold the highest dollar worth of exported cranberries during 2020 with shipments valued at $369.9 million or 61.5% of the global total. In second place were European exporters (31.6%). Tinier international sales of cranberries originated from Latin America (3.9%) including the Caribbean, Asia (2.9%), Oceania (0.03%) Australia and New Zealand only, and Africa (0.01%).
Shifting our focus to imported cranberries, the 5 leading importers of cranberries in 2020 are Netherlands, China, Germany, Poland and Canada. Collectively, that quintet of top import countries bought 53.6% of global cranberry imports.
The above percentages suggest a much more concentrated cohort of 62 total cranberries exporters (78.9% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) compared to 137 buying countries, islands and territories with the top 5 importers consuming over half (53.6%).
Of the global imports total, 57.3% of cranberries were delivered to European countries ahead of importers in Asia (24%), North America (12.6%), Oceania (3.1%) mostly Australia and New Zealand, Latin America (2.4%) including the Caribbean, then Africa (0.5%).
Worldwide, the average unit price paid by cranberries importers was $3,855 per ton in 2020. That dollar amount reflects a -5% reduction from the average tonnage rate of $4,058 for 2019.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for cranberries is 200893 including prepared or preserved cranberries.
Top Cranberries Exports by Country
Below are the top 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cranberries during 2020.
- United States: US$269.4 million (44.8% of total exported cranberries)
- Netherlands: $142.5 million (23.7%)
- Canada: $100.5 million (16.7%)
- Germany: $23.8 million (4%)
- Chile: $23.4 million (3.9%)
- Malaysia: $14.5 million (2.4%)
- Italy: $3.2 million (0.5%)
- Denmark: $3 million (0.5%)
- Poland: $2.7 million (0.4%)
- United Kingdom: $2.3 million (0.4%)
- Switzerland: $1.7 million (0.3%)
- Austria: $1.7 million (0.3%)
- Slovakia: $1.6 million (0.3%)
- Lithuania: $1.3 million (0.2%)
- Hungary: $1.1 million (0.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.6% of globally exported cranberries in 2020.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cranberries exporters since 2019 were: Switzerland (up 21,563%), Poland (up 105.3%), Austria (up 31.3%) and Chile (up 21.3%).
Four countries posted declines in their exported cranberries sales namely Malaysia (down -32.2%), United States (down -8.1%), Italy (down -7.8%) and Germany (down -4.3%).
Top Cranberries Imports by Country
The overall cost for imported cranberries expanded by 30.1% over the 5-year period starting in 2016 but fell by -5.6% year over year since 2019.
Below are the 15 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of cranberries imported during 2020.
- Netherlands: US$105.3 million (19.3% of total imported cranberries)
- China: $65.2 million (11.9%)
- Germany: $62 million (11.4%)
- Poland: $33.3 million (6.1%)
- Canada: $26.9 million (4.9%)
- United States: $21.3 million (3.9%)
- Mexico: $20.8 million (3.8%)
- United Kingdom: $18.1 million (3.3%)
- Malaysia: $16.2 million (3%)
- France: $14 million (2.6%)
- Australia: $11.9 million (2.2%)
- South Korea: $11.9 million (2.2%)
- Spain: $10.4 million (1.9%)
- Taiwan: $10.2 million (1.9%)
- Italy: $8.8 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries bought 80% of globally imported cranberries in 2020.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing cranberries importers since 2019 were: Poland (up 37.4%), Spain (up 22.9%), United States (up 21.8%) and United Kingdom (up 20.6%).
Those countries that posted double-digit declines in their imported cranberries sales were: Malaysia (down -33.3%), Mexico (down -30.6%), China (down -20%) and Italy (down -13%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Imported Cranberries
In 2020, the world’s average unit price for imported cranberries was US$3,855 per ton.
The average tonnage charge for the number one cranberries importer, Netherlands, was $4,143 per ton.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the least expensive average unit prices for imported cranberries in 2020.
- Ghana: US$692 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Pakistan: $842 per ton (down -15.8% from 2019)
- Laos: $877 per ton (up 163.4%)
- Uzbekistan: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Venezuela: $1,000 per ton (down -83.3%)
- Barbados: $1,000 per ton (down -57.1%)
- Eritrea: $1,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Brunei Darussalam: $1,250 per ton (down -1.9%)
- British Virgin Islands: $1,500 per ton (down -14.3%)
- Belgium: $1,686 per ton (down -8.5%)
- Turkmenistan: $1,800 per ton (up 80%)
- Belarus: $1,913 per ton (down -34.4%)
- Senegal: $2,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Botswana: $2,571 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- Chile: $2,649 per ton (up 33.2%)
Experiencing the severest reductions in average unit price per ton for cranberries from 2019 to 2020 were low-cost importers Venezuela (down -83.3%), Barbados (down -57.1%), Belarus (down -34.4%), Pakistan (down -15.8%) and the British Virgin Islands (down -14.3%).
The following countries paid for imported cranberries incurring the highest average unit prices.
- Mauritius: US$12,000 per ton (down -17.2% from 2019)
- Macao: $11,000 per ton (up 200%)
- Faroe Islands: $10,250 per ton (up 2.5%)
- Norway: $9,673 per ton (up 23.2%)
- Oman: $9,000 per ton (up 80%)
- Greenland: $9,000 per ton (down -18.2%)
- Nicaragua: $8,000 per ton (up 100%)
- Kuwait: $6,542 per ton (up 61.3%)
- Honduras: $6,500 per ton (up 225%)
- Malta: $6,429 per ton (up 13.4%)
- Bermuda: $6,333 per ton (down -1%)
- Switzerland: $6,222 per ton (down -9.4%)
- Cyprus: $6,000 per ton (up 83%)
- Sri Lanka: $6,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
- New Caledonia: $6,000 per ton (2019 data unavailable)
The 6 strongest gains in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2020 compared to 2019 were experienced by importers in the Honduras (up 225%), Macao (up 200%), Nicaragua (up 100%), Cyprus (up 83%), Oman (up 80%) and Kuwait (up 61.3%).
See also Top Strawberries Exporters by Country, Sweet Cherries Exports by Country, Top Saffron Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Jams Exporting Countries and Top Figs Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Cranberry Showroom. Accessed on January 30, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on January 30, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 30, 2022
Wikipedia, Cranberry. Accessed on January 30, 2022