Overall, exports of macadamia nuts dropped in value by an average -9% since 2018 when export revenues for macadamia nuts totaled $924.3 million.
Year over year, worldwide export revenues for the rich and buttery tasting nuts fell by -10.6% compared to $941.5 million in international sales during 2021.
Fresh or dried macadamia nuts in shell accounted for 30.8% of total export sales in 2022, compared to the remaining 69.2% collected in revenues for exported fresh or dried macadamia nuts that have been shelled. The share for shelled macadamia nuts improved from 67.7% for 2021.
Raw macadamia nut seeds come from the fruits of macadamia trees–a genus noted for relatively shallow roots. This attribute makes macadamia trees susceptible to destruction by storm winds.
Macadamia nuts are rich in selenium, a valued antioxidant that bolsters the quality of blood flow, resistance to disease, and defends against inflammation.
Wide-scale commercial products of macadamias began during the 1880s in Hawaii when Australian seeds were planted. Outpacing Australia since the 2010s, South Africa is now the world’s biggest producers of macadamia nuts.
Macadamia nuts are the world’s costliest nut in part due to its slow harvesting cycle.
Interestingly, macadamias can be toxic to dogs. In contrast, macadamia nuts are often fed to large parrots in captivity since these birds are one of the few animals capable of cracking the macadamia nut’s shell in order to eat the seed inside.
Major Suppliers of Macadamia Nuts on Global Markets
By value, the 5 biggest exporters of macadamia nuts are South Africa, Australia, Kenya, mainland China and the Netherlands. Collectively, that cohort of major suppliers sold 81.2% of all shelled and unshelled macadamias exported during 2022 as measured by value.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Africa supplied the highest dollar worth of exported macadamia nuts during 2022 with shipments valued at $442.1 million or 52.5% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Oceania (26.7%) led by Australia, trailed by international sellers in Asia (7.7%), Europe (6.2%), Latin America (3.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then North America (3.1%) mostly the United States of America.
Most Valuable Customers for Imported Macadamia Nuts
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of macadamia nuts in 2022 were the United States of America, mainland China, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. Combined, that quintet of top import countries bought almost three-quarters (74.4%) of globally imported macadamia nuts as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest exporters of macadamia nuts (81.2% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated group compared to more than 100 importing countries, islands and territories. Specifically, the top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total for imported macadamia nuts at 74.4%.
As for global imports of macadamia nuts distributed by continent, 53% of macadamia nuts purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia. In second place were importers in North America (24.7%), Europe (18.6%), Africa (3.3%), Latin America (0.2%), then Oceania (also 0.2%) led by Australia.
Average Unit Prices by Type of Macadamia Nuts
We calculated the average unit price paid by importers of macadamia nuts still in-shell to be $3,398 per ton in 2022. That dollar amount reflects a -23% discount from the average tonnage rate of $4,412 during 2021.
Imports of shelled macadamia nuts demand a higher unit price. For shelled macadamia nuts, the average unit price paid by importers was $13,538 per ton in 2022 down by -16.2% from the average tonnage rate of $16,156 for 2021. The higher average costs result in part from shelling labor costs and other processing expenses.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 080261 for fresh or dried macadamia nuts in shell, and 080262 for fresh or dried shelled macadamia nuts.
Top Macadamia Nuts Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of macadamia nuts during 2022, regardless of whether the shipped macadamia nuts were in-shell or shelled.
- South Africa: US$285.9 million (34% of exported macadamia nuts)
- Australia: $224.4 million (26.7%)
- Kenya: $103.2 million (12.3%)
- China: $42.8 million (5.1%)
- Netherlands: $26.9 million (3.2%)
- Guatemala: $26.8 million (3.2%)
- Malawi: $26.1 million (3.1%)
- United States: $25.6 million (3%)
- Germany: $18 million (2.1%)
- Vietnam: $12.7 million (1.5%)
- Mozambique: $11.4 million (1.3%)
- Zimbabwe: $10.5 million (1.2%)
- Hong Kong: $6.7 million (0.8%)
- Brazil: $4 million (0.5%)
- Zambia: $2.3 million (0.3%)
- France: $2 million (0.2%)
- Rwanda: $1.7 million (0.2%)
- Spain: $1.5 million (0.2%)
- Singapore: $1 million (0.1%)
- Greece: $836,000 (0.1%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 99.9% of globally exported macadamia nuts in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing macadamia nuts exporters since 2021 were: Zambia (up 127%), France (up 94.2%), United States of America (up 91.7%) and South Africa (up 33.5%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported macadamia nuts sales were led by: Hong Kong (down -61.2% from 2021), Vietnam (down -59%), Brazil (down -43.9%), Netherlands (down -33.6%) and Guatemala (down -28.2%).
Top Macadamia Nuts Imported by Country
Overall spending on imported macadamia nuts grew by 6.3% over the 5-year period starting from $739.5 million in 2018 and flatlined via a 0.5% year-over-year gain compared to $781.5 million for 2021.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of macadamia nuts imported during 2022, for any macadamia nuts regardless of whether shelled or not.
- China: US$259.8 million (33.1% of imported macadamia nuts)
- United States: $187.7 million (23.9%)
- Germany: $54.5 million (6.9%)
- Japan: $47.8 million (6.1%)
- Vietnam: $36.9 million (4.7%)
- Netherlands: $35.1 million (4.5%)
- South Africa: $24.2 million (3.1%)
- Hong Kong: $13.9 million (1.8%)
- South Korea: $13.1 million (1.7%)
- Taiwan: $12.74 million (1.6%)
- Spain: $12.7 million (1.6%)
- France: $8.7 million (1.1%)
- Thailand: $7.4 million (0.9%)
- Canada: $6.4 million (0.8%)
- United Kingdom: $6.3 million (0.8%)
- Malaysia: $6.2 million (0.8%)
- Switzerland: $5.5 million (0.7%)
- Israel: $4.9 million (0.6%)
- Luxembourg: $4 million (0.5%)
- Italy: $3.8 million (0.5%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 95.6% of globally imported macadamia nuts in 2022.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing buyers of imported macadamia nuts were: United States of America (up 40.3% from 2021), United Kingdom (up 28.6%), France (up 24.9%), Vietnam (up 22.2%), South Africa (up 15.5%) and Israel (up 15.4%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported macadamia nuts purchases were led by: Hong Kong (down -66.5%), Thailand (down -32.7%), Germany (down -29.9%), South Korea (down -29.6%), and Spain (also -29.6%).
Imported In-Shell Macadamia Nuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
In 2022, the world’s average unit price for imports of in-shell macadamia nuts was US$3,398 per ton. That average metric was down -23% from $4,412 per ton for 2021.
The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of unshelled macadamia nuts, mainland China, was higher at $4,245 per ton.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported in-shell macadamia nuts in 2022.
- Kyrgyzstan: US$418 per ton (down -3% from 2021)
- Uzbekistan: $500 per ton (down -50%)
- Lithuania: $889 per ton (down -92.6%)
- Thailand: $935 per ton (down -70.4%)
- Ethiopia: $1,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Kazakhstan: $1,516 per ton (up 25.9%)
- Rwanda: $1,667 per ton (up 66.7%)
- United States of America: $1,720 per ton (down -51.1%)
- Armenia: $2,000 per ton (up 100%)
- Malawi: $2,475 per ton (down -32.1%)
- Greece: $2,571 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Spain: $2,667 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- South Africa: $2,864 per ton (down -15.9%)
- Israel: $2,975 per ton (down -35.7%)
- Estonia: $3,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
The severest reductions in average unit price paid per ton for in-shell macadamia nuts were recorded by low-cost importers in Lithuania (down -92.6% from 2021), Thailand (down -70.4%), United States of America (down -51.1%), Uzbekistan (down -50%), and Israel (down -35.7%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported in-shell macadamia nuts.
- Maldives: US$37,000 per ton (down -1.3% from 2021)
- Bahrain: $35,000 per ton (up 45.8%)
- Portugal: $29,000 per ton (up 35.9%)
- Austria: $28,000 per ton (down -0.9%)
- Sweden: $20,000 per ton (up 25%)
- Lebanon: $19,000 per ton (up 1800%)
- Bulgaria: $17,750 per ton (down -16%)
- Azerbaijan: $15,500 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Canada: $15,000 per ton (up 19%)
- New Zealand: $14,500 per ton (down -22.7%)
- Malaysia: $14,007 per ton (down -22.7%)
- Indonesia: $13,000 per ton (up 18.2%)
- Netherlands: $12,092 per ton (down -19.3%)
- France: $12,057 per ton (down -11.7%)
- Philippines: $12,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
The strongest increases in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2022 compared to 2021 were experienced by buyers in Lebanon (up 1,800%), Bahrain (up 45.8%), Portugal (up 35.9%), Sweden (up 25%), Canada (up 19%), and Indonesia (up 18.2%).
Imported Shelled Macadamia Nuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
In 2022, the world’s average unit price for imports of shelled macadamia nuts was US$13,538 per ton. That dollar metric reflects a -16.2% drop from an average $16,156 per ton during 2021.
The average tonnage charge paid by the number one importer of shelled macadamia nuts, the United States of America, was higher at $14,721 in 2022.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported macadamia nuts in 2022 that that have already had their shells removed.
- Kazakhstan: US$125 per ton (down -75% from 2021)
- Tanzania: $333 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Kyrgyzstan: $375 per ton (down -16.7%)
- Barbados: $500 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Afghanistan: $523 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Ivory Coast: $2,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Bangladesh: $2,000 per ton (down -83.3%)
- Angola: $2,000 per ton (up 2885.1%)
- Mozambique: $4,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Macao: $4,000 per ton (down -61.9%)
- Oman: $5,500 per ton (down -63.3%)
- New Caledonia: $6,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Fiji: $6,333 per ton (up 111.1%)
- Kenya: $7,217 per ton (up 128.8%)
- Brazil: $7,345 per ton (down -2.6%)
The severest shrinkage in average unit price paid per ton for shelled macadamia nuts were enjoyed by low-cost importers in Bangladesh (down -83.3% from 2021), Kazakhstan (down -75%), Oman (down -63.3%), Macao (down -61.9%) and Kyrgyzstan (down -16.7%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported macadamia nuts with shells removed.
- Maldives: US$35,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Iceland: $34,000 per ton (up 38.8% from 2021)
- Estonia: $31,000 per ton (up 45.9%)
- Curaçao: $31,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Finland: $24,600 per ton (down -8.9%)
- Ireland: $23,333 per ton (up 27.6%)
- Dominican Republic: $22,667 per ton (up 25.9%)
- Egypt: $22,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Luxembourg: $21,457 per ton (up 10.4%)
- Hungary: $21,000 per ton (down -2.3%)
- Hong Kong: $20,160 per ton (up 29.8%)
- Latvia: $20,000 per ton (down -33.3%)
- Saudi Arabia: $19,621 per ton (down -41.7%)
- Czech Republic: $19,468 per ton (down -9.6%)
- Denmark: $19,400 per ton (down -6.9%)
The fastest growth specific to buyers paying the highest average unit prices belong to Estonia (up 45.9% from 2021), Iceland (up 38.8%), Hong Kong (up 29.8%), Ireland (up 27.6%), then the Dominican Republic (up 25.9%).
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 and Top Chestnuts Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Macadamia Nut Showroom. Accessed on July 23, 2023
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on July 23, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 23, 2023
Wikipedia, Macadamia. Accessed on July 23, 2023
