Overall, exports of macadamia nuts dropped in value by an average -9.1% since 2017 when export revenues for macadamia nuts totaled $651 million.
Year over year, worldwide export revenues for the rich and buttery tasting nuts expanded by 10.7% compared to $534.9 million during 2020.
Fresh or dried macadamia nuts in shell accounted for 32.3% of total export sales in 2021, compared to the remaining 67.7% collected in revenues for exported fresh or dried macadamia nuts that have been shelled.
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, Guatemala, Hong Kong, and Zimbabwe. Collectively, that cohort of major suppliers sold 85.6% of all shelled and unshelled macadamias exported during 2021.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Africa supplied the highest dollar worth of exported macadamia nuts during 2021 with shipments valued at $263.5 million or 44.5% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Oceania (31.4%) led by Australia, trailed by sellers in Latin America (10.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Asia (6.5%), Europe (4.2%), then North America (2.8%) 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 2021 were mainland China, United States of America, Germany, Vietnam, and Japan. Combined, that quintet of top import countries bought slightly more than two-thirds (68.2%) of globally imported macadamia nuts as measured by dollar value.
The above percentages suggest exporters of macadamia nuts (85.6% for the corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated group compared to more than 100 buying countries, islands and territories. Specifically, the top 5 importers accounted for a smaller portion of its world total for imported macadamia nuts at 68.2%.
As for global imports of macadamia nuts by continent, 56.1% of macadamia nuts purchased on international markets was delivered to customers in Asia. In second place were importers in Europe (23.6%), North America (17.3%), Africa (2.7%), Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia, then Latin America (also 0.2%).
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 $4,412 per ton in 2021. That dollar amount reflects a -2.2% reduction from the average tonnage rate of $4,511 during 2020.
Exports of shelled macadamia nuts demand a higher unit price. For shelled macadamia nuts, the average unit price paid by importers was $15,112 per ton in 2021 down -8.3% from the average tonnage rate of $16,479 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 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 2021, regardless of whether the shipped macadamia nuts were in-shell or shelled.
- South Africa: US$208.8 million (35.3% of exported macadamia nuts)
- Australia: $185.9 million (31.4%)
- Guatemala: $50.3 million (8.5%)
- Hong Kong: $34.6 million (5.8%)
- Zimbabwe: $27.2 million (4.6%)
- Mozambique: $19.3 million (3.3%)
- Germany: $18.5 million (3.1%)
- United States: $16.5 million (2.8%)
- Brazil: $11.3 million (1.9%)
- Netherlands: $5.2 million (0.9%)
- Malawi: $4.6 million (0.8%)
- China: $1.9 million (0.3%)
- Vietnam: $1.3 million (0.2%)
- Uganda: $1.1 million (0.2%)
- Zambia: $1.1 million (0.2%)
- Eswatini: $604,000 (0.1%)
- Myanmar: $512,000 (0.1%)
- Paraguay: $494,000 (0.1%)
- Tanzania: $486,000 (0.1%)
- Spain: $368,000 (0.1%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 99.7% of globally exported macadamia nuts in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing macadamia nuts exporters since 2020 were: Myanmar (up 4,167%), Uganda (up 336.9%), Eswatini (up 214.6%), and the Netherlands (up 177.4%).
Five major suppliers posted declines in their sales of exported macadamia nuts. These were Spain (down -35.2%), Brazil (down -32.5%), Hong Kong (down -4.4%), Paraguay (down -3.5%), and South Africa (down -0.9%).
Top Macadamia Nuts Imported by Country
Overall spending on imported macadamia nuts grew by 25.6% over the 5-year period starting in 2017 and accelerated by 12.2% year over year starting in 2020.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of macadamia nuts imported during 2021, for any macadamia nuts regardless of whether shelled or not.
- China: US$231 million (28.3% of imported macadamia nuts)
- United States: $133.8 million (16.4%)
- Germany: $77.8 million (9.5%)
- Vietnam: $67 million (8.2%)
- Japan: $48.4 million (5.9%)
- Netherlands: $47.6 million (5.8%)
- Hong Kong: $41.3 million (5.1%)
- South Africa: $20.9 million (2.6%)
- South Korea: $18.7 million (2.3%)
- Spain: $18 million (2.2%)
- Taiwan: $16.5 million (2%)
- Thailand: $11 million (1.3%)
- Canada: $7.4 million (0.9%)
- France: $6.9 million (0.8%)
- Malaysia: $6.4 million (0.8%)
- Poland: $5.7 million (0.7%)
- United Kingdom: $5.1 million (0.6%)
- Switzerland: $4.9 million (0.6%)
- Israel: $4.2 million (0.5%)
- Luxembourg: $4.1 million (0.5%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 95% of globally imported macadamia nuts in 2021.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing macadamia nuts importers since 2021 were: Poland (up 107.8%), Vietnam (up 70.9%), Spain (up 52.1%), and Malaysia (up 47.4%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported macadamia nuts purchases were led by: France (down -58.2%), Luxembourg (down -36.2%), Hong Kong (down -34.2%), United Kingdom (down -22.8%), and Canada (down -18.9%).
Imported In-Shell Macadamia Nuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
In 2021, the world’s average unit price for imports of in-shell macadamia nuts was US$4,412 per ton.
The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of unshelled macadamia nuts, mainland China, was higher at $4,906.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported in-shell macadamia nuts in 2021.
- Kyrgyzstan: US$431 per ton (up 8% from 2020)
- Uzbekistan: $1,000 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Honduras: $1,000 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Tunisia: $1,643 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Mozambique: $2,500 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Costa Rica: $2,542 per ton (up 1%)
- Thailand: $3,158 per ton (up 31.7%)
- South Africa: $3,404 per ton (down -1.7%)
- Vietnam: $3,513 per ton (down -14.3%)
- United States: $3,519 per ton (up 126.7%)
- Belarus: $3,897 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Saudi Arabia: $4,063 per ton (down -80%)
- Malawi: $4,098 per ton (up 20.9%)
- Hong Kong: $4,332 per ton (down -13.7%)
- Russia: $4,345 per ton (up 10.9%)
There were 3 double-digit reductions in average unit price paid per ton for in-shell macadamia nuts from 2020 to 2021. These were low-cost importers Saudi Arabia (down -80%), Vietnam (down -14.3%), and Hong Kong (down -13.7%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported in-shell macadamia nuts.
- Maldives: US$37,500 per ton (up 33.9% from 2020)
- Austria: $28,250 per ton (up 21.1%)
- Bulgaria: $21,714 per ton (down -5.6%)
- Portugal: $21,333 per ton (up 6.7%)
- New Zealand: $18,750 per ton (down -23.5%)
- Switzerland: $18,500 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Malaysia: $18,114 per ton (up 0.1%)
- Sweden: $16,000 per ton (up 300%)
- United Kingdom: $15,667 per ton (up 18.2%)
- Netherlands: $15,008 per ton (down -9.8%)
- France: $13,647 per ton (up 47.5%)
- Czech Republic: $13,500 per ton (down -20.6%)
- Japan: $13,000 per ton (up 550%)
- Canada: $12,600 per ton (up 53.7%)
- South Korea: $12,000 per ton (down -10%)
The strongest increases in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2021 compared to 2020 were experienced by buyers in Japan (up 550%), Sweden (up 300%), Canada (up 53.7%), France (up 47.5%), and the Maldives (up 33.9%).
Imported Shelled Macadamia Nuts: Lowest and Highest Unit Prices
In 2021, the world’s average unit price for imports of shelled macadamia nuts was US$15,112 per ton.
The average tonnage charge for the number one importer of shelled macadamia nuts, the United States of America, was slightly higher at $15,214.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported macadamia nuts in 2021 that that have already had their shells removed.
- Kyrgyzstan: US$450 per ton (down -0.7% from 2020)
- Sri Lanka: $1,333 per ton (up 33.3%)
- Fiji: $3,000 per ton (down -70%)
- Kenya: $3,154 per ton (down 0%)
- Mozambique: $4,000 per ton (down 0%)
- Bangladesh: $4,000 per ton (down -42.9%)
- Oman: $5,000 per ton (down -41.6%)
- Namibia: $5,000 per ton (down 0%)
- Nicaragua: $7,000 per ton (up 75%)
- Brazil: $7,543 per ton (down 0%)
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the: $7,945 per ton (down 0%)
- Morocco: $8,000 per ton (up 45.5%)
- Indonesia: $9,000 per ton (down -41.6%)
- Peru: $9,000 per ton (down 0%)
- Vietnam: $9,812 per ton (down -49.3%)
The severest shrinkage in average unit price paid per ton for shelled macadamia nuts from 2020 to 2021 belong to low-cost importers in Fiji (down -70%), Vietnam (down -49.3), Bangladesh (down -42.9%), Oman (down -41.6%), and Indonesia (also down -41.6%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported macadamia nuts without their shells .
- Finland: US$432,000 per ton (up 127.4% from 2020)
- Saudi Arabia: $33,634 per ton (up 79.5%)
- Latvia: $30,000 per ton (up 57.9%)
- Iceland: $24,500 per ton (up 14%)
- India: $23,333 per ton (up 37.3%)
- Belarus: $22,500 per ton (up 18.4%)
- Czech Republic: $21,488 per ton (down -0.8%)
- Ireland: $21,333 per ton (down -14.7%)
- Bulgaria: $21,320 per ton (up 11.7%)
- Estonia: $21,250 per ton (up 4.5%)
- Lebanon: $21,097 per ton (down -10%)
- Ethiopia: $21,000 per ton (down 0%)
- Sweden: $20,917 per ton (2020 data unavailable)
- Denmark: $20,895 per ton (up 0.9%)
- Jordan: $20,615 per ton (up 3.9%)
The fastest growth specific to buyers paying the highest average unit prices belong to Finland (up 127.4% from 2020), Saudi Arabia (up 79.5%), Latvia (up 57.9%), India (up 37.3%), then Belarus (up 18.4%).
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 September 14, 2022
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 14, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 14, 2022
Wikipedia, Macadamia. Accessed on September 14, 2022
