That dollar amount results from an average -9.2% decrease for all international shippers of pianos over the five-year period starting in 2020 when piano exports were worth $783.1 million.
Year over year, the value of globally exported pianos dropped by -19.3% compared to $881.5 million starting from 2023.
The top 5 most valuable exporters of pianos are Japan, Germany, Indonesia, mainland China and the United States of America. Combined, that quintet of major piano suppliers accounted for over three-quarters (76.9%) of all exported pianos sold in 2024.
From a continental perspective, exporters from Asian countries sold the highest dollar worth of exported pianos during 2024 with shipments valued at $416.5 million or nearly three-fifths (58.6%) of the global total. In second place were exporters located in Europe at 36.9% while another 4% of worldwide piano shipments originated from sellers in North America.
Tinier percentages came from suppliers in Latin America (0.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Oceania (0.15%) mostly Australia, and Africa (also 0.06%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 9201 for pianos which also encompasses automatic pianos, harpsichords and similar keyboard stringed instruments.
Piano Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of pianos during 2024.
- Japan: US$234.4 million (33% of total exported pianos)
- Germany: $158.9 million (22.3%)
- Indonesia: $67.6 million (9.5%)
- mainland China: $59.5 million (8.4%)
- United States: $26.1 million (3.7%)
- United Arab Emirates: $23.8 million (3.3%)
- Italy: $16.8 million (2.4%)
- Austria: $16.8 million (2.4%)
- Czech Republic: $16.3 million (2.3%)
- United Kingdom: $11.8 million (1.7%)
- Poland: $10.6 million (1.5%)
- France: $9.2 million (1.3%)
- Malaysia: $8.6 million (1.2%)
- Vietnam: $6.3 million (0.9%)
- Belgium: $5.8 million (0.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 94.6% of globally exported pianos in 2024.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of pianos since 2020 were: United Arab Emirates (up 76.9%), United Kingdom (up 66.5%), Italy (up 45.8%) and mainland China (up 32%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their international sales of pianos were led by: Indonesia (down -28% since 2020), Czech Republic (down -27.7%), Poland (down -23.6%), Japan (down -22.7%) and Vietnam (down -16.4%).
Countries Generating Best Trade Surpluses from Pianos
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for pianos during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported pianos and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Japan: US$212 million (net export surplus down -25.5% since 2020)
- Germany: $112.7 million (up 6.8%)
- Indonesia: $66.5 million (down -28.4%)
- Czech Republic: $14.2 million (down -25.8%)
- Austria: $12.8 million (down -1.5%)
- Philippines: $2.5 million (reversing a -$2.1 million deficit)
- Estonia: $1.6 million (up 32.4%)
- Poland: $1 million (down -61.2%)
- Hungary: $794,000 (reversing an -$80,000 deficit)
- Panama: $468,000 (down -44%)
- Latvia: $182,000 (reversing a -$22,000 deficit)
- Greenland: $43,000 (reversing a -$34,000 deficit)
- Burkina Faso: $2,000 (reversing a -$2,000 deficit)
- Syria: $1,000 (reversing a -$65,000 deficit)
Densely populated Japan generated the highest surplus in the international trade of pianos. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Japanese competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Worst Trade Deficits from Pianos
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for pianos during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported pianos purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$86.4 million (net export deficit up 49.9% since 2020)
- mainland China: -$65.8 million (down -61.9%)
- Australia: -$21.2 million (down -6.8%)
- Canada: -$21.2 million (down -34.8%)
- France: -$18.1 million (down -2.6%)
- North Korea: -$16.5 million (up 5724.4%)
- Switzerland: -$13.6 million (down -31.8%)
- United Kingdom: -$13.2 million (down -11.4%)
- North Korea: -$12 million (up 423.2%)
- Taiwan: -$11.3 million (up 56.7%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$10.2 million (up 2,526%)
- Iraq: -$8 million (up 39.3%)
- Singapore: -$7.1 million (down -28.9%)
- Thailand: -$6.2 million (up 27.5%)
- Hong Kong: -$6.1 million (down -39.2%)
The United States of America and the People’s Republic of China incurred the highest deficits in the international trade of pianos. In turn, these negative cashflows highlight both countries’ competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for pianos-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Piano Exporting Companies
Below are global manufacturers of pianos that represent established players engaged in the international trade of pianos. Their home country is shown within parenthesis.
- Bösendorfer (Austria)
- Fazioli (Italy)
- Kawai Musical Instruments (Japan)
- Luigi Borgato (Italy)
- Maene (Belgium)
- Pearl River Piano Group (China)
- Petrof (Czech Republic)
- Samick Musical Instruments Co, Ltd (South Korea)
- Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation (Japan)
- Wilhelm Schimmel (Germany)
- Wurlitzer (United States)
- Yamaha Corporation (Japan)
Samick is one of the world’s largest musical instrument makers including pianos. The Pearl River Piano Group is the largest Chinese piano producer, and purports to own the world’s biggest piano factory. The above list also includes the Czech piano manufacturer Petrof, Europe’s leading piano maker.
See also Top Sheet Music Exporting Countries, Japan’s Top Trading Partners and Diamond Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on December 23, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on December 23, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on December 23, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on December 23, 2025
Wikipedia, List of piano manufacturers. Accessed on December 23, 2025