Overall, fresh plum exports increased in value by an average 19.7% from 5 years earlier in 2021 when export sales for plums were $1 billion.
Year over year, the overall value of exported plums declined by -7.2% compared to $1.3 billion starting from 2024.
There are a wide variety of juicy fruits sourced from plum trees. The taste of the fleshy part of plums varies from sweet to tart, albeit the fruit’s skin itself is typically tart. In addition to eating plums raw, people consume plum jams, juices and wines. Dried and salted plums are an example of a specialty snack.
By value, the 5 biggest exporters of fresh plums (Chile, Spain, Hong Kong, South Africa and the Netherlands) generated approaching two-thirds (64.4%) of all plums exported during 2025.
Applying a continental lens, countries in Europe supplied the highest dollar worth of exported plums during 2025 with shipments valued at $468.8 million or 38.7% of the global total. In second place were exporters based in Asia (23.7%) ahead of providers in Latin America (19.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean. Smaller percentages originated from Africa (12.2%), North America (4.1%) and Oceania (1.5%) mostly Australia.
Shifting our focus to imports, the 5 leading importers of plums in 2025 are mainland China, Hong Kong, Germany, United States of America and the United Kingdom. Combined, that quintet of top import countries bought almost half (48.2%) of globally imported plums as measured by dollar value.
Those percentages suggest the total 103 exporters of plums (64.4% for corresponding top 5 exporters) is a more concentrated cohort compared to about 181 buying countries, islands and territories. The top 5 importers represent a smaller portion at 48.2%.
As for global imports of plums by continent, 41.8% of plums purchases was delivered to customers in Europe surpassed importers in Asia (40.1%), North America (10.6%), Latin America (5.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.6%) and Oceania (0.1%) led by New Caledonia, New Zealand and Australia.
We calculated the average unit price paid by worldwide importers of plums to be $1,902 per ton in 2025. That dollar amount reflects 8.9% in price inflation compared to the average tonnage rate of $1,746 during 2024.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 080940 for fresh plums including sloes.
Top Plums Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of fresh plums during 2025.
- Chile: US$238.6 million (19.7% of total exported plums)
- Spain: $162.9 million (13.4%)
- Hong Kong: $154.6 million (12.7%)
- South Africa: $143.9 million (11.9%)
- Netherlands: $80.9 million (6.7%)
- Italy: $73.2 million (6%)
- mainland China: $56.5 million (4.7%)
- Moldova: $54.7 million (4.5%)
- United States: $49.2 million (4.1%)
- Türkiye: $39.3 million (3.2%)
- France: $20 million (1.6%)
- Australia: $18.5 million (1.5%)
- Austria: $16.5 million (1.4%)
- Germany: $9 million (0.7%)
- Poland: $8 million (0.7%)
- Syria: $7.5 million (0.6%)
- Georgia: $6.4 million (0.5%)
- Portugal: $5.8 million (0.5%)
- Uzbekistan: $5.7 million (0.5%)
- Serbia: $4.8 million (0.4%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 95.3% of globally exported plums in 2025.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing plums exporters since 2024 were: Poland (up 85.9%), Germany (up 47.2%), South Africa (up 39.7%) and the Netherlands (up 38.6%).
Major suppliers that posted year-over-year declines in their exported plums sales were led by: Uzbekistan (down -78.3% from 2024), Serbia (down -71.2%), Hong Kong (down -23%), Chile (down -22.7%) and the United States of America (down -18.4%).
Top Plums Imports by Country
Overall spending on imported plums inflated by 23.4% to $1.33 billion during 2025 over the 5-year period starting in 2021 but deflated by -4.1% year over year since 2024.
Below are the 20 best buying markets, as measured by the highest dollar value worth of plums imported during 2025.
- mainland China: US$237 million (17.8% of total imported plums)
- Hong Kong: $156 million (11.7%)
- Germany: $87.9 million (6.6%)
- United States: $86.1 million (6.5%)
- United Kingdom: $74.4 million (5.6%)
- Netherlands: $66 million (5%)
- Brazil: $54.6 million (4.1%)
- Russia: $50.6 million (3.8%)
- Canada: $38.3 million (2.9%)
- Poland: $31.9 million (2.4%)
- Austria: $26.4 million (2%)
- Saudi Arabia: $26.3 million (2%)
- United Arab Emirates: $23.9 million (1.8%)
- Italy: $22.2 million (1.7%)
- Belgium: $22 million (1.7%)
- Iraq: $20.8 million (1.6%)
- Switzerland: $17.6 million (1.3%)
- France: $17.3 million (1.3%)
- Mexico: $16.8 million (1.3%)
- Romania: $16.5 million (1.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 82.1% of globally imported plums in 2025.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing plums importers since 2024 were: Iraq (up 96.9%), Mexico (up 57%), Switzerland (up 35.9%) and the Netherlands (up 28.1%).
Leading buyer countries that posted year-over-year declines in their purchases of imported plums were led by: mainland China (down -25.4% from 2024), Hong Kong (down -21.8%), Austria (down -9%), Poland (down -8.1%) and Saudi Arabia (down -6.8%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Imported Plums
In 2025, the world’s average unit price for imported fresh plums was US$1,902 per ton rising by 8.9% from $1,746 per ton for 2024.
The average tonnage charge for the number one plums importer, mainland China, was much higher at $2,716 for 2025.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported plums in 2025.
- Mauritania: US$130 per ton (up 13% from 2024)
- Niger: $133 per ton (2024 data unavailable)
- Honduras: $243 per ton (down -80.1%)
- Nepal: $257 per ton (down -7.6%)
- Lesotho: $353 per ton (up 29.8%)
- Paraguay: $354 per ton (up 4.1%)
- Uzbekistan: $364 per ton (up 175.8%)
- Albania: $475 per ton (down -24.7%)
- Liberia: $500 per ton (down -50%)
- Turkmenistan: $500 per ton (down -80%)
- Guyana: $512 per ton (down -27.5%)
- Jamaica: $532 per ton (down -7.3%)
- Bosnia/Herzegovina: $543 per ton (up 31.8%)
- Kyrgyzstan: $576 per ton (down -28.4%)
- Namibia: $580 per ton (up 24.7%)
Experiencing the greatest reductions in average unit price paid per ton for plums from 2024 to 2025 were low-cost importers in the Honduras (down -80.1%), Turkmenistan (down -80%), Liberia (down -50%), Kyrgyzstan (down -28.4%), Guyana (down -27.5%) and Albania (down -24.7%).
The following countries paid the highest average unit prices for imported plums.
- Madagascar: US$7,000 per ton (2024 data unavailable)
- Maldives: $6,473 per ton (up 29.6% from 2024)
- Bermuda: $6,387 per ton (up 14.2%)
- Lebanon: $6,160 per ton (up 229.9%)
- Japan: $5,660 per ton (up 0.5%)
- Azerbaijan: $5,500 per ton (up 85.4%)
- Australia: $5,197 per ton (down -1.2%)
- Iraq: $5,091 per ton (up 1585.8%)
- Marshall Islands: $5,000 per ton (down -16.7%)
- Nicaragua: $4,676 per ton (down -7.2%)
- Seychelles: $4,390 per ton (down -10.8%)
- Papua New Guinea: $4,000 per ton (up 228.7%)
- French Polynesia: $3,800 per ton (up 11.1%)
- Equatorial Guinea: $3,667 per ton (up 7.9%)
- Fiji: $3,625 per ton (down -32%)
The strongest percentage accelerations in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2025 compared to 2024 were experienced by importers in Iraq (up 1,586%), Lebanon (up 229.9%), Papua New Guinea (up 228.7%), Azerbaijan (up 85.4%) and the Maldives (up 29.6%).
See also Top Apricots Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Apples Exports by Country, Top Pears Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Strawberries Exporters by Country, Sweet Cherries Exports by Country and Top Jams Exporting Countries
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Plums Showroom. Accessed on November 1, 2026
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 1, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 1, 2026
Wikipedia, Plum. Accessed on November 1, 2026