Year over year, the value of globally exported toothpaste flatlined via a 0.4% upturn compared to $4.16 billion during 2020.
The top 5 most lucrative exporters of toothpaste are mainland China, Poland, Germany, United States of America, and Slovakia. Collectively, that leading quintet accounted for 44% of overall sales for toothpaste exports in 2021.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported toothpaste during 2021 with shipments valued at $2.3 billion or more than half (56.5%) of internationally exported toothpaste. In second place were Asian exporters at 27.1% while another 11.4% of worldwide toothpaste shipments originated from North America.
Smaller percentages came from Latin America (2.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.6%), and Oceania (0.6%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 330610 for toothpaste or, as it is technically called, dentifrices including those used by dental practitioners.
Top Toothpaste Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of toothpaste during 2021.
- China: US$453.1 million (11% of total toothpaste exports)
- Poland: $418.2 million (10.2%)
- Germany: $396.6 million (9.7%)
- United States: $272.5 million (6.6%)
- Slovakia: $267.1 million (6.5%)
- United Kingdom: $259.5 million (6.3%)
- Thailand: $243.4 million (5.9%)
- Mexico: $193.7 million (4.7%)
- Netherlands: $133.3 million (3.2%)
- France: $121.8 million (3%)
- Belgium: $120.2 million (2.9%)
- Ireland: $113.3 million (2.8%)
- Japan: $85.7 million (2.1%)
- India: $71.7 million (1.7%)
- Russia: $67.3 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 78.4% of globally exported toothpaste in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of toothpaste since 2020 were: Ireland (up 47.3%), Netherlands (up 38.2%), United Kingdom (up 19.2%), and India (up 14.4%).
Five major suppliers posted declines in their international sales of toothpaste namely Mexico (down -21.2%), Japan (down -8.9%), Belgium (down -6.8%), Slovakia (down -6.7%), then the United States of America (down -1.7%).
Countries Benefiting from Best Trade Surpluses from Toothpaste
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for toothpaste during 2021. 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 toothpaste and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Poland: US$285.4 million (net export surplus up 11.3% since 2020)
- Slovakia: $247 million (down -7.1%)
- China: $228.4 million (up 26.6%)
- Thailand: $224.2 million (up 8.8%)
- Mexico: $180.2 million (down -20.7%)
- Germany: $167.4 million (down -16.5%)
- United Kingdom: $118.1 million (up 94.1%)
- Ireland: $90.5 million (up 65.1%)
- United States: $63.8 million (down -18%)
- India: $63.3 million (up 19.8%)
- Egypt: $36.1 million (up 5.6%)
- Guatemala: $24.7 million (up 1.5%)
- Brazil: $22.9 million (up 109.6%)
- Japan: $18.8 million (down -23.6%)
- Bulgaria: $9 million (down -9.3%)
In 2021, Poland and Slovakia generated the highest surplus in the international trade of toothpaste. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms both countries’ competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Incurring Biggest Trade Deficits from Toothpaste
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for toothpaste during 2021. 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 toothpaste purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Canada: -US$160.2 million (net export deficit down -9.9% since 2020)
- Philippines: -$143.7 million (up 17.8%)
- Russia: -$91.8 million (up 26.3%)
- Australia: -$87.2 million (down -9.7%)
- Taiwan: -$79.8 million (up 9.4%)
- Malaysia: -$76 million (up 2%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$67.4 million (down -21.1%)
- Chile: -$67.3 million (up 33.9%)
- Turkey: -$63.1 million (up 0.8%)
- Ukraine: -$50.9 million (up 17%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$50.9 million (reversing a $14.6 million surplus)
- Israel: -$50 million (up 10.2%)
- Austria: -$49.3 million (up 13.4%)
- Italy: -$48.6 million (up 2%)
- Peru: -$46.6 million (down -5.4%)
Canada incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of toothpaste. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Canada’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for toothpaste-supplying countries that help satisfy powerful Canadian consumer demand.
International Toothpaste Brands
Below are global toothpaste-processing conglomerates that represent established players engaged in the international trade of toothpaste. The country where the brand has its corporate headquarters or was originally launched is shown within parenthesis.
- Aquafresh (GlaxoSmithKline, UK)
- Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight, US)
- Babool (Balsara Hygiene, India)
- Colgate (Colgate-Palmolive, US)
- Crest (Procter & Gamble, US)
- Darlie (Hawley & Hazel Chemical Company, China)
- Elmex (GABA International, Switzerland)
- Kalodont (F A Sarg’s Sohn & Co, Austria)
- Sensodyne (GlaxoSmithKline, US)
- Solidox (Lilleborg, Norway)
- Stomatol (Cederroth AB, Sweden)
- Zendium (Unilever, Netherlands)
Searchable List of Toothpaste Exporting Countries in 2022
The 100 key toothpaste suppliers in the following automated database sold 99.96% of the total revenues from globally exported toothpaste during 2021.
| Rank | Exporter | Toothpaste Exports | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | China | $453,125,000 | +9.2% |
| 2. | Poland | $418,223,000 | +13.1% |
| 3. | Germany | $396,562,000 | +2.3% |
| 4. | United States | $272,478,000 | -1.7% |
| 5. | Slovakia | $267,127,000 | -6.7% |
| 6. | United Kingdom | $259,454,000 | +19.2% |
| 7. | Thailand | $243,403,000 | +5.9% |
| 8. | Mexico | $193,676,000 | -21.2% |
| 9. | Netherlands | $133,294,000 | +38.2% |
| 10. | France | $121,755,000 | +1.4% |
| 11. | Belgium | $120,161,000 | -6.8% |
| 12. | Ireland | $113,310,000 | +47.3% |
| 13. | Japan | $85,654,000 | -8.9% |
| 14. | India | $71,710,000 | +14.4% |
| 15. | Russia | $67,349,000 | +12.3% |
| 16. | Spain | $63,689,000 | +10.2% |
| 17. | South Korea | $62,075,000 | -4% |
| 18. | Italy | $59,033,000 | +4.8% |
| 19. | Denmark | $58,954,000 | +8.1% |
| 20. | Hong Kong | $49,253,000 | +4.6% |
| 21. | Brazil | $42,645,000 | +19.9% |
| 22. | Hungary | $41,275,000 | +14.2% |
| 23. | Czech Republic | $39,226,000 | +3.8% |
| 24. | Egypt | $38,021,000 | +5.2% |
| 25. | Guatemala | $33,456,000 | +6.3% |
| 26. | Bulgaria | $30,826,000 | +4.9% |
| 27. | Malaysia | $27,629,000 | +5.8% |
| 28. | Switzerland | $25,078,000 | +22.2% |
| 29. | South Africa | $23,131,000 | +5.2% |
| 30. | Colombia | $22,903,000 | -8.4% |
| 31. | Vietnam | $22,887,000 | -14.4% |
| 32. | United Arab Emirates | $21,595,000 | -88.3% |
| 33. | Indonesia | $19,732,000 | -23.3% |
| 34. | Sweden | $19,556,000 | +5.8% |
| 35. | Romania | $18,157,000 | +26% |
| 36. | Australia | $15,216,000 | +33.6% |
| 37. | Slovenia | $14,390,000 | -4.4% |
| 38. | Saudi Arabia | $12,024,000 | -31.4% |
| 39. | Singapore | $11,474,000 | -13.3% |
| 40. | Latvia | $11,240,000 | +17.6% |
| 41. | Taiwan | $10,278,000 | +21.6% |
| 42. | Turkey | $10,107,000 | +10.3% |
| 43. | New Zealand | $8,836,000 | +3% |
| 44. | Panama | $8,335,000 | +6.1% |
| 45. | Nepal | $6,596,000 | -13.3% |
| 46. | Austria | $5,729,000 | +18.4% |
| 47. | Greece | $3,979,000 | +14.3% |
| 48. | Portugal | $3,865,000 | +13% |
| 49. | Croatia | $3,761,000 | +25.6% |
| 50. | Estonia | $3,743,000 | -12.3% |
| 51. | Belarus | $3,665,000 | +18.2% |
| 52. | Peru | $3,621,000 | +45.4% |
| 53. | Lithuania | $3,617,000 | -9.4% |
| 54. | Luxembourg | $2,778,000 | -17.2% |
| 55. | Norway | $2,511,000 | -38.6% |
| 56. | Finland | $2,119,000 | +22.8% |
| 57. | Canada | $2,014,000 | -7.4% |
| 58. | Kenya | $1,801,000 | -9.1% |
| 59. | Fiji | $1,664,000 | +17.3% |
| 60. | Serbia | $1,605,000 | +126.7% |
| 61. | Argentina | $1,323,000 | -30.5% |
| 62. | Nigeria | $1,180,000 | -34.6% |
| 63. | Chile | $858,000 | +65.6% |
| 64. | Senegal | $609,000 | -37.4% |
| 65. | Macao | $556,000 | +95.8% |
| 66. | Ukraine | $510,000 | -48.2% |
| 67. | Ivory Coast | $492,000 | -68.2% |
| 68. | Iran | $483,000 | -9.9% |
| 69. | Albania | $472,000 | +191.4% |
| 70. | Pakistan | $467,000 | -30.3% |
| 71. | Ecuador | $440,000 | -57.8% |
| 72. | Kazakhstan | $417,000 | -28% |
| 73. | Israel | $395,000 | -17.4% |
| 74. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $357,000 | +13% |
| 75. | Lebanon | $350,000 | -26.6% |
| 76. | Sri Lanka | $313,000 | +209.9% |
| 77. | Ghana | $303,000 | -68.4% |
| 78. | Philippines | $275,000 | +209% |
| 79. | Tanzania | $250,000 | -41.7% |
| 80. | Tunisia | $217,000 | -10.3% |
| 81. | Georgia | $205,000 | +4.6% |
| 82. | Oman | $201,000 | +3920% |
| 83. | Morocco | $190,000 | +150% |
| 84. | Cocos (Keeling) Is | $190,000 | 0% |
| 85. | Mauritius | $151,000 | +41.1% |
| 86. | US Minor Outlying Is | $142,000 | 0% |
| 87. | Barbados | $130,000 | -1.5% |
| 88. | Dominican Republic | $115,000 | +27.8% |
| 89. | Uzbekistan | $90,000 | +125% |
| 90. | Nicaragua | $85,000 | +372.2% |
| 91. | Curaçao | $65,000 | +6400% |
| 92. | Qatar | $59,000 | 0% |
| 93. | Suriname | $51,000 | +750% |
| 94. | Paraguay | $48,000 | +4700% |
| 95. | El Salvador | $46,000 | +155.6% |
| 96. | Cyprus | $44,000 | -67.6% |
| 97. | Azerbaijan | $39,000 | +1850% |
| 98. | Moldova | $39,000 | -11.4% |
| 99. | Andorra | $37,000 | +1133% |
| 100. | Trinidad/Tobago | $33,000 | -10.8% |
Focusing on the top 100 most lucrative exporters, the fastest growers from 2020 to 2021 were Curaçao (up 6,400%), Paraguay (up 4,700%), Oman (up 3,920%), Azerbaijan (up 1,850%), Andorra (up 1,133%), then the South American country Suriname (up 750%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the above table’s columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that 2020 data was unavailable.
See also Drugs and Medicine Exports by Country, Top Artificial Joints Exporters by Country and Beauty Cosmetics and Skincare Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on September 16, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 16, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 16, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 16, 2022
Wikipedia, List of toothpaste brands. Accessed on September 16, 2022
