The overall cost of imports for all countries increased by an average 4.6% since five years earlier in 2019 when international purchases of bananas were valued at $16.2 billion.
Year over year, spending on imported bananas rose 6.6% compared to $15.9 billion starting from 2022.
By value, the largest 5 international buyers of imported bananas including plantains are the United States of America, Germany, mainland China, Japan and the Netherlands. Collectively, that group of 5 major importers bought 42.8% of the world’s bananas imported in 2023.
From a continental perspective, European nations spent the most on imported bananas during 2023 with purchases valued at $8.9 billion or 52.4% of the global total. In second place were importers in North America at 21.5% (United States of America and Canada only) ahead of competitors in Asia (20.7%).
Smaller percentages of globally imported bananas arrived in Latin America (3.1%) plus the Caribbean, then Africa (1.8%) then Oceania (0.5%) mostly New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for fresh or dried bananas and plantains is 0803.
Bananas Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2023.
- United States: US$3.1 billion (18.5% of total imported bananas)
- Germany: $1.2 billion (6.8%)
- mainland China: $1.1 billion (6.4%)
- Japan: $961.2 million (5.7%)
- Netherlands: $911.4 million (5.4%)
- France: $883.2 million (5.2%)
- Russia: $760.7 million (4.5%)
- United Kingdom: $733.4 million (4.3%)
- Belgium: $681.7 million (4%)
- Italy: $624.8 million (3.7%)
- Canada: $504.2 million (3%)
- Poland: $376.4 million (2.2%)
- Spain: $368.7 million (2.2%)
- South Korea: $304.7 million (1.8%)
- Argentina: $298.5 million (1.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 75.4% of all bananas imported in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for bananas from 2022 to 2023 were: Argentina (up 38.9%), Netherlands (up 25.5%), Spain (up 24.3%) and France (up 20.5%).
Two countries posted declines in their imported bananas purchases, namely mainland China (down -6.9% from 2022) and Russia (down -4.2%) .
Searchable List of Bananas Importing Countries in 2023
Shown below are 100 key countries that accounted for 99.9% of the value for globally imported bananas in 2023.
| Rank | Importer | Imported Bananas | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $3,147,860,000 | +8.8% |
| 2. | Germany | $1,161,593,000 | +20.1% |
| 3. | mainland China | $1,082,382,000 | -6.9% |
| 4. | Japan | $961,181,000 | +7.1% |
| 5. | Netherlands | $911,398,000 | +25.5% |
| 6. | France | $883,170,000 | +20.5% |
| 7. | Russia | $760,665,000 | -4.2% |
| 8. | United Kingdom | $733,440,000 | +13% |
| 9. | Belgium | $681,718,000 | +4.2% |
| 10. | Italy | $624,760,000 | +18.1% |
| 11. | Canada | $504,198,000 | +2.9% |
| 12. | Poland | $376,355,000 | +8.8% |
| 13. | Spain | $368,697,000 | +24.3% |
| 14. | South Korea | $304,746,000 | +7.4% |
| 15. | Argentina | $298,543,000 | +38.9% |
| 16. | Saudi Arabia | $210,075,000 | -28.9% |
| 17. | Ukraine | $201,644,000 | +29.7% |
| 18. | Romania | $200,860,000 | +4.7% |
| 19. | Portugal | $185,870,000 | +15.8% |
| 20. | Austria | $181,824,000 | +29.5% |
| 21. | Iraq | $169,462,000 | +37.7% |
| 22. | Greece | $169,330,000 | +13.6% |
| 23. | Czech Republic | $155,336,000 | +9.6% |
| 24. | United Arab Emirates | $152,313,000 | -7.7% |
| 25. | Sweden | $151,075,000 | -6.1% |
| 26. | Algeria | $134,914,000 | +153.7% |
| 27. | Switzerland | $124,624,000 | +13.9% |
| 28. | Hungary | $120,387,000 | +56.6% |
| 29. | Chile | $117,448,000 | -4.7% |
| 30. | Denmark | $99,126,000 | +22.3% |
| 31. | Croatia | $83,037,000 | +8.6% |
| 32. | Slovakia | $83,031,000 | +7.7% |
| 33. | Iran | $81,103,000 | -79.4% |
| 34. | New Zealand | $79,945,000 | +12.5% |
| 35. | Slovenia | $77,196,000 | -8.9% |
| 36. | Finland | $73,558,000 | -1.8% |
| 37. | Ireland | $71,742,000 | +17.1% |
| 38. | Norway | $71,379,000 | +3.3% |
| 39. | Serbia | $70,984,000 | +10.9% |
| 40. | Bulgaria | $60,530,000 | +16.5% |
| 41. | Kazakhstan | $55,560,000 | -5.3% |
| 42. | Libya | $51,964,000 | +38.4% |
| 43. | Uzbekistan | $44,951,000 | -29.1% |
| 44. | Hong Kong | $44,880,000 | -10.9% |
| 45. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $44,023,000 | +14.6% |
| 46. | South Africa | $42,981,000 | -20.6% |
| 47. | Türkiye | $42,335,000 | +11.3% |
| 48. | Lithuania | $39,425,000 | +10.9% |
| 49. | Azerbaijan | $36,660,000 | -1.7% |
| 50. | Tajikistan | $32,024,000 | +41.6% |
| 51. | Singapore | $31,620,000 | +3.8% |
| 52. | Uruguay | $31,608,000 | -3.2% |
| 53. | Georgia | $31,186,000 | +15.1% |
| 54. | Oman | $30,498,000 | +42.7% |
| 55. | Kuwait | $27,257,000 | -43.7% |
| 56. | Qatar | $25,586,000 | -38.8% |
| 57. | Jordan | $23,749,000 | -15.5% |
| 58. | Moldova | $23,057,000 | +31.4% |
| 59. | Armenia | $22,672,000 | +11.8% |
| 60. | Bahrain | $21,487,000 | +4% |
| 61. | North Macedonia | $20,661,000 | +14.9% |
| 62. | Honduras | $20,049,000 | 0% |
| 63. | Malaysia | $18,964,000 | +33.9% |
| 64. | Kyrgyzstan | $18,290,000 | -2.2% |
| 65. | Estonia | $17,973,000 | +1.8% |
| 66. | El Salvador | $15,213,000 | -6.3% |
| 67. | Morocco | $13,861,000 | +55.8% |
| 68. | Afghanistan | $13,081,000 | -34.8% |
| 69. | Luxembourg | $11,423,000 | +21.3% |
| 70. | Senegal | $10,833,000 | -23.1% |
| 71. | Montenegro | $10,600,000 | +11.3% |
| 72. | Cyprus | $10,455,000 | +32.3% |
| 73. | Malta | $9,387,000 | +10.3% |
| 74. | Tunisia | $9,177,000 | -68.5% |
| 75. | Thailand | $9,160,000 | +73.8% |
| 76. | Botswana | $8,905,000 | +3.3% |
| 77. | Brunei Darussalam | $8,206,000 | -14.2% |
| 78. | Trinidad/Tobago | $8,193,000 | +10.6% |
| 79. | Iceland | $7,996,000 | +11.6% |
| 80. | Nepal | $7,529,000 | -5.9% |
| 81. | Bahamas | $7,296,000 | +19% |
| 82. | Mali | $6,971,000 | +123.2% |
| 83. | Albania | $6,367,000 | 0% |
| 84. | Costa Rica | $5,399,000 | +35% |
| 85. | Curaçao | $5,053,000 | +10.4% |
| 86. | Somalia | $5,006,000 | +76.4% |
| 87. | Namibia | $4,375,000 | +11.3% |
| 88. | Aruba | $3,507,000 | +0.5% |
| 89. | Macao | $3,458,000 | -14.3% |
| 90. | Turks/Caicos Islands | $3,074,000 | +44.5% |
| 91. | Cayman Islands | $2,890,000 | +15.8% |
| 92. | Mongolia | $2,755,000 | -51.1% |
| 93. | Maldives | $2,306,000 | +9.4% |
| 94. | Barbados | $2,273,000 | +18.4% |
| 95. | Guatemala | $2,196,000 | -4.5% |
| 96. | Egypt | $2,153,000 | -38.4% |
| 97. | Uganda | $2,080,000 | +3486% |
| 98. | Colombia | $1,920,000 | -43.5% |
| 99. | Djibouti | $1,914,000 | -23.4% |
| 100. | Mauritania | $1,472,000 | -7.2% |
The fastest growing importers of bananas including plantains are Uganda (up 3,486% from 2022), Algeria (up 153.7%), Mali (up 123.2%), Somalia (up 76.4%) and Thailand (up 73.8%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry in the right-most column means that no 2022 data is available.
Bananas Imports into the United States
Below are the top suppliers from which America imported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Guatemala: US$1.2 billion (up 4.5% from 2022)
- Ecuador: $545.2 million (up 28.9%)
- Costa Rica: $496.4 million (up 20.5%)
- Colombia: $286.9 million (up 15.5%)
- Honduras: $262.4 million (down -5.7%)
- Mexico: $229.4 million (down -9.7%)
- Panama: $36.1 million (up 67%)
- Peru: $23.4 million (down -32.1%)
- Dominican Republic: $5.4 million (up 29.7%)
- Nicaragua: $3.9 million (down -34.8%)
- Thailand: $3.7 million (up 2.8%)
- Philippines: $1.3 million (down -64.6%)
- Belize: $973,000 (up 36.8%)
- Brazil: $808,000 (up 25.7%)
- mainland China: $533,000 (down -82.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.94% of bananas imported by the United States of America in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of bananas to the United States from 2022 to 2023 were: Panama (up 67%), Belize (up 36.8%), Dominican Republic (up 29.7%) and Ecuador (up 28.9%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their bananas supplied to American importers included: mainland China (down -82.8%), Philippines (down -64.6%), Nicaragua (down -34.8%) and Peru (down -32.1%).
Overall, the value of United States’s imported bananas increased by an average 8.8% from all supplying countries since 2022 when bananas purchased cost $2.9 billion.
Bananas Imports into Germany
Below are the top suppliers from which Germany imported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country 2022 to 2023.
- Ecuador: US$385.2 million (up 70% from 2022)
- Colombia: $282.6 million (up 30.1%)
- Costa Rica: $190.9 million (down -27%)
- Dominican Republic: $102.5 million (down -4.4%)
- Panama: $51.8 million (up 85.4%)
- Guatemala: $41.1 million (up 22%)
- Cameroon: $30.6 million (up 35.7%)
- Peru: $25.9 million (up 23.8%)
- Australia: $9.4 million (up 91.8%)
- Ivory Coast: $8.8 million (up 8.5%)
- Italy: $8.7 million (up 48.1%)
- Nicaragua: $6.5 million (down -55.3%)
- Ghana: $5.8 million (up 12178.7%)
- Netherlands: $3.1 million (up 141.6%)
- France: $2.2 million (up 46.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 73.6% of bananas imported by Germany in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of bananas to Germany from 2022 to 2023 were: Ghana (up 12,179%), Netherlands (up 141.6%), Australia (up 91.8%) and Panama (up 85.4%).
Three among the listed countries experienced declines in the value of their bananas supplied to German importers: Nicaragua (down -55.3% from 2022), Costa Rica (down -27%) and the Dominican Republic (down -4.4%).
Overall, the value of Germany’s imported bananas accelerated by an average 20.1% from all supplying countries since 2022 when bananas purchased cost $967.2 million.
Bananas Imports into China
Below are the top suppliers from which mainland China imported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country 2022 to 2023.
- Philippines: US$427.2 million (down -10.3% from 2022)
- Vietnam: $244.3 million (down -4.2%)
- Cambodia: $190 million (down -20.1%)
- Ecuador: $183.4 million (up 26.1%)
- Laos: $23.3 million (down -34.1%)
- Mexico: $7.6 million (up 1111.8%)
- Thailand: $5.8 million (down -16.8%)
- Indonesia: $582,000 (down -73.8%)
- Costa Rica: $109,000 (down -88.4%)
- Taiwan: $5,000 (2022 data unavailable)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of bananas imported by buyers in mainland China in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of bananas to China from 2022 to 2023 were: Mexico (up 1,112%) and Ecuador (up 26.1%).
Major suppliers that experienced declines in the value of their bananas supplied to Chinese buyers were led by Costa Rica (down -88.4% from 2022), Indonesia (down -73.8%), Laos (down -34.1%) and Cambodia (down -20.1%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported bananas fell by an average -6.9% from all supplying countries since 2022 when bananas purchased cost $1.2 billion.
Bananas Imports into Japan
Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Japan imported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country 2022 to 2023.
- Philippines: US$762.9 million (up 10% from 2022)
- Ecuador: $82.2 million (down -16.8%)
- Mexico: $64.5 million (down -3.8%)
- Vietnam: $15.9 million (up 93.8%)
- Guatemala: $15.1 million (up 45.7%)
- Peru: $6.7 million (up 5.1%)
- Laos: $5.9 million (up 70%)
- Taiwan: $2.7 million (down -9.4%)
- Indonesia: $2.1 million (up 13.4%)
- Thailand: $1.7 million (down -43%)
- Cambodia: $785,000 (up 5,507%)
- Costa Rica: $557,000 (down -67.9%)
- mainland China: $57,000 (up 137.5%)
- Uganda: $26,000 (up 44.4%)
- Sri Lanka: $19,000 (down -50%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.998% of bananas imported by Japan in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of bananas to Japan from 2022 to 2023 were: Cambodia (up 5,507%), mainland China (up 137.5%), Vietnam (up 93.8%) and Laos (up 70%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their bananas supplied to Japanese importers included: Costa Rica (down -67.9% from 2022), Sri Lanka (down -50%), Thailand (down -43.0%) and Ecuador (down -16.8%).
Overall, the value of Japan’s imported bananas advanced by an average 7.1% from all supplying countries since 2022 when bananas purchased cost $897.7 million.
See also Bananas Exports by Country, Top US Trading Partners, Germany’s Top Trading Partners, Russia’s Top Trading Partners and Belgium’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on August 10, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 10, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 10, 2024