International sales of pears fell by an average -5.2% since 2018 when globally exported pears attracted revenues of $2.65 million.
Year over year, the total value of pear exports shrank by -10% compared to $2.8 billion for 2021.
Worldwide there are over 3,000 varieties of pears, according to informational portal Northern Nester. Popular varieties include green and red Anjou, Bartlett, russet brown Bosc, round-shaped Asian, and French Butter pears. Many consumers choose Bosc pears as the tastiest, while Anjou and Bartlett pears are among the juiciest.
Like apples, fresh whole pears are typically eaten in bite-size slices. The skin of a pear is edible, albeit some consumers prefer to peel pears before eating them. Pears can also be cooked or dried.
The 5 biggest exporters of pears (mainland China, Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and Argentina) supplied about two-thirds (66.5%) worth of globally exported pears during 2022.
Applying a continental lens, countries in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported pears during 2022 via shipments valued at $1.15 billion or 45.7% of the global total. In second place were exporters in Asia at 25.9%. Smaller percentages originated from sellers in Latin America excluding Mexico (12.5%) but including the Caribbean, Africa (9.2%), North America (5.9%), and Oceania (0.7%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Turning to imports, the 5 leading importers of pears in 2022 were Indonesia, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Italy. Collectively, that quintet of top buyers bought about a third (33.9% of globally imported pears).
Those percentages suggest a much more concentrated cohort of 90 total of exporters of pears (66.5% for top 5 export suppliers) compared to 194 importing countries, islands and territories for the 5 biggest importers (33.9%).
From a continental perspective, 48.7% of globally imported pears was delivered to European countries well ahead of importers in Asia (30.3%), North America (10.7%), Latin America (7.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (2.3%), then Oceania (0.4%) mostly buyers in New Zealand and Australia.
Worldwide, the average unit price paid by importers of pears was $1,252 per ton in 2022. That dollar amount reflects an 8.3% inflation rate compared to the average tonnage rate of $1,156 for 2021.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 081070 for fresh pears.
Top Pears Exports by Country
Below are the top 20 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of pears during 2022.
- China: US$495.3 million (19.7% of total pear exports)
- Netherlands: $439.9 million (17.5%)
- Belgium: $302.6 million (12%)
- South Africa: $231 million (9.2%)
- Argentina: $202.6 million (8.1%)
- United States: $149 million (5.9%)
- Portugal: $117.2 million (4.7%)
- Chile: $110.7 million (4.4%)
- Italy: $85.1 million (3.4%)
- Spain: $84.5 million (3.4%)
- South Korea: $74.4 million (3%)
- Poland: $50.8 million (2%)
- Türkiye: $48 million (1.9%)
- France: $15.3 million (0.6%)
- Germany: $11 million (0.4%)
- Japan: $10.3 million (0.4%)
- Australia: $10.1 million (0.4%)
- New Zealand: $8 million (0.3%)
- Bosnia/Herzegovina: $6.2 million (0.2%)
- Greece: $6.1 million (0.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries shipped 97.8% of globally exported pears in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of pears since 2021 were: Bosnia and Herzegovina (up 212.6%), New Zealand (up 74.2%), France (up 50.3%) and Portugal (up 21.7%).
Major suppliers that posted declines in their exported pears sales were led by: Spain (down -37.9% from 2021), Italy (down -33.4%), Australia (down -19%), mainland China (down -18.2%) and Germany (down -16.8%).
Top Pears Imports by Country
The overall cost for imported pears flatlined via a 0.7% gain over the 5-year period starting in 2018 and dropped by -5% year over year since 2021.
Below are the 20 best buying markets as measured by the highest dollar value worth of pears imported during 2022.
- Indonesia: US$262.5 million (9.6% of total pear imports)
- Germany: $247.4 million (9%)
- United Kingdom: $147.1 million (5.4%)
- United States: $137.1 million (5%)
- Italy: $136 million (5%)
- France: $127.1 million (4.6%)
- Vietnam: $126.6 million (4.6%)
- Russia: $125.6 million (4.6%)
- Netherlands: $116.8 million (4.3%)
- Brazil: $114.4 million (4.2%)
- Canada: $88.1 million (3.2%)
- Thailand: $74.9 million (2.7%)
- Mexico: $68 million (2.5%)
- Spain: $65.2 million (2.4%)
- Hong Kong: $50.9 million (1.9%)
- Poland: $43.3 million (1.6%)
- Malaysia: $42.8 million (1.6%)
- Morocco: $37.1 million (1.4%)
- Belarus: $36.3 million (1.3%)
- Philippines: $32.7 million (1.2%)
By value, the listed 20 countries bought 75.8% of globally imported pears in 2022.
Among the top importers, the fastest-growing pears importers since 2021 were: Vietnam (up 395%), United Kingdom (up 29.7%), Brazil (up 23.3%) and Morocco (up 19.7%).
Those buyer countries that posted declines in their imported pears sales were led by: Belarus (down -53.9% from 2021), Philippines (down -36.2%), Russia (down -35.3%), Italy (down -22.9%) and France (down -19.7%).
Lowest and Highest Unit Prices for Imported Pears
In 2022, the world’s average unit price for imported pears was US$1,252 per ton up by 8.3% compared to an average $1,156 per ton one year earlier for 2021.
The average tonnage charge paid by the world’s leading pears importer, Indonesia, was higher at $1,475 for 2022.
Ranked in ascending order, listed below are the countries paying the lowest average unit prices for imported pears in 2022.
- Niger: US$121 per ton (down -28.4% from 2021)
- Syria: $134 per ton (down -53.1%)
- Burkina Faso: $147 per ton (up 5.8%)
- Iraq: $159 per ton (down -55.6%)
- Mauritania: $205 per ton (up 10.2%)
- Pakistan: $216 per ton (down -17.2%)
- Zimbabwe: $341 per ton (up 1.2%)
- Lesotho: $356 per ton (down -5.3%)
- Paraguay: $379 per ton (up 15.2%)
- Georgia: $385 per ton (up 14.2%)
- Belarus: $409 per ton (down -42.1%)
- Eswatini: $431 per ton (down -12.4%)
- Zambia: $438 per ton (down -4.2%)
- Laos: $443 per ton (up 31.8%)
- Angola: $450 per ton (down -47.1%)
Experiencing the severest reductions in average unit price paid per ton for pears were low-cost importers Iraq (down -55.6% from 2021), Syria (down -53.1%), Angola (down -47.1%), Belarus (down -42.1%), Niger (down -28.4%) and Pakistan (down -17.2%).
The following countries paid for imported pears costing the highest average unit prices.
- Mozambique: US$6,412 per ton (up 35.3% from 2021)
- South Korea: $5,462 per ton (up 15.3%)
- US Minor Outlying Islands: $3,560 per ton (down -3.5%)
- Montserrat: $3,333 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Bermuda: $3,149 per ton (up 9.6%)
- British Virgin Islands: $3,000 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- Marshall Islands: $2,692 per ton (up 25.6%)
- Rwanda: $2,571 per ton (2021 data unavailable)
- French Polynesia: $2,541 per ton (up 84.7%)
- Aruba: $2,512 per ton (up 6%)
- Samoa: $2,500 per ton (up 39.8%)
- Saint Lucia: $2,476 per ton (up 6.1%)
- Ethiopia: $2,438 per ton (up 6.8%)
- Grenada: $2,361 per ton (down -11.1%)
- Nicaragua: $2,306 per ton (up 16.1%)
Enduring the strongest inflation in terms of higher average unit prices paid in 2022 for pears compared to 2021 were importers in Mozambique (up 84.7%), South Korea (up 39.8%), United States Minor Outlying Islands (up 35.3%), Montserrat (up 25.6%) and Bermuda (up 16.1%).
Related Read: Top Apricots Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices
See also Top Cranberries Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Strawberries Exporters by Country, Top Persimmons Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Sweet Cherries Exports by Country and Bananas Exporters Ranked by Average Prices & Shipment Weight
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Pears Showroom. Accessed on October 21, 2023
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 21, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 21, 2023
Northern Nester, 10 Popular And Common Types of Pears – Complete Guide 2022. Accessed on October 21, 2023
Wikipedia, Pear. Accessed on October 21, 2023