That dollar amount results from a 13.8% increase compared to the $1.96 billion in exported cork 5 years earlier during 2019.
Year over year, global sales of exported cork flatlined via a 0.6% gain from $2.22 billion starting from 2022.
An impermeable, buoyant, elastic and fire-retardant material, cork is made from bark tissue. Commercial uses of cork include wine stoppers, bulletin boards, wall or floor tiles and even spacecraft heat shields.
The world’s 3 biggest cork sellers are Portugal, Spain and France. Collectively, this trio of major suppliers generated 83.8% of the overall value of cork-related exports during 2023. Such a high percentage indicates a concentrated cohort of product exporters.
From a continental perspective, suppliers in European countries furnished the highest dollar worth of exported cork during 2023 with shipments valued at $2.05 billion or 92% of the global total. Asian exporters placed a distant second at 3% ahead of shippers in Africa (2%).
Even tinier percentages originated from providers in North America (1.6%), Latin America (0.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.1%) mostly Australia.
For research purposes, the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 45. That code prefix encompasses both cork as a material and items made from cork.
Top Cork Exporting Countries by Revenue
Below are the 15 countries that sold the highest dollar value worth of exported cork during 2023.
- Portugal: US$1.3 billion (59.7% of total cork exports)
- Spain: $441.6 million (19.8%)
- France: $98.2 million (4.4%)
- Italy: $61.6 million (2.8%)
- mainland China: $46.6 million (2.1%)
- United States: $26.8 million (1.2%)
- Germany: $24.9 million (1.1%)
- Morocco: $21.4 million (1%)
- Denmark: $21.1 million (0.9%)
- Chile: $18.6 million (0.8%)
- Poland: $18.3 million (0.8%)
- Algeria: $13.3 million (0.6%)
- Tunisia: $10 million (0.4%)
- Belgium: $8.9 million (0.4%)
- Netherlands: $8.5 million (0.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 96.4% of all cork exported in 2023.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of cork since 2022 were: Denmark (up 60.4%), mainland China (up 19.4%), Belgium (up 14.8%) and the Netherlands (up 5%).
Those countries that posted declines in their international sales of cork were led by: Germany (down -17.8% from 2022), Chile (down -16.8%), France (down -14%), Tunisia (down -9.5%) and Italy (down -3.6%).
Searchable List of Cork Exporting Countries in 2023
The 98 exporters showcased in the following automated database were responsible for 100% of globally exported cork during 2023.
| Rank | Exporter | Cork Exports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Portugal | $1,332,730,000 | +4.7% |
| 2. | Spain | $441,559,000 | +2.2% |
| 3. | France | $98,222,000 | -14% |
| 4. | Italy | $61,563,000 | -3.6% |
| 5. | mainland China | $46,602,000 | +19.4% |
| 6. | United States | $26,842,000 | +1.5% |
| 7. | Germany | $24,940,000 | -17.8% |
| 8. | Morocco | $21,373,000 | -0.1% |
| 9. | Denmark | $21,141,000 | +60.4% |
| 10. | Chile | $18,601,000 | -16.8% |
| 11. | Poland | $18,333,000 | -0.7% |
| 12. | Algeria | $13,326,000 | +3.2% |
| 13. | Tunisia | $10,000,000 | -9.5% |
| 14. | Belgium | $8,877,000 | +14.8% |
| 15. | Netherlands | $8,452,000 | +5% |
| 16. | Türkiye | $8,369,000 | +51.2% |
| 17. | United Kingdom | $7,617,000 | -26.8% |
| 18. | Switzerland | $6,645,000 | -0.9% |
| 19. | Austria | $6,606,000 | -11.8% |
| 20. | India | $5,144,000 | +11.6% |
| 21. | Canada | $5,068,000 | -7.5% |
| 22. | Bulgaria | $4,388,000 | +41.7% |
| 23. | Mexico | $3,488,000 | -19.9% |
| 24. | Taiwan | $3,254,000 | -13% |
| 25. | Israel | $2,826,000 | +4247.7% |
| 26. | Czech Republic | $2,657,000 | +24.5% |
| 27. | Vietnam | $2,566,000 | +78.1% |
| 28. | Ukraine | $2,560,000 | +15.3% |
| 29. | Japan | $1,745,000 | -7.6% |
| 30. | Sweden | $1,731,000 | +15.9% |
| 31. | Hungary | $1,695,000 | -3% |
| 32. | Malaysia | $1,331,000 | +345.2% |
| 33. | Australia | $1,252,000 | -44.9% |
| 34. | Armenia | $1,041,000 | +15.7% |
| 35. | Lithuania | $924,000 | -23% |
| 36. | Philippines | $924,000 | +90.5% |
| 37. | Russia | $805,000 | -41.3% |
| 38. | Singapore | $689,000 | -26.2% |
| 39. | Romania | $599,000 | +18.4% |
| 40. | Slovakia | $569,000 | -0.4% |
| 41. | South Korea | $508,000 | +6.7% |
| 42. | South Africa | $483,000 | +48.2% |
| 43. | Saudi Arabia | $431,000 | -94.9% |
| 44. | Georgia | $389,000 | +18.2% |
| 45. | United Arab Emirates | $379,000 | -98.9% |
| 46. | Serbia | $362,000 | +9% |
| 47. | Slovenia | $352,000 | +9.3% |
| 48. | Greece | $339,000 | -13.3% |
| 49. | Croatia | $309,000 | +108.8% |
| 50. | Panama | $301,000 | -45.3% |
| 51. | Colombia | $233,000 | -4.9% |
| 52. | Brazil | $219,000 | +1.4% |
| 53. | Ireland | $198,000 | +482.4% |
| 54. | Norway | $160,000 | +24% |
| 55. | Hong Kong | $147,000 | -41.4% |
| 56. | Costa Rica | $143,000 | +7050% |
| 57. | Moldova | $125,000 | -46.4% |
| 58. | Peru | $123,000 | +3.4% |
| 59. | Latvia | $114,000 | -5.8% |
| 60. | Bahrain | $106,000 | -2.8% |
| 61. | Argentina | $103,000 | +39.2% |
| 62. | Finland | $103,000 | -3.7% |
| 63. | Tanzania | $95,000 | -48.1% |
| 64. | Nicaragua | $78,000 | +7700% |
| 65. | Estonia | $66,000 | +17.9% |
| 66. | Thailand | $64,000 | -68.5% |
| 67. | Indonesia | $59,000 | -67.2% |
| 68. | Luxembourg | $49,000 | -10.9% |
| 69. | Belarus | $35,000 | -35.2% |
| 70. | Seychelles | $26,000 | +100% |
| 71. | Pakistan | $24,000 | +2300% |
| 72. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $22,000 | +69.2% |
| 73. | Curaçao | $20,000 | 0% |
| 74. | Egypt | $19,000 | -62.7% |
| 75. | New Zealand | $17,000 | -29.2% |
| 76. | Mauritius | $15,000 | 0% |
| 77. | Uruguay | $13,000 | +550% |
| 78. | US Minor Outlying Is | $12,000 | +1100% |
| 79. | Malta | $10,000 | 0% |
| 80. | Ivory Coast | $10,000 | +233.3% |
| 81. | Kazakhstan | $10,000 | +900% |
| 82. | Oman | $8,000 | -99.7% |
| 83. | Jordan | $7,000 | -22.2% |
| 84. | Lebanon | $5,000 | -96.2% |
| 85. | Faroe Islands | $5,000 | 0% |
| 86. | Bangladesh | $4,000 | 0% |
| 87. | Barbados | $4,000 | 0% |
| 88. | Namibia | $4,000 | 0% |
| 89. | Bhutan | $3,000 | 0% |
| 90. | Dominican Republic | $3,000 | -78.6% |
| 91. | Trinidad/Tobago | $2,000 | -99% |
| 92 | North Macedonia | $1,000 | 0% |
| 93. | Montenegro | $1,000 | 0% |
| 94. | Nepal | $1,000 | 0% |
| 95. | Aruba | $1,000 | 0% |
| 96. | Rwanda | $1,000 | 0% |
| 97. | Botswana | $1,000 | 0% |
| 98. | Guatemala | $1,000 | -99.1% |
The fastest-growing exporters of cork were Nicaragua (up 7,700% from 2022), Costa Rica (up 7,050%), Israel (up 4,248%), Pakistan (up 2,300%) and the United States Minor Outlying Islands (up 1,100%).
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 2023 data was unavailable.
Countries Generating Best Trade Surpluses from Cork
The following countries posted positive net exports for cork during 2023. 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 cork and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Portugal: US$1 billion (net export surplus up 2.1% since 2022)
- Spain: $205.7 million (down -4.7%)
- Morocco: $20.1 million (down 0%)
- Denmark: $14.4 million (up 1161.9%)
- Algeria: $12.9 million (up 3.1%)
- Poland: $10.3 million (up 42.6%)
- Tunisia: $9 million (down -14.5%)
- mainland China: $8 million (reversing a -$1.6 million deficit)
- Bulgaria: $204,000 (reversing a -$204,000 deficit)
- Taiwan: $198,000 (reversing a -$43,000 deficit)
- Tanzania: $65,000 (down -54.2%)
- US Minor Outlying Islands: $5,000 (reversing a -$32,000 deficit)
World-leading cork exporter Portugal generated the highest surplus in the international trade of cork. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Portgual’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Causing Worst Trade Deficits from Cork
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for cork during 2023. 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 cork purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$281.9 million (net export deficit down -4% since 2022)
- France: -$226.8 million (up 6.9%)
- Italy: -$212 million (up 20.3%)
- United Kingdom: -$76.5 million (up 18%)
- Germany: -$62.7 million (down -24.4%)
- Mexico: -$56 million (up 1.3%)
- Argentina: -$43.5 million (down -4.1%)
- Switzerland: -$20.1 million (down -11.3%)
- Chile: -$18.6 million (down -19.2%)
- Australia: -$18.1 million (down -5.2%)
- Canada: -$17.3 million (down -9.6%)
- Belarus: -$15.6 million (up 96.6%)
- Vietnam: -$15.5 million (up 58.6%)
- Japan: -$13.8 million (down -12.1%)
- Brazil: -$12.7 million (up 17.1%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of cork. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for cork-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Cork Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following cork export companies are examples of suppliers for either cork materials or commercial items made from cork like wine stoppers or beverage coasters. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- Bleile Bodenbelage Handel Und Dienstleistungen (Germany)
- Bunkado Printing Co, Ltd (Japan)
- Changzhou Huakang Cork Co, Ltd (China)
- dollaritemdirect.com Inc (United States)
- Eurotrading Collection SL (Spain)
- Fukutomi Technologies Pte Ltd (Singapore)
- Hanipole FH (Poland)
- ISO Cork (Algeria)
- Portugalia Cork SA (Portugal)
- Studio Assoiciato Miraglia & Mattia (Italy)
See also Plastic Item Exports by Country, Sawn Wood Exports by Country, Top Stainless Steel Exporters by Country, Top Glass and Glassware Exports by Country and Portugal’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier information for cork. Accessed on October 8, 2024
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 8, 2024
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on October 8, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 8, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 8, 2024
Wikipedia, Cork (material). Accessed on October 8, 2024