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Where does China get its sugar? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $1.8 billion of sugar (3.7 million tonnes), 4.4% of the world total. Brazil sold 82% of the total, followed by South Korea (6%) and Thailand (3%). China was the world’s 3rd-largest importer of sugar.

Summary

Value
$1.8billion
Tonnes
3.7million tonnes
Share of world total
4.4%
World rank
3rd
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Brazil1.5Tonnes: 3,105,441USD per tonne: $48181.9%Sea
South Korea0.12Tonnes: 175,176USD per tonne: $6736.5%Sea
Thailand0.05Tonnes: 91,257USD per tonne: $5582.8%Sea
El Salvador0.04Tonnes: 81,750USD per tonne: $4752.1%Sea
Nicaragua0.03Tonnes: 71,477USD per tonne: $4501.8%Sea
South Africa0.02Tonnes: 35,500USD per tonne: $6411.3%Sea
Malaysia0.02Tonnes: 39,920USD per tonne: $5551.2%Sea
India0.02Tonnes: 33,025USD per tonne: $6071.1%Sea
Indonesia0.01Tonnes: 16,610USD per tonne: $5190.47%Sea
Mauritius< 0.01Tonnes: 2,637USD per tonne: $9110.13%Sea
Pakistan< 0.01Tonnes: 4,744USD per tonne: $5020.13%Sea
United Arab Emirates< 0.01Tonnes: 4,239USD per tonne: $5610.13%Sea
United States< 0.01Tonnes: 652USD per tonne: $2,6080.09%Sea
Vietnam< 0.01Tonnes: 2,973USD per tonne: $5520.09%Sea
Guatemala< 0.01Tonnes: 2,372USD per tonne: $6110.08%Sea
Ukraine< 0.01Tonnes: 2,012USD per tonne: $6100.07%Sea
Germany< 0.01Tonnes: 235USD per tonne: $4,8490.06%Sea
Poland< 0.01Tonnes: 2,080USD per tonne: $5160.06%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 1,219USD per tonne: $5250.04%Sea
New Zealand< 0.01Tonnes: 624USD per tonne: $1,0150.03%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Brazil has been its main source since 2009

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Brazil 1.5
  • South Korea 0.12
  • Thailand 0.05
  • El Salvador 0.04
  • Nicaragua 0.03

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Brazil0.131.5
South Korea0.020.12
Thailand0.340.05
El Salvador< 0.010.04
Nicaragua00.03

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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