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Butter: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in butter totaled $12.2 billion (1.8 million tonnes). The top exporters were New Zealand (22%), the Netherlands (15%) and Ireland (14%); the top importers were France (13%), China (8%) and the Netherlands (7%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 25%.

Summary

World trade
$12.2billion
Tonnes
1.8million tonnes
Price per tonne
$6,614
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. New Zealand$2.7 billion · 22.4%
    see destinations
  2. Netherlands$1.8 billion · 14.6%
    re-exports · see destinations
  3. Ireland$1.8 billion · 14.4%
    see destinations
  4. Germany$1 billion · 8.5%
  5. France$888 million · 7.3%
  6. Belgium$876 million · 7.2%
    re-exports
  7. Denmark$452 million · 3.7%
  8. Poland$438 million · 3.6%
  9. India$286 million · 2.4%
  10. United States$236 million · 1.9%
  11. Finland$204 million · 1.7%
  12. United Kingdom$201 million · 1.7%
  13. Australia$128 million · 1.1%
  14. Spain$115 million · 0.94%
  15. Iran$100 million · 0.82%
  16. Italy$94 million · 0.77%
  17. Azerbaijan$79 million · 0.65%
  18. Portugal$68 million · 0.56%
  19. Uruguay$68 million · 0.56%
  20. Argentina$60 million · 0.5%

Top importers

  1. France$1.6 billion · 13%
    see sources
  2. China$940 million · 7.7%
  3. Netherlands$851 million · 7%
    re-exports
  4. Germany$845 million · 6.9%
  5. United States$805 million · 6.6%
  6. Belgium$618 million · 5.1%
    re-exports
  7. Italy$499 million · 4.1%
  8. United Kingdom$381 million · 3.1%
  9. Saudi Arabia$365 million · 3%
  10. Australia$258 million · 2.1%
  11. Spain$225 million · 1.8%
  12. Indonesia$207 million · 1.7%
  13. Canada$196 million · 1.6%
  14. Mexico$192 million · 1.6%
  15. Czechia$187 million · 1.5%
  16. South Korea$178 million · 1.5%
  17. United Arab Emirates$173 million · 1.4%
  18. Russia$161 million · 1.3%
  19. Taiwan$154 million · 1.3%
  20. Poland$153 million · 1.3%

Trend

Who sells it

New Zealand has been the top exporter since 1998

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

  • New Zealand 2.7
  • Netherlands 1.8
  • Ireland 1.8
  • Germany 1
  • France 0.89

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
New Zealand0.482.7
Netherlands0.741.8
Ireland0.671.8
Germany0.241
France0.340.89

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne rose 113% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $6,614

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$3,098
1996$2,932
1997$2,679
1998$2,753
1999$2,379
2000$2,188
2001$2,220
2002$2,074
2003$2,611
2004$2,881
2005$2,987
2006$2,873
2007$3,598
2008$4,207
2009$3,060
2010$4,180
2011$5,100
2012$4,124
2013$4,771
2014$4,723
2015$3,650
2016$3,670
2017$5,325
2018$5,787
2019$4,901
2020$4,439
2021$4,941
2022$6,377
2023$5,818
2024$6,614

What it includes

Includes other milk fats.

  • 0405 · Butter and milk fats

Products in the same chapter

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.

See all products