WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
24 November  2020 
(20-8466) Page: 1/42 
   
 
- 1 - 
 
TRENDS IN WORLD AGRICULTURAL TRADE - 25 YEARS OF  
THE AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE (A oA) 
BACKGROUND PAPER FOR WTO AGRICULTURAL SYMPOSIUM, 2 -3 DECEMBER 2020  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
Revision  
1   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  ................................ ................................ ................................  3 
2   INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 
3   KEY TRENDS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
4   DEVELOPMENT OF W ORLD TRADE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  ..............................  5 
4.1   World exports and imports of agricultural products  ................................ ........................  5 
4.2   Regional breakdown of world agricultural trade  ................................ .............................  6 
4.3   Main traders of agricultural products  ................................ ................................ ...........  7 
4.4   Top net exporters and net importers of agricultural products  ................................ ...........  9 
4.5   Top traded agricultural prod ucts ................................ ................................ ...............  11 
5   WORLD TRADE OF SELECTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  ................................ ........  13 
5.1   Soybeans  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  13 
5.2   Wheat and me slin ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 15 
5.3   Rice ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  17 
5.4   Meat and edible meat offal  ................................ ................................ .......................  19 
5.5   Cotton  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  21 
6   FOOD PRICE MOVEMENTS  ................................ ................................ ........................  23 
7   ROLE  OF GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS IN AGRICULTURAL TRADE  ................................ .... 23 
ANNEX  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  27 
 
  
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's o wn responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 2 - 
  
  List of Tables  
 
Table 1: Top 10 traders of soybeans, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ ...........................  14 
Table 2: Top 10 traders of wheat and meslin, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ ................  16 
Table 3: Top 10 traders of rice, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ ................................ ... 18 
Table 4: Top 10 traders of meat and edible meat offal, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ ... 20 
Table 5: Top 10 traders of cotton, 2019 vs. 1995 ................................ ...............................  22 
List of Charts  
 
Chart 1: World trade of agricultural products, 1995 -2019 ................................ .....................  5 
Chart 2: World exports of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 -2019 ................................ .. 6 
Chart 3: World trade of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 and 2019  ...............................  7 
Chart 4: Top 10 exporters of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ .........  8 
Chart 5: Top 10 importer s of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ .........  9 
Chart 6: Top 10 net exporters of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ .. 10 
Chart 7: Top 10 net importers of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ .. 11 
Chart 8: Top 15 imported agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ ...........  12 
Chart 9: World imports of soybe ans (HS 1201), 1995 -2019 ................................ ................  13 
Chart 10: World imports of wheat and meslin (HS 1001), 1995 -2019 ................................ ... 15 
Chart 11: World imports of rice (HS 1006), 1995 -2019 ................................ .......................  17 
Chart 12: World imports of meat and edible meat offal (HS 02), 1995 -2019 ..........................  19 
Chart 13: World imports of cotton ( HS 5201 -5203), 1995 -2019 ................................ ...........  21 
Chart 14: Food price indices, 1995 -2019 ................................ ................................ ...........  23 
Chart 15: Sectoral origin of value added in world exports of agricultural products, 2015  ...........  24 
Chart 16: Major changes in economies' exports of agricultural products, by domestic and 
foreign  value -added content and by region, 2005 -2015 ................................ .......................  25 
Chart 17: Top 10 value -added contributors to world exports of agricultural products, 2015  ....... 25 
Chart 18: Top 20 exporters' share in world exports of agricultural products and their foreign 
value -added content, 2015  ................................ ................................ ..............................  26 
List of Annex Tables  
 
Table 1: World trade of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 -2019 ................................ .... 27 
Table 2: Top 10 traders of agricultural products (including EU intra -trade), 2019 vs. 1995 ........  29 
Table 3: World exports of agricultural products (including EU intra -trade), by region and  
economy  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  30 
Table 4: World imports of agricultural products (including EU intra -trade), by region and  
economy  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  35 
Table 5: Commodity price devel opment for selected products, 1995 -2019 ..............................  42 
 
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 3 - 
 
  1  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  
1.1.  This Note  has been  prepared by the Secretariat for the 25  year anniversary of the Agreement 
on Agriculture (AoA)  and provides an overview  of the major trends in trade in agricultural products 
between 1995 and 2019. World exports of agricultural products more than tripled between 1995 and 
2019, from USD 286 billion to USD 1,051 billion. World imports increased from USD 307 billion  to 
USD 1,076 billion over the same period.  
1.2.  The share of agricultural products in total merchandise exports fell from 8. 1% in 1995 to 7. 3% 
in 201 9, the share of imports from 8.1% to 7.1% . The decline in the share  of agricultural products 
in total merchandise trade was the result of  the steeper rise in  the trade of non-agricultural products.  
1.3.  While North America  accounted for  almost 30% of world  agricultural  exports  in 1995, its share  
fell to 22% in 2019. Europe  and the Middle East also lost in export share. The regions whose shares 
expanded  include  Asia, South and Central America, and the Commonwealth of Independent States , 
including associate and former members  (CIS). Africa's share remained  stable. 
1.4.  In 1995, the United States had been  the top exporter  of agricultural  products  (share of 22%), 
but was overtaken by the European Union in 2019 (16%). In 2019, Brazil was in 3rd place (8%). In 
1995, the European Union had been the top importer  of agricultural products (share of 21.8%), 
but was overtaken by the United States in 2019 (13.6%). In 2019, the United States was followed 
by China and the European Union . China's share in world imports  more than tripled  between 1995 
and 2019.  
1.5.  The top net exporters  of agricultural products in 2019 w ere led by Brazil , whose surplus 
reached  USD 71.5 billion . The European Union  was in 2nd place, followed by Argentina . The top net 
importers  in 2019 were China, Japan and the Republic of Korea . Back in 1995, China had been  a 
net exporter.  
1.6.  The most highly traded  agricultural products  in 2019 were "soya beans " (hereby referred 
to as "soybeans "), "food preparations, n.e.s. " and "wheat and meslin ". Their combined  share in total 
agricultural trade was at  11% in 2019. In 1995, soybeans had been in 6th place, with their  share 
almost  doubl ing between 1995 and 2019. Wheat and meslin dropped from 2nd to 3rd place over this 
same period.  
1.7.  In 2019, food prices  were 24% above their respective level in 1995. On average, they 
increased by 0.9% per year over this period. Dairy products increased the most by an  average of 
2.1% per year. Cereals prices increased by 1.3%  per year , reaching a  total 36% increase  in 2019. 
In 2019, meat  prices were  19% above  their 1995 level.  The price of sugar in 2019, on the other 
hand, was 6% lower than in 1995.  
1.8.  Agricultural markets are largely driven  by global buyers in the food and beverage sector. They 
have become increasingly complex , characterized by  value chains and vertica lly integrated firms . In 
2015, 61% of the value -added content  of world exports of agricultural products emanated from  
the agricultural  industry, while 3 9% emanated from  non-agricultural industr ies located upstream in 
the production chain.  
1.9.  Trade in Value Added (TiVA) data demonstrate  the important role of  services in  agricultural  
exports which accoun t for 23% of value addition for  world exports of agricultural products . Within 
that figure , distribution services  account for  8.9% and business services 4.2%. Manufacturing 
companies supplied inputs of up to 12% of the value -added content of  agricultural exports.  
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 4 - 
  
  2  INTRODUCTION  
2.1.  This Background Paper  is divided into five main chapters, starting with two introductory 
chapters. Chapter 3 summarizes the main trends in world agriculture trade , while chapters  4-5 
provide  data on agricultural  trade flows  from 1995 to  2019 on a global , regional, country and product 
level. Chapter 6 covers  food price s, and chapter 7 addresses the role of Global Value Chains  (GVCs)  
in agricultural trade . The Paper  does not attempt to be comprehensive , but rather is intended to 
provide an overview  of the major  trends in  world ag ricultural trade between 1995 and 2019 . 
2.2.  Despite improvements in the collection of  national data, the statistical coverage of several 
African and some Asian economies  remains incomplete. The Secretariat has relied on  Comtrade and 
other databases where available, using  mirror data where necessary . Statistics for agricultural 
products in 2019 are slightly underestimated due to lesser reporting for that year . Trade data at 
detailed product level rel y on reported data only.  
2.3.  The geographic  and other  groups  referred to  in this report are only used for statistical purposes . 
They are not an  expression of opinion by the Secretariat on the status of any country or territory, 
the deli neation  of its frontiers, or  of its rights and obligations under  WTO agreements.  
2.4.  The term "agricultural products " is used in accordance with the  definition of the "Agreement 
on Agriculture " (AoA) .2 The term "European Union" is used in reference to  the European Union of 
2019, including the United Kingdom. With the exception of certain  tables in the Annex , the i ntra-
trade of the European Union is generally excluded.  
3  KEY TRENDS  
• World exports of agricultural products more than tripled between 1995 and 2019, from 
USD 286 billion in 1995  to USD 1,051 billion.  
• While  North America accounted for almost 30% of world agricultural exports in 1995, its share 
fell to 22% in 2019. Europe and the Middle East also lost in export share. The regions whose 
shares expanded  include Asia, South and Central America, and the CIS.  Africa's share remained  
stable.  
 
• The European Union  was the  top ex porter of agricultural products  in 2019 , and the United States 
the top importer . China's share in world imports more than tripl ed between 1995 and 2019.  
 
• Brazil was the top net exporter of agricultural exports in 2019, with a trade surplus of 
USD 71.5 billion. China was the top net importer in 201 9, whereas  back in 1995 it was a net 
exporter.  
 
• Soybeans were the most  imported agricultural product in 2019, with a share of 5.5% of total 
world agricultural imports ; in 1995, soybeans were in 6th place. Back in 1995, coffee  had been 
the most imported product , with a share of 5.3%. It fell to 11th place in 2019.  
 
• In 2019, fo od prices were 24% above their respective level of 1995. On average, they increased 
by 0.9% per year over this period.  
 
• In 2015, 61% of the value -added content of world exports of agricultural products originated 
from the  agriculture  industry itself, while  39% were sourced from other industries located 
upstream in the production chain.  The services industry accounted for 23% of the value 
addition , mainly from distribution and business services. Another 12% came from the 
manufacturing industry.  
 
2 See https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/14 -ag_01_e.htm . WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 5 - 
 
  4  DEVELOPMENT O F WORLD TRADE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  
4.1  World exports and imports  of agricultural products  
4.1.  World exports of agricultural products more than tripled between 1995 and 2019 , from 
USD 286 billion in 1995 to USD 1, 051 billion  (Chart 1). This constitutes an average annual growth 
rate of 5. 6% per year. World imports increased from USD 307 billion to USD 1,076 billion in the 
same period , reflecting  an annual growth rate of  5.4% per year . 
Chart 1: World trade of agricultural products, 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share ) 
 
 
 Excluding  intra-trade of the European Union and re-exports of Hong Kong, China.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor . 
4.2.  The share of agricultural products in total merchandise exports fell from 8.1% in 1995 to 7.3% 
in 2019, the share of imports from 8.1% to 7.1%.  The lowest share  was reached in 2006 , but then 
rose steadily following the food price crisis of 200 7-08. The overall  decline is due to the higher rate 
of growth of international  trade in non-agricultural products from 1995 to 2019  (6.1% per year on 
average) . 
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 6 - 
  
  4.2  Regional breakdown of world agricultural  trade  
4.3.  Charts 2 and 3 depict the breakdown of world agricultural trade by  region between 1995 and 
2019. While North America  accounted for  almost one third  of world exports in 1995, its share fell to 
22% in 2019. Europe 's export share  also fell (from 22% to 20%), and so did the Middle East' s (from 
1.8% to 1.2%). The regions whose shares rose  include  Asia ( from 25% to 2 9%), South and Central 
America ( from 15% to 1 8%) and the CIS (from 1% to 4%).  Africa's share remained stable at 5%.  
4.4.  Agricultural exports of the CIS showed a tenfold increase between 1995 and 2019 ( average 
annual increase of 10%), while exports of both South/Central America and Asia went up more than 
fourfold in these  years.  
4.5.  On the import side, Europe's share of world imports of agricultural products went down by 8% 
between 1995 and 2019 (from 26% to 18%). South and Central America's share decreased by 1%, 
while the shares of all other regions increased. Asia's share showed distinct growth (from 3 5% to 
39%) and so did North America's (from 1 6% to 1 9%). 
Chart 2: World exports of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 -2019  
(USD billion ) 
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union and  re-exports of Hong Kong, China.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
4.6.  North American imports of  agricultural products rose more than fourfold  between 1995 and 
2019 (average annual growth of 6.3%), with the imports of Africa, Asia and the Middle East rising 
by a similar  rate. European imports showed the smalle st increase of all  regions ; with an average  
growth rate of  4% per year.  
4.7.  A full overview of  developments  by region between 1995 and 2019 can be found in Table  1 of 
the Annex , and an overview  by region  (including intra-European Union  trade) and by individual 
economy in Table 3  of the Annex . 
  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 7 - 
 
  Chart 3: World trade of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 and 2019  
(Percentage share ) 
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union and  re-exports of Hong Kong, China.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
4.3  Main traders of agricultural products  
4.8.  Chart 4 shows the top 10 exporters of agricultural products in 1995 and 2019. The 
United  States, which was the main exporter  in 1995 (share of 22.2%), was overtaken by the 
European Union in 2019 (16.1%). The United States'  share  fell to 1 3.8% in 2019 . Brazil was in 3rd 
place in both 1995 and 2019 but was able to increase its share from 4.8% to 7.8%. Australia , which 
had been  in 4th place in 1995 (4.6%), fell to 8th place in 2019 ( 3.1%); while Canada remained in 5th 
place both years. China  climbed from 6th place in 1995 ( 4%) to 4th place in 2019 (5 .4%). In 2019, 
Malaysia and New Zealand were no longer among the top 10 exporters , and were replaced by  Mexico  
(3.4%) and India (3.1%).  
4.9.  While back in 1995 the top three exporters accounted for nearly  half (47%)  of world  agricultural  
exports, th e level of  concentration  fell in 2019  to 40%. Furthermore, while i n 1995 the top 10 
exporters  accounted for  71% of world exports of agricultural products , in 2019 they only accounted 
for 65%. A reflection of the  increased diversification of exporting countries.  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 8 - 
  
  Chart 4: Top 10 exporters of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share ) 
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
4.10.  Chart 5 shows the top 10 importers of agricultural products in 1995 and 2019 . While in 1995 
the top three  importers were the European Union  (21.8%), Japan ( 13.3%) and the United States 
(11%), in 2019 the ranking  was led by the United States ( 13.6%), China ( 12.7%) and the European 
Union (12.4%). In fact, China jumped from 4th to 2nd place from 1995 to  2019, with its  share in 
world imports more than tripling . Chinese Taipei , Brazil and Hong Kong , China  no longer fe ature d 
amongst the top 10 importers of 2019 . Mexico, India and Viet  Nam, on the other, which  had not 
featured amongst the top 10  back in 1995, were amongst the  top 10 importers  in 2019 . 
4.11.  While the  top 10 importers accounted for 67% of world imports in 1995, they only accounted 
for 63% in 2019. Despite this 4% fall, more than half of world imports of agricultural products 
remain ed concentrated amongst  the top 10.  
4.12.  Table 2 of the Annex contains the list of top exporters and importers (including intra -Europ ean 
Union trade), and by individual EU member States. 
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 9 - 
 
  Chart 5: Top 10 importers of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
4.4  Top n et exporters and net importers  of agricultural products  
4.13.  Chart  6 shows the  top 10 net exporters (i.e. with exports exceeding  imports). The economy 
with the highest positive trade balance for agricultural products in 2019 was Brazil' s; its expo rts 
surpass ing imports by USD 71.5 billion. It was also the exporter that increase d its trade surplus the 
most between 1995 and 2019 , by USD 64.5 billion.  The European  Union 's trade balance grew by 
USD 46.8 billion, Argentina's by USD 24.7 billion and New Zealand 's by USD 14.8 billion. Except for 
the European Union, Indonesia and Ukraine , all the top net exporters of 2019 were also  net exporters 
in 1995.    
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 10 - 
  
  Chart 6: Top 10 net exporters of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  
(USD billion ) 
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
4.14.  Chart 7 contains  the ranking of the top 10 net importers (i.e. with imports exceeding  exports) 
of 2019. China occupies 1st place, with a trade deficit for agricultural products of USD 79.3 billion . 
Back in 1995 China had been a  net exporter with a positive trade balance of USD 0.3 billion. All the 
other  nine net importers of 2019 had also been  net importers in 1995 ; with eight of t hem increas ing 
their trade deficit.  Among st these nine, Japan 's deficit grew the most, by USD 15.6 billion (from 
USD 39.1 billion to USD 54.7 billion), followed by the Republic of Korea  (from USD 7.8 billion to 
USD 20.9 billion) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (from USD 4.1 billion to USD 14.5 billion).  The 
Russian Federation is the only economy  amongst the top 10 net importers  that shrank  its trade 
deficit in this period (from  USD 9.1 billion to USD 8.3 billion).  
  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 11 - 
 
  Chart 7: Top 10 net importers of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  
(USD billion ) 
 
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
4.5  Top traded agricultural products  
4.15.  Chart 8 shows t he top 15 most imported agricultural products3 in 1995 and 2019. In 1995, 
"coffee, coffee husks/skins and substitutes " (HS 09.01), "wheat and meslin " (HS 10.01) and "cotton, 
not carded or combed " (HS 52.01) were the top imported products, reaching shares of 5.3%, 4.1% 
and 3.6%, respectively . Together they accounted for approximately  13% of wo rld imports of 
agricultural products .  
4.16.  In 2019, the top product changed to "soybeans " (HS 12.01) with a share of 5.5%, and cotton 
dropped from 3rd to 15th place. "Food preparations, nes " moved to 2nd place, while  "wheat and 
meslin" moved from 2nd to 3rd place (share of 2.8 %). The combined share of the top 3 products  went 
down to 11 % in 2019 . The change  in product composition  from 1995 to 2019 was significant. For 
example , while s oybeans  had been in  6th place in  1995, accounting for  only 2.9% of agricultural 
trade, in 2019 their share  almost  doubled.  Solid cane/beet sugar dropped from 5th place in 1995 to 
19th place in 2019 , and c igars/cigarettes /tobacco  from 7th to 24th place. 
4.17.  The top 15 products accounted for  46.2% of world agricultural imports in 1995 , and 3 3.7% 
in 2019.  
  
 
3 On the 4 -digits -level of t he Harmonized System (HS).  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 12 - 
  
  Chart 8: Top 15 imported agricultural products , 1995 and 2019  
(Percentage shares ) 
 
 
Source:  Comtrade database . 
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 13 - 
 
  5  WORLD TRADE OF SELECTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  
5.1  Soybeans  
5.1.  World imports of soybeans increased on average by 8. 7% per year between 1995 and 2019, 
substantially more than total agricultural imports (+5. 4% per year) . Soybean s imports grew more 
than seven  times in value, from USD 8 billion in 1995 to USD 57 billion in 2019 (Chart  9). They 
reached a peak in 2014  of USD 65 billion. The share of soybeans in total agricultural imports went 
up from 2.5% in 1995 to 5.3% in 2019.  
5.2.  Soybeans prices reached their maximum in 2012, when prices were 2.7 times higher than in 
1995. In 2019, the price of  soybeans w as 1.4 times higher than  1995 ( Table 5 of the Annex ). 
Chart 9: World imports of soybeans  (HS 1201), 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share ) 
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
5.3.  Table 1 below shows t he top 10 exporters and importers of soybeans for 1995 and 2019 . While 
in 1995 the dominant exporter was the United States , accounting for nearly  75% of world exports, 
its share  declined  to 37% in 2019  and was overtaken by Brazil . Argentina was in 3rd place both 
years. Even though the United States'  share  decreased distinctly, the value of its exports more than 
tripled between 1995 and 2019 ( from USD 5.4 billion to USD 18.7 billion ). However, the rise in value 
of Brazil's soybean s exports was significantly  higher  over that same period  (from USD 0.8 billion  to 
USD 26.1 billion).  
5.4.  The top 10 exporters accounted for nearly  100% of world soybean s exports in both years.  
5.5.  In 1995, the European Union (53%), Japan (18%), and Mexico  (7%) were the top importers 
of soybeans, and together accounted for  more than 75% of w orld imports. In 2019, China was top 
importer with a share of 62% in total world imports, followed by  the European Union  (10%) and 
Egypt  (3%). Back in 1995, China  was in 10th place. 
  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 14 - 
  
  Table 1: Top 10 traders of soybeans, 2019 vs. 1995  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value  (USD bn.)  
Share  in world 
trade (%)  
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
United States  5.43 74.9%  Brazil  26.08  51.7%  
Brazil  0.77 10.6%  United States  18.72  37.1%  
Argentina  0.54 7.4%  Argentina  3.40 6.7%  
Paraguay  0.18 2.4%  Canada  1.55 3.1%  
Canada  0.17 2.3%  Russian Federation  0.28 0.6%  
China  0.10 1.4%  EU (28) extra -trade  0.10 0.2%  
Bolivia, Plurinational State of  0.05 0.6%  China  0.09 0.2%  
China, Hong Kong SAR  0.01 0.1%  Serbia  0.07 0.1%  
EU (28) extra -trade  0.004  0.1%  India 0.06 0.1%  
Malaysia  0.003  0.0%  Turkey  0.05 0.1%  
sum of above  7.24 99.8%  sum of above  50.40  99.8%  
Top 10 importers  
EU (28) extra-trade  4.03 52.8%  China  35.34  62.3%  
Japan  1.37 18.0%  EU (28) extra -trade  5.50 9.7%  
Mexico  0.54 7.1%  Egypt  1.66 2.9%  
Korea, Rep ublic of 0.40 5.3%  Argentina  1.61 2.8%  
Brazil  0.20 2.6%  Japan  1.54 2.7%  
Indonesia  0.18 2.4%  Thailand  1.15 2.0%  
Malaysia  0.13 1.7%  Indonesia  1.06 1.9%  
Israel  0.13 1.7%  Turkey  1.03 1.8%  
Norway  0.08 1.0%  Taiwan  1.03 1.8%  
China  0.08 1.0%  Mexico  0.91 1.6%  
sum of above  7.14 93.5%  sum of above  50.83  89.6%  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM. 
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 15 - 
 
  5.2  Wheat and meslin  
5.6.  The share of wheat an d meslin in world imports of agricultural products decreased from 3. 6% 
in 1995 to 2. 5% in 2019 . The world import value of th is product more than doubled from 1995 to 
2019 – from USD 11 billion to USD 27 billion.  However, the  imports of other agricultural products 
rose more (see soybeans above) . As a result, the  overall share of wheat and meslin  in world imports  
went down.  
5.7.  Prices of wheat in 2019 were almost 1.3 times above the ir 1995  level ( Table 5  of the Annex ). 
Chart 10: World imports of wheat and meslin (HS 1001), 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
5.8.  The top exporters of wheat and meslin in 2019 were the Russian Federation ( 21% of world 
exports),  the United States ( 21%) and the European Union  (20%). Back in 1995, the United  States 
was the  top exporter (41%), followed by Canada  (22%) and the European Union  (15%). The overall 
share of the top 10 exporters of wheat and meslin was almost 100 % in both 1995 and 2019 (Table 2 
below ). 
5.9.  While China was the top importer of this product in 1995, accounting for  18% of world imports, 
it no longer features on the top 10 l ist in 2019. In 2019, the importers with the highest shares were 
Egypt ( 11%), Indonesia ( 10%) and Turkey ( 9%). Japan fell  from 2nd to 6th place between 1995 and  
2019,  and the European Union  from 6th to 7th. 64% of world imports of wheat and meslin were 
imported by the  top 10 importers in 2019 (down from 72% in 1995).  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 16 - 
  
  Table 2: Top 10 traders of wheat and meslin, 2019 vs. 1995  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Shar e in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
United States  5.46 41.2%  Russian Federation  6.40 21.2%  
Canada  2.96 22.3%  United States  6.27 20.8%  
EU (28) extra -trade  1.95 14.7%  EU (28) extra-trade  5.98 19.8%  
Australia  1.31 9.9%  Canada  5.38 17.8%  
Argentina  1.01 7.6%  Australia  2.48 8.2%  
Kazakhstan  0.23 1.7%  Argentina  2.30 7.6%  
India 0.11 0.8%  Kazakhstan  1.00 3.3%  
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  0.09 0.7%  Brazil  0.12 0.4%  
Mexico  0.07 0.5%  Moldova, Republic of  0.10 0.3%  
Turkey  0.02 0.2%  Pakistan  0.07 0.2%  
sum of above  13.20  99.6%  sum of above  30.09  99.8%  
Top 10 importers  
China  2.03 18.4%  Egypt  3.02 11.3%  
Japan  1.34 12.2%  Indonesia  2.80 10.5%  
Egypt  0.88 8.0%  Turkey  2.30 8.6%  
Indonesia  0.80 7.3%  Philippines  1.85 6.9%  
Algeria  0.73 6.6%  Brazil  1.49 5.6%  
EU (28) extra -trade  0.66 6.0%  Japan  1.47 5.5%  
Morocco  0.47 4.3%  EU (28) extra -trade  1.21 4.5%  
Korea, Rep ublic of 0.47 4.2%  Korea, Rep ublic of 0.99 3.7%  
Tunisia  0.30 2.7%  Morocco  0.96 3.6%  
United States  0.25 2.3%  Mexico  0.93 3.5%  
sum of above  7.92 71.9%  sum of above  17.02  63.7%  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 17 - 
 
  5.3  Rice 
5.10.  World imports of rice more than tripled between 1995 and 2019, from USD 4 billion to 
USD 14 billion. This corresponds to an average annual percentage change of 5.1%. The share of rice 
in total agricultural imports decreased from 1.4% in 1995 to 1.3% in 2019. The highest share 
reached in  that period was in  2008, where it stood at  2.19% (Chart 11).  
5.11.  In 2019, the price of rice ( "Thai, 5% ") was 1.3 times higher than its  1995 level ( Table 5 of 
the Annex ). 
Chart 11: World imports of rice (HS 1006), 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
5.12.  The top exporters in 1995 were led by Thailand (3 8% of world exports), India (2 6%) and the 
United States (1 9%). In 2019 India (3 3%) overtook  Thailand ( 20%) as the top exporter,  and 
Viet Nam (1 2%) overtook the United States  in 3rd place. The top 10 exporters accounted for more 
than 9 6% of world exports in both  1995 and 2019.  
5.13.  The European Union was the  top importer in both 1995 and 2019 ( 13% and 11%  of world 
imports ), followed  in 2019  by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (9%), China ( 9%) and the Philippines 
(8%). In 1995, Indonesia (1 2%) had been  in 2nd place, followed by China  (10%) and Brazil ( 7%). 
The top 10 importers accounted for almost  68% of world imports in 1995 and almost 66 % in 2019.  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 18 - 
  
  Table 3: Top 10 traders of rice, 2019 vs. 1995  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
Econom y 
Value ( USD bn.) 
Share  in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
Thailand  1.95 37.9%  India 6.80 32.6%  
India 1.36 26.4%  Thailand  4.21 20.1%  
United States  1.00 19.4%  Viet Nam 2.43 11.7%  
Australia  0.20 3.9%  Pakistan  2.27 10.9%  
Uruguay  0.16 3.2%  United States  1.88 9.0%  
Argentina  0.14 2.7%  China  1.06 5.1%  
Egypt  0.06 1.1%  Myanmar  0.78 3.7%  
Suriname  0.03 0.6%  Brazil  0.37 1.8%  
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of  0.03 0.6%  EU (28) extra-trade  0.26 1.3%  
China  0.02 0.3%  Argentina  0.16 0.8%  
sum of above  4.95 96.2%  sum of above  20.22  96.8%  
Top 10 importers  
EU (28) extra -trade  0.56 13.1%  EU (28) extra -trade  1.57 11.2%  
Indonesia  0.51 12.0%  Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  1.27 9.1%  
China  0.43 10.1%  China  1.25 8.9%  
Brazil  0.29 6.9%  Philippines  1.14 8.1%  
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  0.28 6.5%  United States  1.09 7.7%  
Bangladesh  0.22 5.1%  Iran 0.78 5.6%  
Hong Kong, China1 0.17 3.9%  Côte d'Ivoire  0.60 4.3%  
Côte d'Ivoire  0.15 3.6%  Benin  0.57 4.1%  
Malaysia  0.14 3.3%  Japan  0.49 3.5%  
United States  0.14 3.3%  Malaysia  0.45 3.2%  
sum of above  2.90 67.8%  sum of above  9.23 65.6%  
1 Mainly imports for re -export.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 19 - 
 
  5.4  Meat and edible meat offal  
5.14.  World  imports of meat and edible meat offal more than  tripled between 1995 and 2019, rising 
from USD 20 billion in 1995 to USD 75 billion in 2019  (Chart 12) . On average, imports increased by 
5.2% per year. The ir share in total world imports of agricultural products went up  from 6.6% in 
1995 to 7. 0% in 2019, with a peak of 8.8% in 200 0. 
5.15.  In 1995, 41% of imports were of bovine meat (HS 02.01 and 02.02), 24% of swine  meat 
(HS 02.03), and 1 8% of poultry meat (HS 02.07) , with the remaining 17% going to other  types of  
meat. In 2019, bovine meat represented 43% of all imports, meat of swine 2 1%, and poultry meat 
17%. The remaining 19% of meat imports  was of other  types of  meat. 
5.16.  The price of beef  increased by a factor  of 2.5 between 1995 and 2019, while the price of 
chicken went up 1.6 times ( Table 5  of the Annex ). 
Chart 12: World imports of meat and edible meat offal (HS 02), 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
5.17.  Table 4 lists the top 10 exporters and importers of meat and edible meat offal in 1995 and 
2019. In 1995, the United States was in  1st place, accounting for 30% of world exports, followed by 
the European Union  (19%) and Australia  (13%). In 2019, the United  States  continued to top the 
list, but its share went down to 21%. Brazil  came in 2nd (18%), and the European Union  3rd (17%). 
Brazil was in 7th place in 1995. In both 1995 and 2019, 94% of world exports of meat and edible 
meat offal was exported by  the top 10 exporters.  
5.18.  The top 3 importers of this product in 1995 were Japan ( 45%), the European Union (13%) 
and the United States  (10%) . In 2019, Jap an remained the  top importer , despite it s falling share  
(14%). The United  States followed  in 2nd place (12%), and China  in 3rd (8%). China had not been 
amongst the top 10 importers back in 1995 , but in 18th place. 
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 20 - 
  
  Table 4: Top 10 traders of meat and edible meat offal, 2019 vs. 1995  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
Economy  
Value  (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value  (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
United States  6.10 30.1%  United States  17.66  20.5%  
EU (28) extra -trade  3.80 18.8%  Brazil  15.30  17.8%  
Australia  2.58 12.8%  EU (28) extra -trade  14.47  16.8%  
New Zealand  1.75 8.6%  Australia  11.36  13.2%  
Canada  1.18 5.8%  Canada  5.62 6.5%  
China  1.02 5.0%  New Zealand  5.31 6.2%  
Brazil  0.97 4.8%  Argentina  3.79 4.4%  
Argentina  0.85 4.2%  India 3.45 4.0%  
Thailand  0.41 2.0%  Mexico  2.48 2.9%  
Hong Kong, China1 0.37 1.9%  Hong Kong, China1 1.19 1.4%  
sum of above  19.04  94.0%  sum of above  80.64  93.7%  
Top 10 importers  
Japan  9.14 45.3%  Japan  10.84  14.5%  
EU (28) extra -trade  2.66 13.2%  United States  8.76 11.7%  
United States  2.00 9.9%  China  6.03 8.1%  
Hong Kong, China1 1.22 6.0%  Hong Kong, China1 5.41 7.2%  
Korea, Rep ublic of  0.74 3.7%  Korea, Rep ublic of 5.23 7.0%  
Canada  0.69 3.4%  Mexico  4.22 5.6%  
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  0.57 2.8%  EU (28) extra -trade  4.04 5.4%  
Mexico  0.45 2.3%  Egypt  2.11 2.8%  
Switzerland  0.35 1.8%  Russian Federation  1.89 2.5%  
Brazil  0.23 1.1%  Canada  1.84 2.5%  
sum of above  18.06  89.4%  sum of above  50.38  67.3%  
1 Mainly re-exports/imports for re -export.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 21 - 
 
  5.5  Cotton  
5.19.  World imports of cotton rose from USD 10 billion to USD 13 billion in 2019 (Chart  13), 
correspon ding to an average annual change of 1. 3%. Its share in world agricultural imports fell from 
3.2% in 1995 to 1.3% in 2019.  
5.20.  The highest  import  value of cotton, of  USD 24 billion , was reached in 2011. In 2019, cotton 
prices were 19% below their 1995 level (Table 5  of the Annex ). 
Chart 13: World imports of cotton (HS 5201 -5203), 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
 
 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
5.21.  The top 10 exporters and importers of cotton are shown in Table 5. The United States was 
the top exporter in both 1995 (5 4%) and 2019 ( 42%), followed by Australia (8%) and Argentina 
(6%) in 1995 , and by Brazil (18%) and India (8%) in 2019. The top 10 exporters accounted for 
86% of world exports in 1995 , and 9 2% in 2019.  
5.22.  The European Union  was the top importer in 1995 ( 25%) but fell to 8th place in 2019 (3%).  
China went from 2nd place in 1995 to 1st in 2019 with its share in world imports almost doubling 
(from 14% to 27%).  While in 1995 Indonesia (9%) and the Republic of Korea  (8%) occupied 3rd and 
4th places, in 2019 they fell to the 5th and 10th places. In 2019, Viet Nam (18%) and Turkey (12%)  
occupied  2nd and 3rd place. Back in 1995, Viet  Nam had not been amongst the  top 10 importers, and 
Turkey had been in  8th place. The top 10 importers accounted for  86% of world imports of cotton in 
1995 and 90% in 2019.  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 22 - 
  
  Table 5: Top 10 traders of cotton, 2019 vs. 1995  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
Economy  
Value  (USD bn.)  
Share  in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%) 
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
United States  3.73 54.4%  United States  6.21 42.0%  
Australia  0.57 8.3%  Brazil  2.64 17.8%  
Argentina  0.44 6.4%  India 1.13 7.6%  
Paraguay  0.27 3.9%  Australia  1.09 7.3%  
EU (28) extra -trade  0.21 3.0%  EU (28) extra-trade  0.73 4.9%  
Mexico  0.17 2.5%  Benin  0.46 3.1%  
Egypt  0.16 2.3%  Côte d'Ivoire  0.36 2.4%  
Sudan (former)  0.14 2.1%  Burkina Faso  0.35 2.4%  
Côte d'Ivoire  0.14 2.0%  Uzbekistan  0.30 2.0%  
Burkina Faso  0.10 1.4%  Turkey  0.30 2.0%  
sum of above  5.93 86.5%  sum of above  13.57  91.6%  
Top 10 importers  
EU (28) extra -trade  2.48 25.1%  China  3.57 26.5%  
China  1.42 14.4%  Viet Nam 2.45 18.2%  
Indonesia  0.92 9.3%  Turkey  1.60 11.9%  
Korea, Rep. of  0.77 7.8%  India 1.34 10.0%  
Japan  0.71 7.2%  Indonesia  1.12 8.3%  
Thailand  0.68 6.9%  Pakistan  0.71 5.3%  
Brazil  0.57 5.8%  Thailand  0.38 2.8%  
Turkey  0.38 3.9%  EU (28) extra -trade  0.36 2.6%  
Hong Kong, China1 0.35 3.6%  Malaysia  0.30 2.2%  
Mexico  0.22 2.3%  Korea, Rep ublic of 0.27 2.0%  
sum of above  8.52 86.2%  sum of above  12.10  89.9%  
1 Mainly imports for re -export.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 23 - 
 
  6  FOOD  PRICE MOVEMENTS  
6.1.  In 2019, food prices were 24% above their 1995 level (Chart 14) . On average, they increased 
by 0.9% per year. Dairy prices  increased the most , with a total increase of  64% by 2019. Cereal 
prices rose by 1.3%  per year , reaching a 36% rise between  1995 and 2019. In 2019, the price of 
various meats was 19% above 1995 level s. The price of sugar, on the other hand, was 6% lower 
over that same period.  
6.2.  Food prices  increased markedly during the food price crisis of  2007-08. They jumped up by 
30% from 2006 to 2007, and by a further 25% from 2007 to  2008. Meat prices went up by 9% and 
17%, respectively , in those two years , dairy prices  by 68% and 8% , and c ereal prices by 42% and 
36%. Sugar prices , on the other hand,  went down by 32% in 2007, only to go up again  by 27%  in 
2008.  These fluctuations were due to drought in several grain -produc ing countries, a rise in fuel 
prices , population growth and increased  demand for processed food s. 
6.3.  Table 5 of the Annex provides a more detailed overview o f these price fluctuations for selec t 
agricultural products.  
Chart 14: Food price indices , 1995 -2019 
(Indices, 1995 = 100)  
 
Source:  FAO Food Price Index database . 
7  ROLE OF GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS IN AGRICULTURAL TRADE  
7.1.  Global agricultural markets are driven by  demand  from the food and beverage sector. They 
have become increasingly complex and are dominated by value chains and vertical ly-integrated  
firms.  TiVA data provide s valuable information on the value -added origin of exports.  
7.2.  Chart 15 presents the sectoral value -added origin of global agricultural exports . It 
demonstrates that industries4 other than the exporting one , contribute significantly to value addition . 
In 20155, while 61% of the value -added content of world  agricultural  exports originated from the  
agriculture  industry itself, 3 9% was derived  from other industries that are further upstream in the 
production chain.  
 
4 OECD TiVA in dicators can be decomposed according to 36 industries based on ISIC Rev.4.  
5 2015 is the last year available in the OECD TiVA database at the time of production.  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 24 - 
  
  Chart 15: Sectoral origin of value  added in world export s of agricultural products, 2015  
(Percentage share in world exports of agricultural products ) 
 
Source:  OECD TiVA database.  
7.3.  TiVA demonstrates the  importance of services in  agricultural  exports, which accounted for 23% 
of the ir value  added . Of these 23%, distribution services accounted for 8.9% and business services6 
4.2%. Manufacturing companies ( food, chemicals, machinery , etc.) supplied inputs of up to 12% of 
total value  addition. 
7.4.  Chart 16 shows the major changes in exports by  region  between 2005 and 2015 , using  
domestic and foreign value -added  content . Within , Asia, Thailand, Viet  Nam, Indonesia, New Zealand 
and India experienced the same rate of growth for domestic and fore ign value -added content (10% 
on average per year ). Thailand experienced the biggest rise in  domestic content , while I ndonesia  
experienced  the lowest rise in foreign content . Its economy exports a wide range of primary  
agricultural products, such as palm oil and natural rubber, which require few inputs from other 
sectors and even less from foreign partners.  
7.5.  European economies showed the biggest growth in both the domestic and foreign value -added 
content of their agricul tural exports. They intensified their participation in supply chains by importing 
increasing quantities of intermediate goods and services. The highest growth in imports of 
intermediate goods and services was seen in Romania (25%), Ireland (20%) and Bulgar ia (19%).  
7.6.  In South and Central America, Brazil is the leading agricultural exporter, and experienced an 
average growth rate of 18% of imported content, in particular fertilizer. Peru expanded its exports 
by around 15% from 2005 to 2015, with equal growth r ates for domestic and foreign value -added 
content. Argentina, on the other hand, did not increase its imports of foreign inputs, demonstrating 
limited GVC participation in agriculture.  
 
6 Other business services include research and development activities as well as legal, management, 
consulting, technical and engineering services . 
 
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 25 - 
 
  Chart 16: Major changes in economies' exports o f agricultural products, by domestic and 
foreign value -added content and by region, 2005 -2015  
(Annual average rate in percent and USD billion)  
 
Source:  OECD TiVA database.  
7.7.  In North America, the United States maintained a yearly average growth rate of 6% f or 
domestic and foreign value -added content . Mexico exhibited the highest  total growth of foreign 
value -added content, in particular of  fertilizer, farm machinery and seeds imported from the 
United States . 
7.8.  TiVA allows for the identification of  key players in GVCs. Chart 17 highlights the domestic 
industries that contributed the most to agricultural supply chains and their share in value -added 
exports.  
Chart 17: Top 10 value -added contributors to world exports of agricult ural products, 
2015  
(USD billion and percentage share in world exports of agricultural)  
 
Source:  OECD TiVA database.  
7.9.  The "Rest of the world", identified as the main value -added contributor to world exports (13%  
in Chart 17 ), represents all developing econ omies that are not shown individually in the OECD TiVA 
database. The data confirms the importance of the farming sector for the developing world  and its 
participation in GVCs . African economies , however,  remain  under -represented  in this database.  
WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 26 - 
  
  7.10.  The agric ulture industry in  the United States and Brazil accounted for 6.7% and 5.3%  of total 
value addition to world agricultur al exports. However , the role of Unites States ' distribution services 
as a value -added contributor to world agricultural exports , estimated at 1.6%, confirms the  
important  role of services in agriculture . 
7.11.  In 2015, North America' s agriculture industry accounted for the greatest value add ition to 
world exports, standing  at 10.5%. Brazil and Argentina stood at  7.4 %, France and Spain at 4.3% , 
and China  at 3%. 
7.12.  Vertical specialization is a term that refers to the importation of intermediate goods and 
services for the production of exported goods. In value -added terms, it corresponds to the share of 
foreign value -added content in exports.  It is a key indicator of GVC participation.  
7.13.  Chart 18  shows big variations in the level of foreign content of the  top 20 agricultur e 
exporters. Canada and France have high shares of foreign value -added content in their exports , 
estimated at 18.5% and 17.1% , respectively . Other European economies such as Denm ark, the 
Netherlands and Germany show the same GVC pattern , with even higher rates of vertical 
specialization  (28.8%, 26.6% and 24.0% , respectively ). 
Chart 18: Top 20 exporters' share in world exports of agricultural products and their 
foreign value -added content, 2015  
(Percentage share in world and the economy's exports of agricultural ) 
 
Source:  OECD TiVA database.  
7.14.  Ireland presents the highest share of vertical specialization  among the top exporters, and 
stands at  45.2%. India and Argentina , on the other hand,  have the lowest rates of vertical 
specialization,  standing at 3.8% and 4% , respectively.  
 
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 27 - ANNEX  
Table 1: World trade of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 -2019  
(USD billion ) 
Region  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  
Exports  
World1 285.6  306.4  308.6  288.6  269.8  271.0  280.0  296.0  336.1  385.6  416.2  466.3  569.1  
Africa  14.7 15.8 14.6 14.8 14.2 12.8 12.8 14.4 17.4 21.3 21.8 23.6 25.3 
Asia  72.3 77.0 77.2 69.0 67.7 68.1 70.5 75.9 82.7 99.8 107.8  119.3  148.7  
Commonwealth of Independent States, 
including associate and former member 
States  5.8 9.3 7.4 6.3 5.1 5.5 6.1 7.4 9.2 11.0 13.4 15.4 22.0 
Europe (excluding EU intra -trade)  64.0 65.5 67.3 62.9 58.2 55.1 55.2 60.8 71.2 80.1 86.6 97.1 113.5  
Middle East  5.0 5.0 4.9 5.3 5.4 7.1 7.3 9.9 10.3 10.3 9.9 12.1 13.1 
North America  82.2 88.1 87.0 81.0 75.9 81.0 83.3 81.6 90.1 96.2 100.4  113.6  138.9  
South and Central America (incl. the 
Caribbean)  41.5 45.7 50.1 49.1 43.3 41.5 44.8 46.0 55.2 66.9 76.2 85.2 107.6  
Imports  
World1 307.1  325.2  323.8  309.1  298.7  295.7  302.7  320.8  365.8  422.6  449.8  492.6  601.0  
Africa  19.2 19.0 18.8 19.1 17.8 18.4 19.7 21.8 23.8 28.3 30.6 34.6 45.3 
Asia  107.2  111.0  105.3  92.8 93.9 97.3 98.4 100.2  113.6  136.3  142.6  152.1  184.5  
Commonwealth of Independent States, 
including associate and former member 
States  14.1 15.9 16.6 13.9 11.2 10.5 12.5 13.5 16.6 18.7 23.1 28.4 36.6 
Europe (excluding EU intra -trade)  80.3 84.3 81.3 79.2 72.7 63.9 65.0 71.1 83.8 95.0 98.7 106.3  132.8  
Middle East  17.3 17.8 19.0 18.7 19.5 22.1 21.2 22.1 27.1 32.4 32.6 34.1 42.9 
North America  48.3 55.4 60.0 62.2 63.7 64.0 66.6 73.6 81.3 89.8 98.3 110.0  123.6  
South and Central America (incl. the 
Caribbean)  20.6 21.9 22.8 23.3 19.9 19.5 19.2 18.4 19.8 22.1 23.9 27.0 35.2 
 
    
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 28 -  
Region  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Exports  
World1 712.8  631.3  748.9  934.7  967.3  1003.9  1025.6  933.2  939.3  1011.5  1043.2  1050.9  
Africa  31.6 34.9 40.8 48.3 51.9 51.6 52.2 52.8 50.1 52.7 54.9 53.4 
Asia  188.9  164.9  205.6  275.3  278.5  284.4  294.7  269.5  268.9  299.2  304.9  301.4  
Commonwealth of Independent States, 
including associate and former member 
States  28.1 24.2 25.1 32.4 44.7 44.3 45.9 38.8 40.0 47.8 52.7 57.4 
Europe (excluding EU intra -trade)  135.2  119.8  139.6  170.3  176.0  191.4  194.6  173.4  175.4  186.2  194.3  213.7  
Middle East  16.7 15.9 21.2 21.1 20.7 23.2 25.3 20.8 23.4 24.4 25.9 12.6 
North America  173.7  149.9  174.1  207.7  214.6  220.8  230.6  211.2  214.4  222.5  228.4  227.2  
South and Central America (incl. the 
Caribbean)  138.6  121.7  142.5  179.7  180.8  188.0  182.2  166.8  166.9  178.8  182.1  185.3  
Imports  
World1 755.9  665.1  772.5  973.6  992.0  1016.0  1045.9  972.2  966.2  1041.7  1078.6  1076.3  
Africa  57.6 52.1 61.1 94.3 86.3 83.4 89.4 76.9 77.1 80.7 83.5 75.3 
Asia  238.4  213.2  266.0  340.2  357.2  361.3  378.1  362.5  360.4  395.8  411.7  423.5  
Commonwealth of Independent States, 
including associate and former member 
States  48.6 40.4 47.4 56.8 60.0 64.1 59.9 42.5 41.3 47.4 47.9 50.5 
Europe (excluding EU intra -trade)  163.4  135.2  143.5  176.8  169.4  175.6  179.6  162.9  161.1  172.6  178.9  190.6  
Middle East  59.0 59.8 70.2 81.6 86.4 93.3 89.8 87.6 86.6 92.2 89.6 67.3 
North America  138.5  123.4  138.0  164.5  171.5  176.9  186.3  184.4  185.3  194.3  205.6  209.6  
South and Central America (incl. the 
Caribbean)  50.5 41.0 46.2 59.4 61.1 61.5 62.9 55.4 54.3 58.9 61.5 59.5 
1 Excluding intra -trade of the European Union and  re-exports of Hong Kong, China.   
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
 
 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 29 - 
 
  Table 2: Top 10 traders of agricultural products ( including EU intra -trade), 2019 vs. 
1995  
(USD b illion and percentage share ) 
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in world 
trade (%)  
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
United States  63.5 14.2%  United States  145.3  10.0%  
France  42.4 9.5%  Netherlands  99.0 6.8%  
Netherlands  40.3 9.0%  Germany  85.1 5.8%  
Germany  28.3 6.4%  Brazil  81.5 5.6%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  18.1 4.1%  France  72.8 5.0%  
United Kingdom  17.9 4.0%  China  57.1 3.9%  
Italy 15.9 3.6%  Spain  52.4 3.6%  
Brazil  13.6 3.1%  Italy 49.7 3.4%  
Spain  13.3 3.0%  Belgium  45.9 3.1%  
Australia  13.0 2.9%  Canada  45.7 3.1%  
sum of above  266.4  59.7%  sum of above  734.4  50.3%  
Top 10 importers  
Germany  48.5 10.5%  United States  146.0  9.9%  
Japan  41.0 8.9%  China  136.3  9.2%  
United States  33.8 7.3%  Germany  99.6 6.7%  
France  29.3 6.4%  Netherlands  66.0 4.5%  
United Kingdom  26.8 5.8%  United Kingdom  62.3 4.2%  
Italy 25.1 5.4%  Japan  60.2 4.1%  
Netherlands  22.5 4.9%  France  58.4 3.9%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  17.4 3.8%  Italy 44.4 3.0%  
Spain  13.7 3.0%  Belgium  38.0 2.6%  
China  11.2 2.4%  Canada  36.3 2.4%  
sum of above  269.2  58.4%  sum of above  747.3  50.4%  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 30 - 
 
  Table 3: World exports of agricultural products ( including EU intra -trade ), by region and 
economy  
(USD b illion) 
Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
World excl. 
Hong Kong 
re-exports  446.12  409.71  653.79 1,085.62 1,298.30 1,311.61 1,414.69 1,471.64 1,459.05 
Algeria  0.11 0.03 0.06 0.32 0.23 0.32 0.34 0.29 0.31 
Angola  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.05 0.03 
Benin  0.19 0.17 0.24 0.38 0.40 0.29 0.57 0.76 0.69 
Botswana   0.09 0.12 0.24 0.15 0.13 0.11 0.12 0.09 
Burkina Faso  0.14 0.14 0.30 0.36 0.66 0.75 0.73 0.80 0.30 
Burundi  0.11 0.04 0.05 0.09 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.06 
Cabo Verde  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Cameroon  0.50 0.34 0.56 1.03 1.22 1.11 0.88 1.09 1.22 
Central African 
Rep. 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Chad 0.12 0.09 0.10 0.06 0.11 0.08 0.08 0.06 0.06 
Comoros  0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.03 
Congo  0.01 0.03 0.06 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.01 
Côte d'Ivoire  2.12 1.83 2.82 5.11 6.93 6.52 7.10 6.98 7.09 
Dem. Rep. of 
the Congo  0.12 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.09 0.10 0.09 
Djibouti  0.01 0.00 0.02 0.08 0.05 0.04 0.09 0.08 0.03 
Egypt  0.55 0.62 1.18 5.15 5.00 5.10 5.06 5.09 5.56 
Equatorial 
Guinea  0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Eritrea  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Eswatini   0.30 0.28 0.51 0.57 0.52 0.47 0.51 0.61 
Ethiopia  0.36 0.41 0.87 0.94 1.49 1.53 1.69 1.17 2.33 
Former  Sudan  0.62 0.35 0.51 0.52      
Gabon  0.01 0.01 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
The Gambia  0.00 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.02 0.06 0.01 0.00 0.00 
Ghana  0.56 0.41 1.06 1.13 4.58 3.20 3.23 4.24 3.50 
Guinea  0.06 0.02 0.02 0.07 0.06 0.27 0.29 0.12 0.09 
Guinea -Bissau  0.04 0.06 0.02 0.07 0.24 0.32 0.32 0.14 0.13 
Kenya  1.11 1.02 1.56 2.91 3.24 3.29 3.45 3.54 3.19 
Lesotho   0.01 0.00 0.10 0.09 0.07 0.05 0.05 0.07 
Liberia  0.00 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.05 0.12 0.05 0.04 0.04 
Libya  0.04 0.02 0.01 0.00 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 
Madagascar  0.21 0.17 0.14 0.19 0.60 0.80 1.20 1.30 0.94 
Malawi  0.39 0.34 0.41 0.83 0.86 0.87 0.80 0.98 0.85 
Mali 0.22 0.17 0.33 0.28 0.40 0.55 0.40 0.17 0.22 
Mauritania  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.10 
Mauritius  0.42 0.25 0.42 0.37 0.37 0.42 0.42 0.30 0.32 
Mayotte  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Morocco  0.80 0.70 1.43 1.99 2.78 2.86 3.40 3.91 4.17 
Mozambique  0.05 0.08 0.22 0.33 0.86 0.50 0.48 0.56 0.75 
Namibia   0.14 0.43 0.68 0.46 0.31 0.46 0.52 0.46 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 31 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Niger  0.08 0.10 0.14 0.09 0.11 0.35 0.12 0.19 0.26 
Nigeria  0.34 0.04 0.68 3.18 1.39 0.65 0.78 1.21 1.72 
Réunion  0.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Rwanda  0.04 0.05 0.07 0.11 0.26 0.26 0.34 0.40 0.43 
Saint Helena  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Sao Tome and 
Principe  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Senegal  0.16 0.11 0.20 0.35 0.54 0.53 0.63 0.70 0.82 
Seychelles  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02 
Sierra Leone  0.02 0.00 0.02 0.05 0.07 0.25 0.04 0.05 0.05 
Somalia  0.12 0.09 0.15 0.28 0.60 0.54 0.28 0.29 0.10 
South Africa   2.24 4.13 8.32 8.80 8.68 9.85 10.47  9.86 
South African 
Customs 
Union  2.35         
South Sudan      0.01 0.01 0.00 0.06 0.00 
Sudan      1.73 2.28 2.05 2.07 1.23 
Tanzania  0.48 0.35 0.60 0.98 2.25 1.71 1.57 0.72 1.37 
Togo 0.14 0.08 0.10 0.14 0.23 0.21 0.24 0.25 0.28 
Tunisia  0.47 0.43 0.97 1.17 1.92 1.32 1.43 1.88 1.44 
Uganda  0.49 0.26 0.42 0.84 1.24 1.19 1.64 1.66 0.72 
Zambia  0.03 0.12 0.33 0.50 0.70 0.67 0.64 0.62 0.58 
Zimbabwe  0.90 0.96 0.66 0.78 1.18 1.13 1.03 1.15 1.08 
Africa Total  14.70 12.77  21.78 40.77 52.77 50.14 52.67 54.90 53.35 
Afghanistan  0.07 0.12 0.13 0.20 0.36 0.44 0.74 0.71 1.01 
American 
Samoa  0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Australia  13.04  14.75  19.53  25.87  33.91  31.69  35.69  33.98  32.89  
Bangladesh  0.05 0.04 0.21 0.31 0.47 0.37 0.38 0.43 0.43 
Bhutan  0.01 0.00 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 
Brunei 
Darussalam  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 
Cambodia  0.02 0.01 0.02 0.09 0.46 0.58 0.65 0.70 1.48 
China  11.48  11.95  19.65  35.65  50.46  52.53  54.60  57.64  57.05  
Cook Is lands 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Dem. People's 
Rep. of Korea  0.09 0.04 0.04 0.02 0.08 0.08 0.11 0.02 0.01 
Fiji 0.27 0.16 0.26 0.21 0.29 0.27 0.34 0.32 0.31 
French 
Polynesia  0.01 0.01 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.02 
FS Micronesia  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Hong Kong, 
China  0.67 0.35 0.42 0.60 0.89 0.95 0.85 0.93 1.04 
India 5.35 4.63 8.70 20.54  29.76  27.55  31.68  32.22  30.99  
Indonesia  3.70 4.24 8.65 23.96  29.87  29.73  35.99  33.82  30.63  
Japan  1.85 1.66 2.05 3.33 3.71 4.29 4.48 5.17 5.45 
Kiribati  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 
Korea, Rep. of  1.67 1.56 2.31 3.92 5.59 5.95 6.44 6.54 6.83 
Lao P .D.R. 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.47 0.65 0.93 1.04 1.02 1.34 
Macao, China  0.08 0.04 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.12 0.12 0.05 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 32 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Malaysia  6.91 5.46 9.71 23.67  22.03  22.39  23.94  22.64  21.67  
Maldives  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Marshall 
Islands 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Mongolia  0.07 0.09 0.05 0.15 0.31 0.33 0.41 0.52 0.36 
Myanmar  0.41 0.23 0.45 1.15 3.07 3.85 3.82 3.93 3.61 
Nauru  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Nepal  0.02 0.07 0.14 0.21 0.19 0.19 0.21 0.18 0.41 
New Caledonia  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
New Zealand  6.74 6.47 11.42  17.22  21.02  20.38  23.62  24.48  25.39  
Niue 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Norfolk 
Islands 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
N. Mariana 
Islands 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Pakistan  1.12 1.09 2.02 3.83 4.60 3.87 4.17 5.05 4.82 
Palau  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Papua New 
Guinea  0.55 0.33 0.54 0.96 0.88 0.93 1.03 0.96 0.77 
Philippines  1.87 1.53 2.28 3.33 4.04 4.24 5.64 5.23 5.90 
Samoa  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01 
Singapore  4.37 2.85 3.54 6.88 10.08  9.72 9.73 13.26  13.69  
Solomon 
Islands 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.05 0.05 
Sri Lanka  0.53 0.94 1.29 2.20 2.63 2.63 2.97 2.29 2.62 
Chinese Taipei  2.92 1.02 1.09 1.74 2.75 2.88 3.21 3.63 4.04 
Thailand  6.86 6.08 9.09 19.56  25.69  25.42  28.40  30.69  30.74  
Timor -Leste  0.00 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 
Tokelau  0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Tonga  0.01 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Tuvalu  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Vanuatu  0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.02 
Viet Nam 1.51 2.29 3.99 9.33 15.44  16.50  18.69  18.27  17.73  
Wallis and 
Futuna Isds  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Asia Total  72.35  68.10  107.81  205.62  269.48  268.92  299.17  304.94  301.42  
Armenia  0.00 0.03 0.11 0.15 0.38 0.51 0.61 0.64 0.74 
Azerbaijan  0.06 0.09 0.36 0.60 0.78 0.54 0.70 0.79 0.90 
Belarus  0.10 0.53 1.37 3.22 4.03 3.88 4.65 4.90 5.58 
Georgia  0.01 0.09 0.30 0.31 0.59 0.66 0.76 0.93 0.87 
Kazakhstan  0.65 0.17 0.80 1.95 2.14 2.15 2.46 3.12 3.32 
Kyrgyzstan  0.17 0.10 0.13 0.23 0.17 0.17 0.24 0.24 0.23 
Moldova , Rep. 
of 0.55 0.30 0.64 0.74 0.92 0.95 1.14 1.18 1.22 
Russian 
Federation  1.93 1.16 3.48 5.39 13.39  14.35  17.68  20.56  20.12  
Tajikistan  0.15 0.11 0.21 0.34 0.16 0.12 0.13 0.11 0.12 
Turkmenistan  0.35 0.25 0.11 0.35 0.41 0.36 0.23 0.20 0.11 
Ukraine  0.72 1.47 4.45 9.95 14.63  15.33  17.82  18.67  22.22  
Uzbekistan  1.12 1.16 1.48 1.87 1.16 1.04 1.41 1.39 1.95 
CIS Total  5.81 5.46 13.44  25.10  38.75  40.05  47.82  52.72  57.38  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 33 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Albania  0.03 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.10 0.14 0.16 0.19 0.17 
Andorra  0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 
Austria  2.62 3.14 7.44 10.31  11.23  11.54  12.51  13.52  13.64  
Belgium  0.00 17.57  27.89  37.40  40.07  42.01  45.13  47.32  45.85  
Belgium -
Luxembourg  18.14          
Bosnia 
Herzegovina  0.01 0.06 0.17 0.40 0.48 0.54 0.57 0.49 0.44 
Bulgaria  0.64 0.51 1.29 3.43 4.15 4.59 4.75 5.14 5.38 
Croatia  0.48 0.38 0.85 1.25 1.56 1.78 1.92 2.18 2.22 
Cyprus  0.62 0.41 0.25 0.33 0.34 0.39 0.45 0.50 0.51 
Czech  
Republic  1.39 1.27 3.22 5.30 8.16 8.18 8.28 8.46 8.59 
Denmark  10.55  8.76 13.56  17.14  16.51  16.45  17.97  18.05  17.84  
Estonia  0.21 0.26 0.54 1.10 1.24 1.27 1.41 1.44 1.47 
Faroe Is lands 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.04 
Finland  1.29 1.06 1.62 2.49 2.16 1.77 2.10 1.95 2.06 
France  42.39  33.60  47.91  63.71  65.36  63.50  68.54  73.20  72.77  
Germany  28.34  24.28  46.58  72.65  78.41  80.05  84.32  86.86  85.09  
Greece  3.52 2.47 3.77 5.44 5.69 6.05 6.13 6.84 6.61 
Greenland  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Hungary  2.80 2.19 4.05 7.47 8.45 8.90 10.05  10.27  10.55  
Iceland  0.03 0.03 0.05 0.09 0.10 0.13 0.12 0.14 0.11 
Ireland  8.65 6.39 9.41 11.07  12.59  12.82  14.35  14.86  15.11  
Italy 15.87  15.36  25.24  36.42  40.80  42.40  46.39  49.57  49.72  
Latvia  0.12 0.10 0.49 1.39 1.99 2.03 2.48 2.56 2.82 
Lithuania  0.55 0.45 1.37 3.42 4.49 4.37 4.85 5.19 5.48 
Luxembourg  0.00 0.51 0.86 1.14 1.35 1.20 1.26 1.38 1.35 
Malta  0.04 0.06 0.09 0.10 0.17 0.14 0.15 0.14 0.14 
Montenegro     0.07 0.07 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.06 
Netherlands  40.28  31.43  51.13  75.94  84.73  87.91  95.10  99.58  98.97  
North 
Macedonia  0.24 0.21 0.34 0.55 0.54 0.59 0.60 0.64 0.69 
Norway  0.49 0.41 0.63 0.75 0.91 0.97 0.98 1.10 1.12 
Poland  2.40 2.45 8.31 16.49  24.52  24.16  27.84  32.58  32.41  
Portugal  1.45 1.44 2.84 4.93 5.95 6.04 6.63 7.78 7.06 
Romania  0.54 0.37 0.87 4.09 6.42 6.62 7.22 7.65 8.04 
Serbia     2.25 2.89 3.19 3.15 3.36 3.63 
Serbia and 
Montenegro  0.13 0.31 0.95       
Slovak  
Republic  0.55 0.41 1.52 3.02 3.12 3.15 3.23 3.36 3.25 
Slovenia  0.34 0.35 0.54 1.04 1.20 1.27 1.41 1.66 1.68 
Spain  13.27  14.36  25.77  35.46  43.30  45.69  49.26  51.86  52.44  
Sweden  1.58 1.85 3.64 5.05 5.53 5.47 5.89 5.94 6.09 
Switzerland  2.69 2.21 3.69 7.63 9.18 9.13 9.38 9.80 9.74 
Turkey  4.30 3.62 7.75 11.89  16.36  15.74  16.39  17.11  19.10  
United 
Kingdom  17.90  15.45  19.52  25.12  28.41  27.44  28.31  30.02  29.60  
Europe Total  224.49  193.78  324.25  476.38  538.55  547.73  589.37  622.76  621.86  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 34 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Bahrain, 
Kingdom of  0.09 0.05 0.05 0.29 0.43 0.34 0.49 0.53 0.51 
Iran 0.91 0.87 2.18 5.23 2.29 6.00 6.04 2.45 1.91 
Iraq 0.00 0.16 0.07 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.17 0.13 0.09 
Israel  1.34 0.99 1.38 2.29 2.18 2.12 2.29 2.20 2.21 
Jordan  0.43 0.30 0.65 1.12 1.55 1.25 1.22 1.21 1.12 
Kuwait, State 
of 0.03 0.03 0.11 0.22 0.52 0.49 0.65 0.64 0.09 
Lebanon  0.15 0.14 0.30 0.52 0.75 0.70 0.70 0.65 0.41 
Oman  0.24 0.31 0.41 0.85 1.39 1.18 1.55 1.57 0.21 
Qatar  0.02 0.01 0.03 0.00 0.16 0.08 0.05 0.04 0.03 
Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of  0.46 0.44 1.18 2.92 3.69 3.65 3.56 3.39 3.47 
State of 
Palestine  0.00 0.11 0.07 0.13 0.26 0.26 0.27 0.28 0.05 
Syrian Arab 
Rep. 0.69 2.52 1.08 2.58 0.47 0.58 0.57 0.51 0.32 
United Arab 
Emirates  0.63 1.14 2.29 4.70 6.93 6.64 6.67 12.25  2.13 
Yemen  0.04 0.07 0.14 0.26 0.19 0.09 0.21 0.01 0.02 
Middle East 
Total  5.03 7.12 9.93 21.15  20.82  23.39  24.43  25.85  12.59  
Bermuda  0.00 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01 
Canada  12.93  15.84  22.02  35.05  44.31  43.11  45.12  46.59  45.70  
Mexico  5.81 7.65 11.20  17.42  25.64  27.92  31.16  32.99  36.16  
Saint Pierre 
and Miquelon  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
United States  63.48  57.48  67.19  121.59  141.20  143.39  146.19  148.79  145.31  
North 
America 
Total  82.22  80.98  100.42  174.08  211.16  214.43  222.47  228.37  227.17  
Anguilla  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Antigua and 
Barbuda  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 
Argentina  10.22  10.93  18.14  33.12  33.27  35.38  33.67  32.13  37.02  
Aruba  0.02 0.09 0.01 0.10 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.00 
Bahamas  0.07 0.04 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 
Barbados  0.07 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.11 0.10 0.07 
Belize  0.11 0.13 0.14 0.14 0.16 0.14 0.20 0.17 0.17 
Bolivia, 
Plurinational 
State of  0.26 0.43 0.58 1.11 1.49 1.51 1.25 1.46 1.32 
Brazil  13.64  12.93  31.83  63.60  74.37  71.36  81.29  84.85  81.47  
British Virgin 
Islands 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 
Cayman 
Islands 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 
Chile 2.23 2.86 5.31 8.85 10.81  11.28  11.21  12.11  12.31  
Colombia  3.44 2.94 4.43 5.59 6.78 6.70 7.24 7.14 7.19 
Costa Rica  1.74 1.70 2.24 3.24 4.14 4.47 4.95 4.67 4.21 
Cuba 0.71 0.76 0.47 0.76 0.84 0.81 1.06 0.69 0.64 
Dominica  0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Dominican 
Rep. 0.59 0.59 0.75 1.33 2.01 2.05 2.04 2.17 2.19 
Ecuador  1.45 1.34 2.18 4.09 5.66 5.56 5.79 6.04 8.61 
El Salvador  0.55 0.56 0.55 0.90 1.02 0.91 0.99 0.96 1.07 
Falkland Isds 
(Malvinas)  0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.01 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 35 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
French Guiana  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Grenada  0.01 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 
Guadeloupe  0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Guatemala  1.28 1.55 1.86 3.63 4.72 4.95 5.37 5.76 5.62 
Guyana  0.17 0.17 0.22 0.31 0.38 0.33 0.44 0.31 0.19 
Haiti 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.07 
Honduras  0.53 0.66 0.78 1.49 2.11 2.08 2.69 2.70 2.09 
Jamaica  0.30 0.32 0.29 0.36 0.22 0.30 0.33 0.35 0.34 
Martinique  0.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Montserrat  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Neth. Antilles  0.14 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Nicaragua  0.28 0.41 0.61 1.31 1.97 1.80 2.15 2.06 2.14 
Panama  0.31 0.33 0.39 0.60 0.51 0.80 0.64 0.58 0.67 
Paraguay  0.69 0.66 1.36 3.96 5.29 5.43 5.47 5.80 4.99 
Peru 0.63 0.24 1.35 3.22 5.20 5.68 6.01 6.75 7.23 
Saint Kitts and 
Nevis  0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 
Saint Lucia  0.06 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.02 0.01 
Saint Maarten  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Saint Vincent 
and the 
Grenadines  0.05 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.01 
Suriname  0.05 0.02 0.07 0.05 0.12 0.08 0.07 0.15 0.13 
Trinidad and 
Tobago  0.20 0.23 0.31 0.26 0.40 0.33 0.29 0.20 0.20 
Turks and 
Caicos Isds  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Uruguay  0.92 1.01 1.79 4.09 4.78 4.50 5.07 4.57 5.09 
Venezuela, 
Bolivarian 
Rep. of  0.47 0.33 0.20 0.11 0.13 0.12 0.15 0.14 0.16 
South and 
Central 
America 
(incl.  the 
Caribbean) 
Total  41.53 41.51 76.17 142.5 3 166.77 166.95 178.76 182.1 0 185.28 
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
Table 4: World imports of agricultural products ( including EU intra -trade ), by region and 
economy  
(USD b illion)  
Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
World excl. 
Hong Kong 
re-exports  461.17 434.49 689.76 1,112.21 1,336.66 1,338.01 1,443.42 1,507.42 1,481.77 
Algeria  3.21 2.61 3.97 6.72 10.03  9.01 9.35 8.24 7.23 
Angola  0.43 0.53 1.23 2.69 2.70 1.89 2.63 3.22 2.01 
Benin  0.21 0.11 0.25 0.80 0.94 1.18 1.60 1.47 1.02 
Botswana   0.29 0.44 0.74 0.70 0.67 0.67 0.71 0.83 
Burkina Faso  0.10 0.09 0.21 0.31 0.41 0.45 0.45 0.53 0.54 
Burundi  0.06 0.04 0.02 0.06 0.07 0.10 0.15 0.13 0.04 
Cabo Verde  0.07 0.07 0.13 0.20 0.19 0.20 0.23 0.24 0.20 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 36 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Cameroon  0.17 0.25 0.43 0.74 0.94 0.82 1.01 0.87 0.94 
Central African 
Rep. 0.06 0.02 0.03 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.08 0.05 0.04 
Chad 0.05 0.02 0.05 0.15 0.13 0.10 0.11 0.10 0.08 
Comoros  0.03 0.02 0.03 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.08 
Congo  0.10 0.16 0.27 0.30 0.49 0.42 0.57 0.49 0.50 
Côte d'Ivoire  0.42 0.30 0.66 1.24 1.46 1.49 1.59 1.82 1.75 
Dem. Rep. of 
the Congo  0.26 0.17 0.35 0.89 1.03 0.90 1.08 1.19 0.98 
Djibouti  0.13 0.15 0.17 0.51 0.87 0.86 0.84 1.02 0.65 
Egypt  3.35 3.43 3.95 10.01  14.09  14.18  13.41  14.82  15.92  
Equatorial 
Guinea  0.02 0.03 0.09 0.22 0.28 0.26 0.24 0.23 0.22 
Eritrea  0.02 0.12 0.10 0.12 0.08 0.12 0.15 0.14 0.11 
Eswatini   0.22 0.28 0.42 0.30 0.31 0.31 0.36 0.35 
Ethiopia  0.16 0.09 0.49 0.95 1.77 2.32 1.99 2.29 1.30 
Former  Sudan  0.29 0.43 0.94 3.10      
Gabon  0.11 0.17 0.27 0.42 0.56 0.47 0.50 0.48 0.39 
The Gambia  0.08 0.07 0.10 0.10 0.15 0.17 0.15 0.16 0.16 
Ghana  0.20 0.30 0.60 1.13 2.02 1.40 2.13 2.19 1.70 
Guinea  0.25 0.15 0.26 0.43 0.50 0.72 0.80 0.96 0.70 
Guinea -Bissau  0.02 0.02 0.06 0.09 0.10 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.12 
Kenya  0.30 0.41 0.58 1.50 2.02 2.05 3.21 2.49 2.53 
Lesotho   0.10 0.01 0.28 0.31 0.35 0.41 0.37 0.41 
Liberia  0.08 0.07 0.14 0.22 0.30 0.27 0.34 0.33 0.25 
Libya  0.97 0.72 1.10 2.10 3.36 3.11 2.65 3.35 2.38 
Madagascar  0.08 0.13 0.25 0.33 0.42 0.46 0.73 0.72 0.58 
Malawi  0.07 0.05 0.22 0.30 0.27 0.41 0.33 0.20 0.20 
Mali 0.09 0.10 0.25 0.54 0.61 0.59 0.70 0.66 0.72 
Mauritania  0.16 0.07 0.14 0.33 0.77 0.39 0.49 0.75 0.74 
Mauritius  0.33 0.29 0.42 0.73 0.79 0.88 0.99 0.96 0.97 
Mayotte  0.00 0.03 0.07 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Morocco  1.81 1.67 2.33 4.20 4.30 5.24 5.23 5.69 5.71 
Mozambique  0.16 0.16 0.33 0.39 1.39 0.75 0.79 1.02 1.16 
Namibia   0.22 0.44 0.86 0.92 0.81 0.88 0.88 0.99 
Niger  0.11 0.13 0.25 0.34 0.51 0.46 0.40 0.37 0.53 
Nigeria  0.49 0.96 2.16 3.84 4.47 4.07 4.57 4.12 3.75 
Réunion  0.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Rwanda  0.07 0.03 0.05 0.22 0.36 0.42 0.59 0.57 0.52 
Saint Helena  0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Sao Tome and 
Principe  0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.05 
Senegal  0.35 0.36 0.99 1.07 1.22 1.28 1.60 1.64 1.56 
Seychelles  0.05 0.03 0.08 0.11 0.14 0.18 0.17 0.15 0.17 
Sierra Leone  0.06 0.05 0.10 0.17 0.36 0.27 0.35 0.33 0.24 
Somalia  0.09 0.17 0.27 0.55 0.87 1.03 1.38 1.44 0.89 
South Africa   1.40 2.62 5.55 6.03 6.33 6.58 6.53 6.34 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 37 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
South African 
Customs 
Union  1.89         
South Sudan      0.18 0.16 0.31 0.38 0.05 
Sudan      1.74 3.76 2.20 3.16 1.81 
Tanzania  0.17 0.24 0.32 0.82 0.84 0.86 0.82 0.64 1.15 
Togo 0.08 0.05 0.08 0.16 0.25 0.23 0.29 0.31 0.32 
Tunisia  1.08 0.76 1.18 2.15 2.31 2.21 2.32 2.39 2.26 
Uganda  0.17 0.14 0.32 0.60 0.72 0.69 0.86 0.81 0.31 
Zambia  0.08 0.07 0.17 0.25 0.38 0.37 0.39 0.41 0.43 
Zimbabwe  0.16 0.18 0.31 0.95 1.02 1.06 0.74 0.78 0.40 
Africa Total  19.23 18.44 30.59 61.12 76.88 77.08 80.65 83.46 75.30 
Afghanistan  0.09 0.23 0.75 0.71 1.48 1.54 2.86 2.54 1.79 
American 
Samoa  0.00 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 
Australia  2.67 3.04 5.49 9.96 12.40  12.63  13.98  14.60  15.14  
Bangladesh  1.06 1.63 2.47 7.38 10.33  6.95 9.79 8.90 8.23 
Bhutan  0.01 0.00 0.06 0.10 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.08 0.09 
Brunei 
Darussalam  0.22 0.18 0.19 0.40 0.47 0.46 0.42 0.46 0.46 
Cambodia  0.32 0.13 0.19 0.35 0.98 1.06 1.41 1.59 3.36 
China  11.20  9.60 24.91  66.45  108.79  103.24  113.92  122.78  136.30  
Cook Is lands 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 
Dem. People's 
Rep. of Korea  0.19 0.23 0.43 0.39 0.44 0.36 0.50 0.66 0.04 
Fiji 0.09 0.11 0.20 0.28 0.28 0.34 0.37 0.41 0.31 
French 
Polynesia  0.13 0.19 0.31 0.39 0.38 0.30 0.32 0.35 0.33 
FS Micronesia  0.02 0.02 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 
Hong Kong, 
China  6.24 5.26 5.99 11.59  16.27  16.54  16.38  16.81  16.30  
India 2.06 2.97 5.66 13.59  22.42  24.21  27.71  22.10  22.60  
Indonesia  4.66 4.17 5.34 12.97  15.94  17.41  19.01  21.56  19.97  
Japan  40.95  36.54  42.81  53.32  53.77  53.42  56.77  59.61  60.18  
Kiribati  0.01 0.01 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.02 
Korea, Rep. of  9.49 8.30 10.99  18.15  24.28  23.91  25.36  27.61  27.77  
Lao P.D.R.  0.10 0.10 0.16 0.21 0.20 0.56 0.63 0.73 0.92 
Macao, China  0.31 0.27 0.47 0.89 1.59 1.38 1.63 1.74 1.81 
Malaysia  3.74 3.52 5.68 12.60  15.27  14.47  15.34  16.20  15.60  
Maldives  0.06 0.09 0.11 0.24 0.40 0.42 0.45 0.49 0.28 
Marshall 
Islands 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.04 
Mongolia  0.05 0.10 0.15 0.35 0.48 0.51 0.54 0.68 0.75 
Myanmar  0.54 0.30 0.44 0.36 1.91 2.99 2.89 2.59 2.23 
Nauru  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
Nepal  0.10 0.23 0.18 0.73 1.21 1.66 1.80 1.22 1.19 
New Caledonia  0.12 0.15 0.23 0.36 0.39 0.30 0.34 0.33 0.32 
New Zealand  1.08 1.10 2.04 3.27 4.23 4.19 4.67 5.02 4.96 
Niue 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Norfolk 
Islands 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 38 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
N. Mariana 
Islands 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 
Pakistan  2.35 1.67 3.20 5.80 6.07 6.67 7.75 7.29 6.27 
Palau  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.01 
Papua New 
Guinea  0.15 0.18 0.20 0.50 0.79 0.77 0.80 0.63 0.61 
Philippines  2.43 2.67 3.53 6.71 8.33 10.15  11.38  12.99  14.14  
Samoa  0.02 0.02 0.05 0.07 0.09 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.06 
Singapore  5.34 4.04 5.03 9.60 11.93  11.59  12.53  12.90  12.77  
Solomon 
Islands 0.01 0.01 0.04 0.08 0.11 0.11 0.14 0.13 0.04 
Sri Lanka  0.64 0.78 0.99 1.80 2.34 2.17 2.62 2.14 2.28 
Chinese Taipei  6.70 5.65 7.30 10.16  11.57  11.55  12.26  12.60  13.20  
Thailand  2.97 2.76 4.37 7.93 11.63  11.47  11.85  12.50  11.96  
Timor -Leste  0.00 0.01 0.02 0.13 0.15 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.14 
Tokelau  0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Tonga  0.02 0.02 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.06 0.05 
Tuvalu  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 
Vanuatu  0.01 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.06 0.04 
Viet Nam 1.00 0.93 2.40 7.85 15.18  16.45  18.68  20.83  20.82  
Wallis and 
Futuna Isds  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01 
Asia Total  107.23  97.29  142.63  266.02  362.49  360.43  395.78  411.68  423.51  
Armenia  0.10 0.21 0.30 0.67 0.66 0.63 0.71 0.80 0.87 
Azerbaijan  0.21 0.22 0.44 1.22 1.36 1.56 1.68 1.68 1.90 
Belarus  0.46 1.05 1.46 2.62 4.05 3.70 4.19 3.99 4.33 
Georgia  0.20 0.17 0.43 0.69 1.07 1.02 1.13 1.32 1.21 
Kazakhstan  0.39 0.03 1.29 2.29 3.34 2.99 3.41 3.57 3.80 
Kyrgyzstan  0.11 0.08 0.17 0.54 0.57 0.46 0.63 0.59 0.90 
Moldova , Rep. 
of 0.08 0.11 0.32 0.55 0.56 0.57 0.66 0.72 0.76 
Russian 
Federation  11.00  7.30 15.63  31.92  25.43  24.80  28.65  28.09  28.39  
Tajikistan  0.09 0.07 0.19 0.48 0.53 0.50 0.56 0.52 0.61 
Turkmenistan  0.07 0.22 0.14 0.47 0.53 0.50 0.55 0.36 0.34 
Ukraine  1.06 0.85 2.47 5.19 3.22 3.49 3.84 4.50 5.26 
Uzbekistan  0.34 0.16 0.27 0.79 1.23 1.06 1.37 1.72 2.09 
CIS Total  14.10  10.46  23.11  47.44  42.54  41.28  47.38  47.86  50.47  
Albania  0.23 0.24 0.45 0.81 0.60 0.63 0.73 0.77 0.94 
Andorra  0.29 0.19 0.30 0.32 0.29 0.30 0.32 0.34 0.32 
Austria  4.20 4.12 7.82 11.41  12.22  12.43  13.14  13.98  13.86  
Belgium  0.00 15.10  24.49  32.59  34.06  36.53  39.13  40.53  38.03  
Belgium -
Luxembourg  17.39          
Bosnia 
Herzegovina  0.35 0.56 1.24 1.72 1.65 1.67 1.77 1.83 1.79 
Bulgaria  0.67 0.38 0.96 2.47 2.87 3.09 3.50 3.79 4.09 
Croatia  0.92 0.67 1.55 2.09 2.71 2.81 3.16 3.46 3.69 
Cyprus  0.73 0.70 0.75 1.24 1.09 1.13 1.25 1.35 1.33 
Czech  
Republic  1.96 1.79 4.33 7.13 9.02 9.21 9.79 10.52  10.92  
Denmark  4.54 4.42 7.54 10.24  11.17  10.76  11.50  12.50  12.00  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 39 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Estonia  0.39 0.57 0.94 1.45 1.55 1.68 1.82 1.91 1.82 
Faroe Is lands 0.04 0.08 0.09 0.11 0.13 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.18 
Finland  1.99 1.95 3.32 5.14 5.26 5.22 5.56 5.86 5.64 
France  29.29  23.40  35.72  49.12  51.35  52.68  56.70  59.50  58.36  
Germany  48.46  34.68  57.27  84.23  89.48  91.61  98.03  102.58  99.55  
Greece  4.15 3.23 5.95 7.89 6.43 6.65 7.16 7.51 7.39 
Greenland  0.06 0.06 0.13 0.16 0.14 0.15 0.15 0.16 0.15 
Hungary  0.99 1.04 2.88 4.49 5.04 5.75 6.44 6.90 7.06 
Iceland  0.17 0.19 0.33 0.36 0.48 0.51 0.60 0.65 0.65 
Ireland  2.92 3.32 5.73 7.54 8.91 8.93 9.62 10.81  10.42  
Italy 25.10  21.65  32.73  42.91  42.81  42.39  44.28  45.60  44.35  
Latvia  0.20 0.41 0.94 1.60 1.95 2.08 2.48 2.78 2.80 
Lithuania  0.55 0.56 1.21 2.73 3.53 3.31 3.65 4.00 4.13 
Luxembourg  0.00 1.00 1.76 2.22 2.29 2.29 2.43 2.76 2.72 
Malta  0.29 0.28 0.42 0.59 0.62 0.62 0.65 0.69 0.69 
Montenegro     0.52 0.51 0.53 0.58 0.62 0.64 
Netherlands  22.53  17.80  28.62  45.51  57.52  57.61  63.09  66.60  65.96  
Norway  1.94 1.82 3.41 5.52 6.68 6.75 7.37 7.55 7.40 
North 
Macedonia  0.32 0.26 0.42 0.69 0.75 0.77 0.84 0.91 0.91 
Poland  3.15 3.12 6.45 13.15  15.74  16.09  18.32  21.47  21.02  
Portugal  4.34 4.00 6.25 9.19 8.57 8.77 9.80 11.39  10.39  
Romania  0.96 0.96 2.50 4.95 6.38 7.12 8.10 8.87 9.24 
Serbia     0.99 1.53 1.36 1.63 1.94 2.01 
Serbia and 
Montenegro  0.17 0.34 0.81       
Slovak  
Republic  0.78 0.79 2.19 4.38 4.26 4.54 4.79 5.28 5.30 
Slovenia  0.83 0.67 1.28 2.21 2.30 2.37 2.57 2.82 2.79 
Spain  13.67  11.51  22.36  28.27  30.21  30.73  33.65  35.42  34.28  
Sweden  4.01 4.00 7.28 10.59  11.47  11.65  12.33  12.94  12.48  
Switzerland  5.62 4.88 7.30 10.67  11.64  11.65  12.11  12.62  12.36  
Turkey  3.51 3.18 4.75 9.71 12.47  12.27  14.32  14.21  16.16  
United 
Kingdom  26.75  28.84  46.16  56.38  61.65  58.20  60.76  64.11  62.30  
Europe Total  234.46  202.77  338.63  483.26  527.34  532.97  574.31  607.69  596.10  
Bahrain, 
Kingdom of  0.45 0.46 0.65 1.23 1.92 1.76 1.80 1.89 1.78 
Iran 2.30 2.60 3.18 8.58 8.73 9.03 10.75  10.32  4.15 
Iraq 0.37 0.21 2.72 8.26 7.09 9.09 10.05  9.78 6.73 
Israel  1.85 1.88 2.44 4.20 4.98 5.22 5.60 5.99 6.22 
Jordan  0.75 0.85 1.41 2.45 3.84 4.01 3.76 3.79 3.73 
Kuwait, the 
State of  1.22 1.00 1.74 3.42 4.77 4.48 4.90 5.24 2.84 
Lebanon  1.10 1.09 1.36 2.75 3.21 3.13 3.26 3.34 2.26 
Oman  0.84 1.04 1.06 2.39 3.53 3.58 3.58 3.80 2.00 
Qatar  0.33 0.38 0.66 1.95 3.23 3.13 3.30 3.44 3.10 
Saudi Arabia, 
Kingdom of  4.53 5.19 8.48 16.40  23.87  22.00  21.35  19.45  17.99  
State of 
Palestine  0.00 0.56 0.58 0.89 1.42 1.51 1.63 1.90 0.31 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 40 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Syrian Arab 
Rep. 0.69 3.02 1.42 3.71 1.80 1.55 1.60 1.85 1.59 
United Arab 
Emirates  2.20 3.05 5.36 11.08  16.24  15.63  17.82  17.50  12.77  
Yemen  0.64 0.74 1.52 2.84 3.01 2.52 2.75 1.33 1.84 
Middle East 
Total  17.27  22.07  32.60  70.16  87.65  86.63  92.15  89.63  67.32  
Bermuda  0.13 0.09 0.17 0.12 0.18 0.19 0.21 0.21 0.14 
Canada  9.10 11.68  17.25  27.46  34.27  33.80  34.96  35.98  36.26  
Mexico  5.21 9.79 14.58  21.07  24.32  24.36  25.29  27.00  27.15  
Saint Pierre 
and Miquelon  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
United States  33.83  42.44  66.30  89.29  125.60  126.98  133.79  142.43  145.99  
North 
America 
Total  48.27  64.01  98.31  137.95  184.39  185.35  194.25  205.63  209.55  
Anguilla  0.08 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.07 
Antigua and 
Barbuda  0.04 0.07 0.09 0.10 0.12 0.11 0.14 0.15 0.14 
Argentina  1.19 1.37 0.94 1.64 1.74 2.16 2.91 4.61 3.31 
Aruba  0.20 0.20 0.07 0.33 0.34 0.31 0.33 0.33 0.21 
Bahamas  0.16 0.35 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.39 0.41 0.40 0.42 
Barbados  0.13 0.17 0.24 0.28 0.33 0.32 0.33 0.34 0.20 
Belize  0.05 0.06 0.07 0.12 0.21 0.20 0.19 0.19 0.20 
Bolivia, 
Plurinational 
State of  0.13 0.25 0.25 0.44 0.69 0.74 0.79 0.78 0.78 
Brazil  6.64 3.98 3.27 8.05 8.62 10.13  10.19  10.05  9.96 
British Virgin 
Islands 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.05 
Cayman 
Islands 0.07 0.08 0.23 0.08 0.07 0.10 0.11 0.11 0.14 
Chile 1.08 1.28 1.97 4.17 5.62 5.66 6.40 7.06 7.01 
Colombia  1.35 1.49 1.89 4.00 5.44 5.75 5.77 6.36 6.53 
Costa Rica  0.34 0.46 0.60 1.26 1.79 1.97 2.07 2.03 1.96 
Cuba 0.52 0.74 1.60 1.53 1.56 1.52 1.62 1.54 1.61 
Dominica  0.03 0.03 0.03 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.02 
Dominican 
Rep. 0.60 0.86 0.95 1.96 2.54 2.57 2.88 2.57 2.58 
Ecuador  0.36 0.36 0.82 1.60 1.89 1.72 2.05 2.33 2.40 
El Salvador  0.41 0.65 0.99 1.46 1.83 1.85 1.83 2.02 2.21 
Falkland Isds 
(Malvinas)  0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 
French Guiana  0.14 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Grenada  0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.05 
Guadeloupe  0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Guatemala  0.41 0.70 1.18 1.88 2.58 2.56 2.70 2.61 3.16 
Guyana  0.07 0.08 0.12 0.22 0.26 0.26 0.26 0.28 0.19 
Haiti 0.33 0.32 0.48 0.97 1.02 1.02 1.17 0.82 0.72 
Honduras  0.23 0.50 0.68 1.16 1.53 1.54 1.57 1.41 1.72 
Jamaica  0.38 0.45 0.66 1.02 0.88 0.84 0.92 0.75 1.06 
Martinique  0.35 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Montserrat  0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
Neth. Antilles  0.25 0.25 0.20 0.28 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 41 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Nicaragua  0.18 0.27 0.34 0.69 1.00 1.05 1.08 1.06 1.06 
Panama  0.27 0.39 0.51 1.33 0.44 0.46 2.07 2.13 2.05 
Paraguay  0.58 0.38 0.29 0.77 0.93 0.93 1.07 1.18 1.06 
Peru 1.11 0.93 1.51 3.19 4.35 4.28 4.90 5.00 4.94 
Saint Kitts and 
Nevis  0.03 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.08 0.07 0.03 0.03 
Saint Lucia  0.08 0.08 0.10 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.16 0.08 0.08 
Saint Maarten  0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.13 
Saint Vincent 
and the 
Grenadines  0.03 0.04 0.05 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.04 
Suriname  0.08 0.07 0.10 0.21 0.25 0.22 0.19 0.20 0.22 
Trinidad and 
Tobago  0.28 0.28 0.52 0.71 1.03 0.84 0.83 0.77 0.70 
Turks and 
Caicos Is lands 0.01 0.01 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.10 0.07 
Uruguay  0.36 0.43 0.36 0.87 1.29 1.14 1.18 1.37 1.20 
Venezuela, 
Bolivarian 
Rep. of  1.64 1.75 2.18 4.96 5.79 2.99 2.29 2.43 1.19 
South and 
Central 
America 
(incl.  the 
Caribbean) 
Total  20.62  19.46  23.89  46.25  55.37  54.27  58.89  61.46  59.52  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.   
  WT/INF/224/Rev.1  
 
- 42 - Table 5: Commodity price development for selected products, 1995 -2019  
(Index 1995 = 100 ) 
 Index 1995 = 100  Average 
annual 
percentage 
change 
(%) 
 1995  2000  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  1995 -2019  
Barley  100 74 91 112 166 193 123 152 117 100 94 121 123 0.9 
Beef 100 103 146 142 144 173 146 183 244 217 235 224 255 4.0 
Cocoa  100 63 107 111 136 180 202 219 219 202 142 160 163 2.1 
Coconut oil  100 67 92 91 137 183 108 168 165 221 247 149 110 0.4 
Coffee, Robusta  100 33 40 54 69 84 59 63 70 70 80 67 59 -2.2 
Cotton, A Index  100 61 57 60 66 74 65 107 73 77 87 95 81 -0.9 
Maize  100 72 80 99 133 181 134 151 137 129 125 133 138 1.3 
Meat, chicken  100 107 133 125 141 153 154 155 163 151 174 183 163 2.1 
Palm oil  100 49 72 81 130 166 118 149 106 117 120 102 96 -0.2 
Rice, Thai 5%  100 63 89 95 102 203 173 152 120 123 124 131 130 1.1 
Soybeans  100 82 106 104 148 201 163 172 151 156 152 152 142 1.5 
Sugar, world  100 62 74 111 76 96 137 160 101 136 121 94 96 -0.2 
Tobacco, US import u.v.  100 113 106 112 125 136 160 164 186 182 177 184 173 2.3 
Wheat, US SRW  100 59 81 95 143 162 111 137 123 105 106 122 126 1.0 
Source:  World Bank Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet).  
 
__________