WT/INF/224  
 
30 October  2020 
(20-7612) Page: 1/41 
   
 
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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 
Table of Contents  
1   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 3 
2   INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  3 
3   KEY TRENDS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  4 
4   DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD TRADE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  ................................  4 
4.1   World exports and imports of agricultural products  ................................ ...........................  4 
4.2   Regional breakdown of world agricultural trade  ................................ ................................  5 
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 products  ................................ ................................ ...................  10 
5   WORLD TRADE OF SELECTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  ................................ ..........  12 
5.1   Soybeans  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  12 
5.2   Wheat and meslin  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 14 
5.3   Rice ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  16 
5.4   Meat and edible meat offal ................................ ................................ ...........................  18 
5.5   Cotton  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  20 
6   FOOD PRICE MOVEMENTS  ................................ ................................ ..........................  22 
7   ROLE OF GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS IN AGRICULTURAL TRADE  ................................ ...... 22 
ANNEX  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  26 
 
 
  
 
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  
 
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  List of Tables  
 
Table 1: Top 10 traders of soybeans, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ ............................  13 
Table 2: Top 10 traders of wheat and meslin, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ .................  15 
Table 3: Top 10 traders of rice, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ ................................ .... 17 
Table 4: Top 10 traders of meat and edible meat offal, 2019 vs. 1995  ................................ .... 19 
Table 5: Top 10 traders of cotton, 2019 vs. 1995 ................................ ................................ . 21 
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 (AoA), by regions, 1995 and 2019  .......................  6 
Chart 4: Top 10 exporters of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ ..........  7 
Chart 5: Top 10 importers of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ ..........  8 
Chart 6: Top 10 net exporters of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ ..... 9 
Chart 7: Top 10 net importers of agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ .. 10 
Chart 8: Top 15 imported agricultural products, 1995 and 2019  ................................ ............  11 
Chart 9: World imports of soybeans (HS 1201), 1995 -2019 ................................ ..................  12 
Chart 10: World imports of wheat and meslin (HS 1001), 1995 -2019 ................................ ..... 14 
Chart 11: World imports of rice (HS 1006), 1995 -2019 ................................ .........................  16 
Chart 12: World imports of meat and edible meat offal (HS 02), 1995 -2019............................  18 
Chart 13: World imports of cotton (HS 5201 -5203), 1995 -2019 ................................ .............  20 
Chart 14: Food price indices, 1995 -2019................................ ................................ .............  22 
Chart 15: Sectoral origin of value -added in world exports of agricultural products, 2015  ...........  23 
Chart 16: Major changes in economies' exports of agricultural products, by domestic and foreign 
value -added content and by region, 2005 -2015 ................................ ................................ ... 24 
Chart 17: Top 10 value -added contributors to world exports of agricultural products, 2015  ....... 24 
Chart 18: Top 20 exporters' share in world exports of agricultural products and their foreign 
value -added content, 2015 ................................ ................................ ................................  25 
List of Annex Tables  
 
Table 1: World trade of agricultural products (AoA), by regions, 1995 -2019 ............................  26 
Table 2: Top 10 traders of agricultural products (excluding intra -EU trade), 2019 vs. 1995  ....... 28 
Table 3: World exports of agricultural products (AoA), by region and economy  ........................  29 
Table 4: World imports of agricultural products (AoA), by region and economy  ........................  34 
Table 5: Commodity price development for selected products, 1995 -2019 ..............................  41 
 
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  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 446 billion in 1995 to USD 1,459 billion. World imports increased from 
USD 461 billion  to USD 1482 billion over the same period.  
1.2.  The share of agricultural products in total merchandise exports fell from 8.9%  in 1995 to 7.9% 
in 2019  (both exports and imports) . The decline in the share of agricultural products in total 
merchandise trade was the result of  the steeper rise in  trade of non-agricultural products.  
1.3.  While Europe accounted for  half of world  agricultural  exports  in 1995, its share  went down to 
43% in 2019. North America and the Middle East also lost in export share. The regions whose shares 
rose incl ude Asia, South and Central America, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States , 
including associate and former members  (CIS).2 
1.4.  In both 1995 and 2019, the United States was the top exporter  of agricultural products , with 
a share of 14% in 1995 and 10% in 2019. The Netherlands w as in 2nd place in 2019, followed by 
Germany. The top importer  in 2019  was the United States, followed by China and Germany. China's 
share in world imports almost quadrupled between 1995 and 2019.  
1.5.  The top net exporters  of agricultural products in 2019 w ere headed by  Brazil , whose surplus 
reached  USD 71.5 billion . The Netherlands was in 2nd place in 2019.  The top net importers  in 2019 
were China, Japan and the United Kingdom. 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 "grape wines, alcohol ic must ". The ir combined  
share in total agricultural trade was at  10% in 2019. In 1995, soybeans had been in 13th place, with 
their share more than doubl ing between 1995 and 2019. Wheat and meslin dropped from 2nd to 6th 
place between 1995 and  2019.  
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.  Global agricultural markets are largely driven  by demand from  global buyers in the food and 
bevera ge 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 industries 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.  
2  INTRODUCTION  
2.1.  This Note is divid ed 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 Note does not attempt to be comprehensive , but rather is intended to provide an overview  
of the major  trends in  world agr icultural trade between 1995 and 2019 . 
 
2 Hereinafter referred to as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  WT/INF/224  
 
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  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 availa ble, using  mirror data where necessary . Statistics for agricultural 
products in 2019 are slightly underestimated due 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) .3 
3  KEY TRENDS  
• World exports of agricultural products more than tripled between 1995 and 2019, from 
USD 446 billion in 1995 to USD 1459 billion in 2019.  
• The share of agricultural products in total merchandise exports fell from 8.9% in 1995 to 7.9% 
in 2019. The decline is the result of trade in non -agricultural products having risen more 
steeply during this period.  
• While Europe represented half of world agricultural exports in 1995, its share fell to 43% in 
2019. North America and the Middle East  also lost in export share. The regions which saw a  
share increase were Asia, South and Central America, Africa and the CIS.  
 
• The United States w as the top ex porter and importer of agricultural products  in 2019. China's 
share in world imports almost quadrupled 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 th e 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 4.3%  of total 
world agricultural imports ; in 1995, soybeans were in 13th place. Back in 1995, coffee  had 
been the most imported product , with a share of 3.7%. It fell to 10th place in 2019.  
 
• In 2019, food 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.  
4  DEVELOPMENT OF 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 446 billion to USD 1,459 billion (Chart 1). This consti tutes an average annual growth rate of 
5.1% per year. World imports increased from USD 461 billion to USD 1482 billion in the same period , 
reflecting  an annual growth rate of  5% per year . 
 
3 See https://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/14 -ag_01_e.htm . WT/INF/224  
 
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  Chart 1: World trade of agricultural products, 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share ) 
 
 
 Including intra -trade of the European Union, excluding 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 trade  fell from 8.9% in 1995 to 7.9% 
in 2019. The lowest share  was reached in 2006 , but then r ose 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  (5.6% per year on average) . 
4.2  Regional breakdown of world agricultural  trade  
4.3.  Charts 2 and 3 depict the breakdown of world agricultural trade by regio n between 1995 and 
2019. While Europe accounted for  half of world exports in 1995, its share went down to 43% in 
2019. North America' s export share  also went down  (from 18% to 16% ), and so did the Middle 
East's (from 1.1% to 0.9% ). The regions whose shares rose  were Asia ( from 16% to 21%), South 
and Central America ( from 9% to 13%), Africa (from 3% to 4%) and the CIS (from 1% to 4%).  
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 11% 
between 1995 and 2019 (from 51% to 40%). South and Central America's share decreased by 0.5%, 
while the shares of all other regions increased. Asia's share showed distinct growth (from 23% to 
29%) and so did North America's (from 11% to 14%).  
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  Chart 2: World exports of agricultural products, by regions, 1995 -2019  
(USD billion ) 
 
 Including intra -trade of the European Union, excluding 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 ; 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 and by individual economy in Table 3.  
Chart 3: World trade of agricultural products (AoA), by regions, 1995 and 2019  
(Percentage share ) 
 
 Including intra -trade of the European Union, excluding re -exports of Hong Kong, China.  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
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  4.3  Main traders of agricultural products  
4.8.  Chart 4 shows the top 10 exporters of agricultural products for 1995 and 2019. The 
United  States w as the main exporter  in both years , with a  share of 14% and 10% , respectively . 
France, which was in 2nd place in 1995 ( 9.5% ), fell to 5th place in 2019 (5.0%); while the 
Netherlands,  which was  in 3rd place in 1995 (9%) , rose to 2nd place in 2019 (6.8%). Ger many 
climbed from 4th place in 1995 (6.4%) to 3rd place in 2019 (5.8%). In 2019, t he United Kingdom 
and Australia were no longer among the top 10 exporters . China (3.9%) and Canada (3.1%) took 
their place . 
4.9.  While back in 1995, the top three exporters accounted for nearly  one third of world  agricultural  
exports, th e level of  concentration  fell in 2019  to 23%. Furthermore, while i n 1995, the top 10 
exporters  accounted for  60% of world exports of agricultural pr oducts , in 2019 they only accounted 
for 50%. A reflection of the  increased diversification of exporting countries.  
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.  
  
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  4.10.   Chart 5 shows the top 10 importers of agricultural products for 1995 and 2019 . While in 1995, 
the top three  importers were Germany (10.5%), Japan (8.9%) and the United States (7.3%), in  
2019 the ranking  was led by the United States (9. 9%), China (9.2%) and Germany (6.7%). In fact, 
China jumped from 10th to 2nd place from 1995 to  2019, with its  share in world imports almost 
quadrupling.  Spain no longer features amongst the top 10 importers of 2019 . Canada , on the other, 
which  had not featured amongst the top 10  back in 1995, rose to 10th place in 2019 . 
4.11.   While the  top 10 importers accounted for 58% of world imports in 1995 , they only accounted 
for 50% in 2019. Despite this 8% fall, half of world imports of agricultural products remain 
concentrated amongst  the top 10.  
4.12.   Table 2 of the Annex shows  the top exporters and importers . 
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.  
  
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  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 exports 
surpass ing its 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.  Argentina's trade balance grew by 
USD 24.7 billion and Spain's by USD 18.6 billion. Except for Poland, Spain and Ukraine, all the top 
net exporte rs of 2019 were also  among st the  net exporters in 1995.    
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 them  increas ing 
their trade deficit. Among these nine, the United Kingdom's deficit grew the most, by  USD 23.9 billion 
(from USD 8.8 billion to USD 32.7 billion), followed by Japan (from USD 39.1 billion to 
USD 54.7 billion) and the Republic of Korea (from USD 7.8 billion to USD 20.9 billion).  Germany is 
the only economy  amongst the top 10 net importers  that reduced  its trade deficit in this period (from  
USD -20.1 billion to USD -14.5 billion).  
  
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  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 products4 in 1995 and 2019. In 1995, 
"coffee, coffee husks/skins and substitutes " (HS 09.01), "wheat and meslin " (HS 10.01) and "Cigars, 
cigarettes etc, tobacco […] " (HS 24.02) were the top imported products, reaching shares of 3.7%, 
3.4% and 2.7% , respectively . Together they accounted for approximately  10% of wo rld imports of 
agricult ural products .  
4.16.   In 2019, the top three products changed completely to "soybeans " (HS 12.01) with a share 
of 4.3%, "food preparations, n.e.s. " (HS 21.06) with a share of 3.2% , and "grape wines, alcoholic 
must" (HS 22.04) with a share of 2.6%. The ir combined  share remained at 10 %. The change from 
1995 to 2019 was significant. Soybeans , for example , had been in  13th place in  1995, accounting 
for only 1.8%  of agricultural trade . In 2019, their share  more than doubled.  Wheat and meslin  
dropped from 2nd to 6th place, while  cigars/cigarettes /tobacco  fell from 3rd to 18th place. 
4.17.   The top 15 products accounted for  35.9% of world agricultural imports in 1995 , and 36% in 
2019.  
  
 
4 On the 4 -digits -level of t he Harmonized System (HS).  
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  Chart 8: Top 15 imported agricultural pr oducts , 1995 and 2019  
(Percentage shares ) 
 
 
Source:  Comtrade database . 
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  5  WORLD TRADE OF SELECTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS  
5.1  Soybeans  
5.1.  World imports of soybeans increased on average by 8.6% per year between 1995 and 2019, 
substantially more than total agricultural imports (+5.0% per year) . Soybean 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 1.7% in 1995 to 3.8% in 2019.  
5.2.  Soybeans prices reached their maximum in 2012, when prices were 2.7 times higher than in 
1995. In 2019, the pr ice 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 ) 
 
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  74% 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 from USD 5.4 billion in 1995 to USD 18.7 billion in 2019. However,  the rise in the value of 
Brazil's soybean exports was more than 33 times higher  (from USD 0.8 billion in 1995 to 
USD 26.1 billion  in 2019).  
5.4.  The top 10 exporters accounted for nearly  100% of world soybean exports in both years.  
5.5.  In 1995, Japan (18%), the Netherlands (15%) and Germany (11%) were the top importers of 
soybeans, and together accounted for  more than 40% of world imports. In 2019, China was top 
importer with a share of 62% in total world imports, followed by Egypt (3%) and Argentina (3%). 
Back in 1995, China  had not been  amongst the  top 10 importers, but  in 17th position  instead.  
  
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  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 73.9%  Brazil  26.08  50.8%  
Brazil  0.77 10.5%  United States  18.72  36.5%  
Argentina  0.54 7.3%  Argentina  3.40 6.6%  
Paraguay  0.18 2.4%  Canada  1.55 3.0%  
Canada  0.17 2.3%  Netherlands  0.37 0.7%  
China  0.10 1.4%  Russian Federation  0.28 0.5%  
Netherlands  0.06 0.8%  Romania  0.11 0.2%  
Bolivia, Plurinational State of  0.05 0.6%  China  0.09 0.2%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  0.01 0.2%  Belgium  0.09 0.2%  
France  0.01 0.1%  Croatia  0.08 0.2%  
sum of above  7.31 99.5%  sum of above  50.78  98.9%  
Top 10 importers  
Japan  1.37 17.7%  China  35.34  62.3%  
Netherlands  1.19 15.4%  Egypt  1.66 2.9%  
Germany  0.82 10.6%  Argentina  1.61 2.8%  
Spain  0.71 9.2%  Japan  1.54 2.7%  
Mexico  0.54 7.0%  Netherlands  1.53 2.7%  
Korea, Rep ublic of 0.40 5.2%  Germany  1.40 2.5%  
Italy 0.33 4.3%  Spain  1.21 2.1%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  0.31 4.0%  Thailand  1.15 2.0%  
Portugal  0.23 3.0%  Indonesia  1.06 1.9%  
France  0.21 2.7%  Turkey  1.03 1.8%  
sum of above  6.13 79.0%  sum of above  47.53  83.7%  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
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  5.2  Wheat and meslin  
5.6.  The share of wheat an d meslin  in world imports of agricultural products decreased from 3.2% 
in 1995 to 2.2% in 2019 . The world import value of th is product more than doubled from 1995 and 
2019 – from USD 15 billion to USD 33 billion. However, the  imports of other agricultural products  
rose by 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)  
 
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 (18% in world 
exports),  the United States (17%) and Canada (15%) . Back in 1995, the United  States was the  top 
exporter (33%), followed by France (17%) and Canada (17%). The overall share of the top 10 
exporters in world  exports of wheat and meslin was 93% in 1995 and 88% in 2019  (Table 2  below ). 
5.9.  While China was the top importer of this product in 1995, accounting for  almost 14% of world 
imports, it no longer features on the top 10 list  in 2019. In 2019, the importers wit h the highest 
shares were Egypt (9%), Indonesia (8%) and Turkey (7%). Japan fell  from 2nd to 7th place between 
1995 and  2019,  and Italy from 3rd to 4th.  54% of world imports of wheat and meslin were imported 
by the  top 10 importers in 2019 (down from 63% in 1995).  
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  Table 2: Top 10 traders of wheat and meslin, 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  5.46 32.1%  Russian Federation  6.40 17.8%  
France  2.96 17.4%  United States  6.27 17.4%  
Canada  2.96 17.4%  Canada  5.38 15.0%  
Australia  1.31 7.7%  France  4.35 12.1%  
Argentina  1.01 5.9%  Australia  2.48 6.9%  
Germany  0.80 4.7%  Argentina  2.30 6.4%  
United Kingdom  0.56 3.3%  Romania  1.27 3.5%  
Hungary  0.33 2.0%  Germany  1.25 3.5%  
Denmark  0.23 1.3%  Kazakhstan  1.00 2.8%  
Kazakhstan  0.23 1.3%  Bulgaria  0.95 2.6%  
sum of above  15.85  93.2%  sum of above  31.65  88.0%  
Top 10 importers  
China  2.03 13.9%  Egypt  3.02 9.1%  
Japan  1.34 9.2%  Indonesia  2.80 8.5%  
Italy 1.23 8.5%  Turkey  2.30 7.0%  
Egypt  0.88 6.0%  Italy 1.85 5.6%  
Indonesia  0.80 5.5%  Philippines  1.85 5.6%  
Algeria  0.73 5.0%  Brazil  1.49 4.5%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  0.58 4.0%  Japan  1.47 4.5%  
Spain  0.58 4.0%  Netherlands  1.14 3.5%  
Netherlands  0.54 3.7%  Spain  1.09 3.3%  
Morocco  0.47 3.2%  Korea, Republic of  0.99 3.0%  
sum of above  9.18 63.0%  sum of above  18.01  54.4%  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
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  5.3  Rice 
5.10.   World imports of rice more than tripled between 1995 and 2019, from USD 5 billion to 
USD 17 billion. This corresponds to an average annual percentage change of 5.1%. The share of rice 
in total agri cultural imports in 2019 remained as  in 1995, at 1.1%. The highest share reached in  
that period was in  2008, where it stood at  1.73% (Chart 11).  
5.11.   In 2019, the price of rice ( "Thai, 5% ") was 1.3 times above  its 1995  level ( Table 5 of the 
Annex ). 
Chart 11: World imports of rice (HS 1006), 1995 -2019  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
 
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
5.12.   The top exporters in 1995 were led by Thailand (32% of world exports), India (22%) and the 
United States (16%). In 2019, India (30%) overtook  Thailand (19%) as the top exporter,  and 
Vietnam (11%) overtook the United States  in 3rd place. The top 10 exporters accounted for more 
than 92% of world exports in both 1995 and 2019.  
5.13.   The Kingdom of Saudi  Arabia was the  top importer in 2019 (8%  of world imports ), followed 
by China (7%) and the Philippines (7%). In 1995, the top three  importers were Indonesia (10%), 
China (9%) and Brazil (6%). The top 10 importers accounted for almost  54% of world imports in 
1995 and 49% in 2019.  
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  Table 3: Top 10 traders of rice, 2019 vs. 1995  
(USD billion  and percentage share)  
Economy  
Value ( USD bn.) 
Share  in world 
trade (%)  
Economy  
Value (USD bn.)  
Share in worl d 
trade (%)  
1995  2019  
Top 10 exporters  
Thailand  1.95 32.1%  India 6.80 30.3%  
India 1.36 22.4%  Thailand  4.21 18.7%  
United States  1.00 16.4%  Viet Nam  2.43 10.8%  
Italy 0.41 6.7%  Pakistan  2.27 10.1%  
Australia  0.20 3.3%  United States  1.88 8.4%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  0.19 3.2%  China  1.06 4.7%  
Uruguay  0.16 2.7%  Myanmar  0.78 3.5%  
Argentina  0.14 2.3%  Italy 0.61 2.7%  
Spain  0.12 1.9%  Brazil  0.37 1.6%  
Netherlands  0.09 1.4%  Netherlands  0.28 1.2%  
sum of above  5.62 92.5%  sum of above  20.69  92.1%  
Top 10 importers  
Indonesia  0.51 10.2%  Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  1.27 7.5%  
China  0.43 8.6%  China  1.25 7.4%  
Brazil  0.29 5.8%  Philippines  1.14 6.8%  
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of  0.28 5.5%  United States  1.09 6.4%  
United Kingdom  0.24 4.7%  Iran 0.78 4.6%  
France  0.22 4.3%  Côte d'Ivoire  0.60 3.6%  
Bangladesh  0.22 4.3%  Benin  0.57 3.4%  
Germany  0.19 3.8%  France  0.54 3.2%  
Hong Kong, China1 0.17 3.3%  United Kingdom  0.53 3.1%  
Netherlands  0.16 3.2%  Japan  0.49 2.9%  
sum of above  2.71 53.6%  sum of above  8.27 49.0%  
1 Mainly imports for re -export.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
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  5.4  Meat and edible meat offal  
5.14.   World imports of meat and edible meat offal nearly  tripled between 1995 and 2019, rising 
from USD 38 billion in 1995 to USD 106 billion in 2019  (Chart 12) . On average, imports increased 
by 4.1% per year. The ir share in total world imports of agricultural products dropped from 8.3% in 
1995 to 7.1% in 2019, with a peak of 9.1% in 2001.  
5.15.   In 1995, 38% of imports were of bovine meat (HS 02.01 and 02.02), 28% of swine  meat 
(HS 02.03), and 17% of poultry meat (HS 02.07 ), with the remaining 17% going to other  types of  
meat. In 2019, bovine meat represented 39% of all imports, meat of swine 26% , and poultry meat 
17%. The remaining 18% 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)  
 
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  15% of world exports, followed by 
the Netherlan ds (13%) and France (10%). In 2019, the United  States  continued to top the list,  but 
its share went down to 14%. Brazil  came in 2nd (12%) , and Australia  3rd (9%). Brazil had not been  
amongst the  top 10 exporters in 1995 , while Australia was in 5th place. 78% of world exports of 
meat and edible meat offal was exported by  the top 10 exporters in 1995 , and 72% in 2019.  
5.18.   The top 3 importers of this product in 1995 were Japan (24%), Germany (13%) and 
France  (10%) . In 2019, Japan remained the  top importer , despite it falling share  (10%). The 
United  States followed  in 2nd place (8%), and Germany in 3rd (7%). China was the 4th major importer  
in 2019 (6%), even if it  had not been amongst the  top 10 importers back in 1995 ( 31st place). 
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  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 15.4%  United States  17.66  13.8%  
Netherlands  4.98 12.6%  Brazil  15.30  11.9%  
France  4.04 10.2%  Australia  11.36  8.9%  
Denmark  3.50 8.8%  Netherlands  10.03  7.8%  
Australia  2.58 6.5%  Germany  9.19 7.2%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  2.38 6.0%  Spain  8.00 6.2%  
United Kingdom  2.13 5.4%  Poland  5.83 4.5%  
Germany  1.81 4.6%  Canada  5.62 4.4%  
New Zealand  1.75 4.4%  New Zealand  5.31 4.1%  
Ireland  1.73 4.3%  Denmark  3.80 3.0%  
sum of above  31.01  78.1%  sum of above  92.11  71.8%  
Top 10 importers  
Japan  9.14 23.7%  Japan  10.84  10.3%  
Germany  5.15 13.4%  United States  8.76 8.3%  
France  3.89 10.1%  Germany  7.70 7.3%  
Italy 3.54 9.2%  China  6.03 5.7%  
United Kingdom  2.76 7.2%  Hong Kong, China1 5.41 5.1%  
United States  2.00 5.2%  United Kingdom  5.38 5.1%  
Hong Kong, China1 1.22 3.2%  Korea, Rep ublic of 5.23 5.0%  
Netherlands  1.02 2.6%  Italy 5.19 4.9%  
Greece  0.89 2.3%  France  5.10 4.8%  
Belgium -Luxembourg  0.86 2.2%  Netherlands  4.39 4.2%  
sum of above  30.47  79.2%  sum of above  64.03  60.6%  
1 Mainly imports for re -export.  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
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  5.5  Cotton  
5.19.   World imports of cotton rose from USD 10 billion to USD 14 billion in 2019 (Chart  13), 
correspon ding to an average annual percentage change of 1.1%. Its share in world agricultural 
imports fell from 2.2% in 1995 to 0.9% in 2019.  
5.20.   The highest  import  value of cotton, of  USD 26 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)  
 
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 (51%) 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 
83% of world exports in 1995 , and 90% in 2019.  
5.22.   China was the top importer in both 1995 (14%) and 2019 (26%) , with its  share in world 
imports almost doubl ing. While in 1995 Indo nesia (9%) and Italy (8%)  occupied 2nd and 3rd place, 
in 2019 they ceded to  Viet Nam (18%) and Turkey (12%). The top 10 importers accounted for  67% 
of world imports of cotton in 1995 and 88% in 2019.  
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  Table 5: Top 10 traders of cotto n, 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 50.8%  United States  6.21 41.5%  
Australia  0.57 7.8%  Brazil  2.64 17.6%  
Argentina  0.44 5.9%  India 1.13 7.6%  
Greece  0.39 5.4%  Australia  1.09 7.3%  
Paraguay  0.27 3.7%  Greece  0.59 4.0%  
Mexico  0.17 2.4%  Benin  0.46 3.1%  
Egypt  0.16 2.1%  Côte d'Ivoire  0.36 2.4%  
Sudan  0.14 2.0%  Burkina Faso  0.35 2.3%  
Côte d'Ivoire  0.14 1.9%  Uzbekistan  0.30 2.0%  
Burkina Faso  0.10 1.3%  Turkey  0.30 2.0%  
sum of above  6.11 83.2%  sum of above  13.43  89.7%  
Top 10 importers  
China  1.42 13.7%  China  3.57 26.2%  
Indonesia  0.92 8.9%  Viet Nam  2.45 18.0%  
Italy 0.79 7.6%  Turkey  1.60 11.7%  
Korea, Rep ublic of 0.77 7.5%  India 1.34 9.9%  
Japan  0.71 6.9%  Indonesia  1.12 8.2%  
Thailand  0.68 6.5%  Pakistan  0.71 5.2%  
Brazil  0.57 5.5%  Thailand  0.38 2.8%  
Turkey  0.38 3.7%  Malaysia  0.30 2.2%  
Germany  0.36 3.5%  Korea, Rep ublic of 0.27 2.0%  
Hong Kong, China  0.35 3.4%  Chinese Taipei  0.24 1.8%  
sum of above  6.96 67.2%  sum of above  11.99  88.0%  
Source:  WTO estimates, based on data from Comtrade and TDM.  
 WT/INF/224  
 
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  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. Cereals 
prices rose by 1.3%  per year , reaching a 36% 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 m ore 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 industries5 other than the exporting one , contribute significantly to value addition . 
In 20156, while 61% of the va lue-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.  
 
5 OECD TiVA indicators can be decomposed according to 3 6 industries based on ISIC Rev.4.  
6 2015 is the last year available in the OECD TiVA database at the time of production.  
WT/INF/224  
 
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  Chart 15: Sectoral origin of value -added in wo rld exports 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 services7 
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 foreign value -added content (10% 
on average per year ). Thailand e xperienced 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 agricultural exports. They intensified their partic ipation 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 Bulgaria (19%).  
7.6.  In South and Central America, Braz il 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 rates 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.  
 
7 Other business services include research and development activities as well as legal, management, 
consulting, technical and engineeri ng services . 
 
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  Chart 16: Major changes in economies' exports of 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% for 
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 agricultural 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 economies that are not shown individually in the OE CD 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  
 
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  7.10.   The agriculture 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%, confir ms 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% , respe ctively . Other European economies such as Denmark, 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  
 
- 26 - ANNEX  
Table 1: World trade of agricultural products (AoA), by regions, 1995 -2019  
(USD billion ) 
Region  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  
Exports  
World1 446.1  468.2  460.9  442.3  421.1  409.7  424.7  454.0  529.6  607.2  653.8  724.0  879.8  
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 
(CIS), 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  224.5  227.3  219.6  216.6  209.5  193.8  199.9  218.9  264.7  301.7  324.2  354.8  424.2  
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 461.17  481.18  470.78  459.16  445.83  434.49  447.74  479.20  559.01  646.10  689.76  754.27  913.37  
Africa  19.23  18.97  18.78  19.11  17.77  18.44  19.71  21.80  23.80  28.30  30.59  34.64  45.26  
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 
(CIS), 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  234.5  240.2  228.3  229.2  219.8  202.8  210.1  229.5  276.9  318.5  338.6  367.9  445.2  
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 
 
   
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- 27 -  
Region  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
Exports  
World1 1,084.1  960.3  1,085.6  1,334.0  1,353.3  1,426.5  1,448.4  1,298.3  1,311.6  1,414.7  1,471.6  1,459.0  
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 
(CIS), 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  506.6  448.8  476.4  569.6  562.1  614.1  617.4  538.6  547.7  589.4  622.8  621.9  
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 1,129.40  995.03  1,112.21  1,375.59  1,377.15  1,434.72  1,465.26  1,336.66  1,338.01  1,443.42  1,507.42  1,481.77  
Africa  57.61  52.11  61.12  94.25  86.32  83.40  89.39  76.88  77.08  80.65  83.46  75.30  
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 
(CIS), 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  536.9  465.1  483.3  578.8  554.6  594.3  598.9  527.3  533.0  574.3  607.7  596.1  
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 Including intra -trade of the European Union, excluding re -exports of Hong Kong, China.   
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  
 
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- 28 - 
 
  Table 2: Top 10 traders of agricultural products (excluding intra -EU 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  
European Union extra -trade 66.2 21.1%  European Union extra -trade 208.8  19.3%  
United States  63.5 20.2%  United States  145.3  13.4%  
United Kingdom  17.9 5.7%  Brazil  81.5 7.5%  
Brazil  13.6 4.3%  China  57.1 5.3%  
Australia  13.0 4.1%  Canada  45.7 4.2%  
Canada  12.9 4.1%  Argentina  37.0 3.4%  
China  11.5 3.7%  Mexico  36.2 3.3%  
Argentina  10.2 3.3%  Australia  32.9 3.0%  
Malaysia  6.9 2.2%  India 31.0 2.9%  
Thailand  6.9 2.2%  Thailand  30.7 2.8%  
sum of above  222.7  70.8%  sum of above  706.1  65.2%  
Top 10 importers  
European Union extra -trade 68.6 20.4%  European Union extra -trade 146.7  13.3%  
Japan  41.0 12.2%  United States  146.0  13.2%  
United States  33.8 10.1%  China  136.3  12.3%  
United Kingdom  26.8 8.0%  United Kingdom  62.3 5.6%  
China  11.2 3.3%  Japan  60.2 5.4%  
Russian Federation  11.0 3.3%  Canada  36.3 3.3%  
Korea, Rep ublic of 9.5 2.8%  Russian Federation  28.4 2.6%  
Canada  9.1 2.7%  Korea, Rep ublic of 27.8 2.5%  
Chinese Taipei  6.7 2.0%  Mexico  27.2 2.5%  
Brazil  6.6 2.0%  India 22.6 2.0%  
sum of above  224.3  66.8%  sum of above  693.6  62.7%  
Source:  WTO Secretariat, based on data from Comtrade and Trade Data Monitor.  WT/INF/224  
 
- 29 - 
 
  Table 3: World exports of agricultural products (AoA), 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 
Niger  0.08 0.10 0.14 0.09 0.11 0.35 0.12 0.19 0.26 WT/INF/224  
 
- 30 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 
Malaysia  6.91 5.46 9.71 23.67  22.03  22.39  23.94  22.64  21.67  WT/INF/224  
 
- 31 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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  
Albania  0.03 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.10 0.14 0.16 0.19 0.17 WT/INF/224  
 
- 32 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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  
Bahrain, 
Kingdom of  0.09 0.05 0.05 0.29 0.43 0.34 0.49 0.53 0.51 WT/INF/224  
 
- 33 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 
French Guiana  0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 WT/INF/224  
 
- 34 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 (AoA), 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 
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 WT/INF/224  
 
- 35 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 
South African 
Customs 
Union  1.89         
South Sudan      0.18 0.16 0.31 0.38 0.05 WT/INF/224  
 
- 36 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 
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 WT/INF/224  
 
- 37 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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  
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 WT/INF/224  
 
- 38 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 
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 WT/INF/224  
 
- 39 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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 
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 WT/INF/224  
 
- 40 - 
 
  Reporter  1995  2000  2005  2010  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019  
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  
 
- 41 - 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).  
 
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