Walnut Movement Import And Export Patterns To Know About

You’ve probably heard about it multiple times now. Even though COVID-19 has impacted to many industries around the world, there is one industry that is expected to blow in the next coming years. That industry is the walnut industry. From consumption to packaging to distribution, the walnut industry is expected to boom.

In a recent webinar by the INC Executive Committee, it is even commented on how well walnuts and almonds in particular have done during this pandemic. There are various reasons for this rise in demand.
First of all, people developed a “hording” mentality which is expected to continue well until after pandemic is officially over. Experts expect “residual effects” of the lockdowns and uncertainty which the pandemic brought. This means that people will continue to prefer home delivery of foods, maintaining caution when it comes to food and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

The popularization of the vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian lifestyles have created a unique consumer base for dried fruits in general. 

Since the industry is going to continue expanding, you need to keep a track on the top exporters and importers of walnuts to see what’s happening. Here are the latest figures.

Who Supplied What In 2020?*

The USA exports to:

  • Europe- 139495

  • India-18764

  • Turkey- 50196

  • Middle East & Africa: 122883

  • China- 11909

  1. Chile exports to:

  • Europe- 66301

  • India-12317

  • Turkey- 14527

  • Middle East & Africa: 14126

  • China- 4042

China exports to:

  • Europe- 23013

  • UAE- 8136 

  • Turkey- 13127

  • Morocco- 7142

*in metric tonnes

The Shift So Far In 2021

Compared to what was happening in 2020, we’ve seen a rise in Chinese walnuts globally this year. In fact, due to the weather conditions in the United States, most suppliers have turned to China. You can find more details in this report.

Furthermore, the competitive advantage offered by the Chinese walnuts are very enticing for traders. We’ve also seen an increased in the Moldovan and Ukrainian walnut markets. Similar to the United States, Chile had a bit of a delayed crop this year as well so these are the newer markets that have been in focus this year.

What Does This Mean?

This shows that as predicted by experts, the consumption will continue. Top importers will continue to supply and meet the demand of the consumers giving rise to unexpected competition from countries like China which can produce the amount needed to fulfil global demands. Previously, Chilean walnuts have been regarded as the top of the line crop. But China’s capacity for providing more volume at lower prices just might be the factor required to change the way walnut is traded globally.

Constantinos Cardassilaris