Malaysia Shows Rapid Growth in the Global Cocoa Butter Trade

Malaysia is one of the leaders in the global cocoa butter trade. In 2014, Malaysia exported 103 thousand tonnes of cocoa butter totaling 625 million USD, 65% over the previous year. Its primary trading partner was the U.S., where it supplied 21% of its total cocoa butter exports in value terms, accounting for 20% of the U.S.'s total imports.

The Malaysian cocoa sector is crucial for the country's economy. It provides employment for more than thirty thousand people including entrepreneurs. Malaysian cocoa butter has a high melting point, which is a sought after quality in countries with warm climates. Because of this, Malaysian cocoa butter is in high demand and is able to fetch a good price on the global market.

From 2007 to 2014, Malaysia was a net exporter of cocoa butter. Over this period, exports consistently exceeded imports in value terms. However, in physical terms, the difference, from 2010 to 2014, was less pronounced.

The Netherlands and Germany were among the other main global suppliers of cocoa butter in 2014. The fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2014 were Germany (+33% per year) and Estonia (+26% per year).

In 2014, Malaysia's top 5 trading partners were the U.S., Japan, China, Mexico and Estonia, with a combined 56% share of Malaysia's cocoa butter exports. The share of Mexico increased (+7 percentage points), while the share of Estonia dipped slightly (-1 percentage points).

Source: IndexBox AI Platform