Which Country Exports the Most Cocoa Butter in the World?

Cocoa, Chocolate And Confectionery May 28, 2018

Blog Blog / Food Products / Cocoa, Chocolate And Confectionery

Author: Anna Sergeeva

PositionMarket Analyst

In 2016, the amount of cocoa butter exported worldwide stood at 771K tonnes, reducing by -2.2% against the previous year level. The total export volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.8% over the period from 2007 to 2016; the trend pattern remained consistent, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations over the period under review. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2011, when exports increased by 9% against the previous year level. Over the period under review, global cocoa butter exports attained its maximum volume of 806K tonnes in 2013; however, from 2014 to 2016, it stood at a somewhat lower level.

In value terms, cocoa butter exports totaled $4.9B in 2016. Overall, it indicated a remarkable increase from 2007 to 2016: the total exports value increased at an average annual rate of +1.8% over the last nine years. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. Based on the result of 2016, cocoa butter exports decreased by -6.6% against its level of 2014. In that year, global cocoa butter exports attained its maximum level of $5.2B. From 2015 to 2016, growth of global cocoa butter exports failed to regain its strength.

Top Cocoa Butter Exporting Countries in the World

1. Netherlands (1,653.6 million USD)

2. Indonesia (697.9 million USD)

3. Malaysia (500.4 million USD)

4. Germany (479.7 million USD)

5. France (405.5 million USD)

6. Brazil (199.6 million USD)

7. Singapore (167.7 million USD)

8. USA (108.3 million USD)

9. United Kingdom (63.8 million USD)

Cocoa Butter Exports By Country

The Netherlands (252K tonnes) was the major exporter of cocoa butter in the world, resulting at 252K tonnes, which was near 33% of total exports in 2016. Indonesia (110K tonnes) ranks second globally in cocoa butter exports with a 14% share, following Malaysia (11%), Germany (9%), and France (8%). The following exporters - Brazil (31K tonnes), Singapore (27K tonnes), the U.S. (17K tonnes), and the UK (12K tonnes) together made up 11% of total exports.

From 2007 to 2016, average annual rates of growth with regard to cocoa butter exports from the Netherlands stood at +2.1%. At the same time, Germany (+20.1%), Indonesia (+8.8%), and Singapore (+1.9%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Germany emerged as the fastest growing importer/exporter in the world, with a CAGR of +20.1% from 2007-2016. The UK, and Brazil experienced a relatively flat trend pattern. By contrast, Malaysia (-2.1%), the U.S. (-2.3%), and France (-2.8%) illustrated a downward trend over the same period. While the share of France (2%), and Malaysia (2%) increased significantly, the share of the Netherlands (-5.5%), Indonesia (-7.6%), and Germany (-7.6%) displayed negative dynamics. The shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period.

In value terms, the Netherlands ($1.7B) remains the largest cocoa butter supplier in the world, making up 34% of global exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Indonesia ($698M), with the share of 14% of global exports. It was followed by Malaysia, with the share of 10%.

In the Netherlands, cocoa butter exports stood at an average annual rate of +4.9% over the period from 2007-2016. In the other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: Indonesia (+13.1% per year) and Malaysia (+1.1% per year).

Cocoa Butter Export Prices By Country

The average cocoa butter export price stood at $6,320 per tonne in 2016, remaining stable against the previous year level. Overall, it indicated a perceptible growth from 2007 to 2016: the export price value increased at an average annual rate of +3.2% over the last nine years. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. Based on the result of 2016, cocoa butter export price decreased by -3.2% against its level of 2014. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2014, when export price increased by 52% from the previous year level. In that year, average cocoa butter export price attained its maximum level of $6,530 per tonne. From 2015 to 2016, growth of average cocoa butter export price stood at a somewhat lower level.

Average export prices varied noticeably amongst major exporting countries. In 2016, major exporting countries recorded the following export prices: in France ($6,603 per tonne) and Germany ($6,576 per tonne), while the UK ($5,309 per tonne) and Malaysia ($5,854 per tonne) were among the lowest.

From 2007 to 2016, the most notable growth rate of cocoa butter export prices was attained by France (+4.1% per year), while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

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