In 2023, the global chestnut export market reached a value of $320.9 million.

Over the past five years, from 2019 to 2023, chestnut export values experienced an overall decline of 8.9%, falling from $352.3 million in 2019. However, between 2022 and 2023, export revenues rose by 10.1%, climbing from $291.5 million. Chestnuts, known for their sweet, buttery, and soft texture when roasted but bitter flavor when raw, remain a popular product worldwide.

Chestnuts originate from the fruits of chestnut trees, enclosed in a green, spiky outer shell. These versatile nuts are traditionally roasted with their shells intact and consumed as snacks. Additionally, chestnuts can be processed into flour for various baked goods like cakes, pancakes, pies, pasta, and bread that can stay fresh for up to two weeks. Furthermore, chestnuts serve as thickeners for soups, stews, and sauces and can be prepared in numerous ways, including candied, boiled, steamed, fried, grilled, or roasted. Chestnut-based stuffing is also a common ingredient in dishes featuring poultry, vegetables, and other foods.

The top five chestnut-exporting nations in 2023—mainland China, Italy, Spain, Türkiye, and Portugal—together accounted for 77.3% of global chestnut exports.

From a regional perspective, Europe dominated chestnut exports, contributing $167 million or 52% of the global total in 2023. Asian countries followed closely, supplying 44.8% of chestnuts. Smaller contributions came from Latin America (3%, excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean), North America (0.1%), Oceania (led by Fiji and Australia at 0.03%), and Africa (0.02%).

The largest chestnut-importing countries last year were Italy, Japan, Vietnam, Germany, and France. Combined, these five countries accounted for 46.6% of total global imports by value.

Notably, while chestnut exports are highly concentrated—77.3% sourced from just five exporting countries—the import market is more dispersed. The 102 importing countries, islands, and territories showed greater diversity, with the top five importers comprising a smaller 46.6% share.

Regionally, Europe remained the primary chestnut consumer, purchasing 54.6% of all imported chestnuts in 2023. Asia followed with a 38.9% share, while North America imported 5.6%. Latin America (excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean) made up 0.7%, Africa 0.2%, and Oceania, led by Australia and New Zealand, accounted for 0.01%.

Top Chestnut Importing Companies in 2023

1. ТОО GRANDEZZA – 15.09% share, valued at $16.76 million

2. CÔNG TY TNHH MTV XNK LƯU GIA – 6.32% share, valued at $7.02 million

3. CÔNG TY TNHH MỘT THÀNH VIÊN THƯƠNG MẠI TẤT THÀNH – 3.98% share, valued at $4.42 million

4. ТОО БРК ЛИВИА – 3% share, valued at $3.33 million

5. ТОО ЭСТЕ ЛАУДЕР КАЗАХСТАН – 2.77% share, valued at $3.07 million

6. ТОО STARON КАЗАХСТАН СТАРОН КАЗАХСТАН – 2.15% share, valued at $2.38 million

7. ТОО БАГБАН КЗ – 1.75% share, valued at $1.94 million

8. CÔNG TY TNHH MTV TM AND XNK QUẢNG HÀ – 1.74% share, valued at $1.93 million

9. ИП АБУ АХМАД – 1.47% share, valued at $1.63 million

10. COMBE DE MEXICO – 1.43% share, valued at $1.59 million

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Top Chestnut Exporting Companies in 2023

1. ТОВ ОДЕК УКРАЇНА – 30.09% share, valued at $54.43 million

2. ПРИВАТНЕ ПІДПРИЄМСТВО УКРГОСПТОВАРИ – 6.4% share, valued at $11.58 million

3. CÔNG TY TNHH CHẾ BIẾN THỰC PHẨM OLAM VIỆT NAM – 4.83% share, valued at $8.74 million

4. WHITE LION NUTS S.A.C. – 4.4% share, valued at $7.96 million

5. ТОВ УНІПЛИТ – 3% share, valued at $5.42 million

6. ТЗОВ КОСТОПІЛЬСЬКИЙ ФАНЕРНИЙ ЗАВОД – 2.96% share, valued at $5.36 million

7. ТОВ ВУДСТІК – 2.6% share, valued at $4.71 million

8. MENKUR TAŞIMACILIK TARIM ÜRÜNLERİ SANAYİ VE TİCARET LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ – 2.28% share, valued at $4.12 million

9. KESTAŞ TAŞIMACILIK TARIM ÜRÜNLERİ SANAYİ VE TİCARET LİMİTED ŞİRKETİ – 1.94% share, valued at $3.51 million

10. ТОВ ВАЙТВУД – 1.74% share, valued at $3.14 million

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Top Chestnut Importers by Country in 2023

Over the five-year period from 2019 to 2023, global spending on imported chestnuts declined slightly by 0.6%. However, year-over-year growth from 2022 to 2023 showed a notable 9.8% increase.

The 20 leading import markets for chestnuts by value in 2023 were:

1. Italy: $59.6 million (16.9%)

2. Japan: $32.9 million (9.3%)

3. Vietnam: $30.5 million (8.6%)

4. Germany: $21.2 million (6%)

5. France: $20.4 million (5.8%)

6. Thailand: $19.3 million (5.5%)

7. Switzerland: $16.9 million (4.8%)

8. Austria: $16.7 million (4.7%)

9. Spain: $16 million (4.5%)

10. United States: $14 million (4%)

11. China: $12.9 million (3.7%)

12. Taiwan: $9.5 million (2.7%)

13. Portugal: $8.2 million (2.3%)

14. United Kingdom: $6.2 million (1.7%)

15. Canada: $5.8 million (1.7%)

16. South Korea: $4.12 million (1.2%)

17. Netherlands: $4.09 million (1.2%)

18. Belgium: $3.8 million (1.1%)

19. United Arab Emirates: $3.2 million (0.9%)

20. Saudi Arabia: $3.1 million (0.9%)

Together, these 20 countries purchased 87.3% of all globally imported chestnuts in 2023.

The fastest-growing importers were Vietnam (+182.4%), the United Arab Emirates (+117.3%), Austria (+42.5%), and Saudi Arabia (+40%). Meanwhile, countries such as France (-26.6%), Canada (-11%), South Korea (-7.9%), the United Kingdom (-4.1%), and Taiwan (-3.2%) recorded declines in their chestnut imports.

Top Chestnut Exporters by Country in 2023

The leading chestnut-exporting nations in 2023 were:

1. Mainland China: $97 million (30.2%)

2. Italy: $71.1 million (22.2%)

3. Spain: $29.1 million (9.1%)

4. Türkiye: $27.1 million (8.5%)

5. Portugal: $23.9 million (7.4%)

6. France: $20.2 million (6.3%)

7. South Korea: $13.8 million (4.3%)

8. Greece: $8.3 million (2.6%)

9. Chile: $7.8 million (2.4%)

10. Japan: $4 million (1.2%)

The fastest-growing exporters included Poland (+230.9%), Austria (+132.2%), Portugal (+90.1%), and the Netherlands (+54.3%). Conversely, significant declines in chestnut exports were reported by Germany (-24.7%), Türkiye (-21.3%), Belgium (-18.1%), the Dominican Republic (-12.9%), and Greece (-8.6%).