Which are the countries that export the most cheese in the world? Although, the United States may be the largest producer of cheese in the world, and France may be eating way more cheese than any other country, but neither topped this list of biggest cheese exporters in the world.
There is not much definite information – especially figures – on cheese exports. This is mostly due to the fact that most of the sources available collectively use figures for dairy exports and not solely for cheese.
For this list, we have taken the statistics listed on World Top Exports, PM Food, and the data listed on a research paper by Vlahovic, Popovic-Vranjes, and Mugosa. The countries here are ranked according to the monetary value (US$) of their total cheese exports for the year 2014 – the most recent available data.
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The most interesting part about the data may have to be the fact that the biggest exporters of cheese in the global market also rank as among the biggest importers and among the top consumers. It is also interesting to note the surge in China’s cheese imports thanks to a growing appetite for cheese-containing products.
So which country is the foremost contributor in feeding the frommage-loving planet with this well-loved dairy product?
Read on to find out! Complete your reading experience on all things cheese and check out our article on the 11 most expensive cheeses in the world!
10. Poland
$869,600,000
There are over 25 types of popular cheeses in Poland, made of either sheep or cow’s milk. They are the sixth biggest producer of cheese worldwide and is also the 18th biggest consumer of the dairy product. Their most popular cheese is the Twarog, a fresh, white cheese curd that is most popularly used in Poland as filling for a local dumpling dish called pierogi.
9. Ireland
$999,500,000
Ireland produces over 5.4 billion liters of milk every year from over 18,000 local dairy farms scattered all over the nation. This produce is divided for the use of powder milk, cream, butter, and of course cheese. Their cheese exports are large enough as they are, but they have expanded it further after winning the emerging Chinese dairy market.
8. Belgium
$1,000,000,000
Belgium may be best known for their high-quality beers but their cheeses are just as raved about in the global cheese market. Just like its neighbors in Europe, Belgium is as big a producer of cheese as they are a consumer! Though the country is small in terms of land mass, its dairy industry and cheese production are ever expanding.
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7. New Zealand
$1,300,000,000
New Zealand is one of the only two non-European nations on the list of the 10 countries that export the most cheese. This, however, should not come as surprising at all since New Zealand has one of the biggest and most globally competitive dairy industry. Thanks to their vast lands that and agreeable climate, dairy farms easily thrive in the country.
6. Denmark
$1,700,000,000
Dairy exports account for 20% of all the exports of the Scandinavian country. One of the owrld’s most popular cheese (and dairy products) brands, Arla, is cooperatively owned by Denmark and Sweden. Aside from Arla cheeses and other dairy products, Denmark is also home to many small-sized cheese producers.
5 .United States
$1,800,000,000
The United States is the world’s largest producer of cheese, but its exports did not amount to the top rank of the countries that export the most cheese and only amounted to a little over 5.2% of the overall exports in the global market. The billion-dollar cheese industry’s biggest market is its next-door neighbor, Mexico.
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4. Italy
$2,900,000,000
Cheese is an integral part of Italian cuisine, and so it does not come as surprising that Italy is not just one of the world’s largest producers of cheese but also one of the most important suppliers of cheese to the world.
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3. France
$4,000,000,000
France is the biggest consumer of cheese. Alongside EU neighbors, Germany, and the Netherlands, France is one of the biggest cheese exporters in the world. In fact, between the years 2008 to 2012, France was the second biggest cheese exporter, responsible for 11.8% of the world’s total cheese exports.
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2. The Netherlands
$4,500,000,000
Like France, the Netherlands is always in the top three of the list of the top 10 countries that export the most cheese in the world. Despite being a small country, the Netherlands manages to keep its large dairy farms. Most of the country’s cheese exports – as are most of the nation’s agricultural products – are directed at EU neighbor Germany. The Netherlands is responsible for over 13% of the world’s total cheese exports.
1. Germany
$5,000,000,000
And topping our cheesy list is Germany! The country’s cheese exports for 2014 amounted to over 15% of the world’s cheese exports. With over 600 types of cheeses, there is nothing surprising about topping this list of the countries that export the most cheese in the world.
Where do your favorite cheeses come from?
