Onion · importers
Italy is ninth of 96 at $2.7B in the chapter containing onions, and it has a strong domestic food culture that shapes what buyers ask for.
| Market | HS 07 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $16.5B |
| Germany | $8.8B |
| United Kingdom | $5.2B |
| India | $5.1B |
| France | $4.8B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 07 (edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers); onion is only part of it. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Belgium is just above at $2.9B and Japan just below at $2.4B. Italy’s 2.9% share of reported world imports of the chapter is close to both, so the label of ninth is fragile. Consider Italy one of four similar markets.
The chapter is 0.4% of total imports of $621.6B and ranks 39th among Italy’s import chapters.
In a country where fresh vegetables feature heavily in everyday cooking, wholesale and retail buyers tend to know the product well and compare offers on quality as much as on cost. Expect questions on variety, colour, size and firmness.
Arrive with samples that match the specification you have quoted, and be ready to discuss consistency across a season.
Germany, China, France and the Netherlands are the largest overall sources of Italian imports. Most of that reflects manufactured goods and intra-European links, so it says little about onions. Fresh produce for Italy may come from several regions in one year depending on harvests, so a seller who can name the weeks in which their crop is ready has a clearer story than one who simply offers volume. Ask the buyer which weeks are hardest to cover and whether they would commit to a repeat programme rather than a one-off lot.
The $2.7B is for the whole of HS chapter 07, edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers, so onions are only a portion. Reporter declarations and re-exports can shift a market’s position.
Verify current plant-health and marketing requirements with the competent authority, then agree Incoterm, currency, payment and port. Search customs shipment records for onions to list consignees and use this site’s free marketplace to reach out.
Ninth of 96 markets at $2.7B in 2024, a 2.9% share of reported world imports. Belgium is above at $2.9B and Japan below at $2.4B.
Only loosely, since the neighbours in the table are close in value.
No. It covers all of chapter 07, which spans many vegetables and tubers.
Check onion shipments in customs records and rank consignees by frequency and declared value.
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