Sugar · importers
Italy ranks ninth of 96 at $1.7B in the sugars and sugar confectionery chapter, and its confectionery and baking industry is a likely driver.
| Market | HS 17 imports |
|---|---|
| United States | $7.2B |
| China | $4.2B |
| Indonesia | $3.6B |
| Germany | $2.6B |
| United Kingdom | $2.2B |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 17 (sugars and sugar confectionery); sugar is only part of it. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by national authorities; latest available year per market.
Canada is above at $1.9B and Malaysia below at $1.6B. Italy’s 2.7% share of reported world imports gives it a modest lead over Malaysia. The chapter is 0.3% of its $621.6B imports and ranks 57th among import chapters, one of the lowest places among the leaders.
Italy has a large pastry, ice-cream, chocolate and biscuit industry, and these makers use sugar in quantity. Some of what enters is sugar for manufacture, and some is confectionery in finished or semi-finished form. Sugar beet is also grown domestically, so imports tend to fill specific needs.
Ask what the buyer makes and how seasonal its demand is, since ice-cream and confectionery producers buy far more before summer and the winter holidays than in other months, and since a gelato producer, a biscuit maker and a bulk refiner need quite different products. Allow for the fact that artisanal producers often buy in small lots through distributors, so a seller aiming at them may need a partner in Italy rather than selling direct.
Common European rules on quotas, duties and preferences apply to sugar imports, are set by the authorities and change over time. Confirm the present position with them and the importer. Italy’s overall source list is led by Germany, China, France and the Netherlands.
The $1.7B covers all of chapter 17, so sugar is only part, and re-exports can shift rankings.
Shipment records under the sugar heading name each receiver and its cargo weight. Compare them to find regular importers, agree Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port, and use this site’s free marketplace to make contact.
Ninth of 96 markets at $1.7B in 2024, a 2.7% share of reported world imports.
Pastry, gelato, biscuit and confectionery makers, along with packers and traders.
No. Italian totals fold sweets and pastry ingredients in with sugar.
Read sugar-heading shipment records and compare consignees by weight.
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