Sugar · importers
The United Arab Emirates closes the top twenty at $1.1B in the sugars and sugar confectionery chapter, and it combines a refining industry with a trading hub.
| 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.
Japan is above and Egypt below, all at $1.1B when rounded. The UAE’s 1.7% share of reported world imports is tied with both. The chapter is 0.2% of its $470.5B imports and ranks 42nd among import chapters, next to pearls and precious stones at $114.9B, a second chapter at $78.7B and electrical machinery at $63.1B.
The Emirates has a large sugar refinery that imports raw sugar and ships refined sugar to buyers across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Recorded imports therefore reflect processing for export as well as local demand. A seller of raw sugar deals with a refiner working in vessel-sized lots; a seller of refined sugar or confectionery deals with traders.
Among its overall sources are Areas, nes, China, India and the USA. The first is a reporting category rather than a country, so origin data is incomplete. Because the refinery sells onward to many countries, ask which sugar grades and packs its export customers need, as these decide the raw material it will buy from you.
Import and food-safety requirements are set by the authorities and can change, so confirm the present conditions with them and with the buyer. Ask which destination’s rules govern labelling if the goods will be sent on.
The $1.1B covers all of chapter 17, and re-exports distort rankings more here than in most markets.
Sugar shipment data lists receivers and cargo weights. Use it to tell the refinery from the trading companies, settle Incoterm, currency, payment terms and port, and approach your shortlist through this site’s free marketplace.
Twentieth of 96 markets at $1.1B in 2024, a 1.7% share of reported world imports.
Only partly. Refining for export and trading are large parts of it.
A reporting category for unspecified origins, showing that origin data is incomplete.
Read sugar-heading shipment records and separate refiners from traders by consignee.
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