How much cheese does United States produce and export?
United States is the largest producer of cheese: 6.4 million tonnes in 2023, 28% of the world's 23 million tonnes (FAOSTAT). It is the 5th largest exporter by value: $2.5 billion in 2024, 5.6% of world exports of cheese (HS 0406) (CEPII BACI). Its biggest customer is Mexico, which takes 35% of its cheese exports by value.
All about cheese · All about United States
United States's cheese production
| World rank | Production (tonnes) | Share of world | Ten-year growth | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.4 million tonnes | 28% | +2.5% a year | 2023 |
FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), 2023. World total is the sum of reporting countries.
Share of world output over time
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26% | 28% | 28% | 28% | 28% |
United States's cheese exports
| World rank | Export value | Share of world exports | Quantity (tonnes) | Average value per tonne | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $2.5 billion | 5.6% | 489,491 t | $5,112 | 2024 |
CEPII BACI international trade database (HS22, V202601), HS 0406 (Cheese and curd).
Where United States's cheese goes
| Destination | Value | Share of United States's exports |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $876M | 35% |
| South Korea | $249M | 10% |
| Japan | $203M | 8.1% |
| Canada | $127M | 5.1% |
| Australia | $116M | 4.6% |
United States as a buyer of cheese
United States imported $2 billion of cheese (HS 0406) in 2024, 4.4% of world imports, ranked #8. Of its $2 billion of cheese imports in 2024, 26% came from Italy and 13% from France, among 79 suppliers.
Cite as: Commodity Origins, "United States cheese: production, exports and prices", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/USA/cheese/ (CC BY 4.0). Rankings count only countries reporting to the sources named; this page is shown only for top-five producers or exporters with at least 3% of the world total. Report an issue with this page.