Which large markets depend on imports, and which produce far more than they use?

Of 355 country-and-commodity markets that are each at least 2% of world domestic supply (2023 food balance sheets), 79 get half or more of their supply from imports; the largest is China's soybeans, 121 million tonnes of supply with 84% imported. 47 produce at least one and a half times what they use, which makes them net suppliers to the rest of the world.

Definitions are FAO's. Self-sufficiency is production divided by (production + imports − exports); import dependency is imports divided by the same total, both as percentages. A country can be both a big importer and a big exporter of one item (re-exports, different grades), so a high import dependency does not mean it cannot feed itself, only that much of what it uses crosses a border. Only markets of at least 2% of world supply are shown, so a small economy that imports everything does not crowd the list. Where FAO shows no production or exports for a country that has domestic supply, they are read as zero. Click a heading to sort.

Large markets that rely on imports

Markets with import dependency of 50% or more
Country	Commodity	Domestic supply	Share of world supply	Import dependency	Self-sufficiency	Food kg per person
China	Soybeans	121 million tonnes	32%	84%	16%	5.4
China	Cassava	39.5 million tonnes	12%	87%	13%	2.2
Turkey (Türkiye)	Wheat	33.4 million tonnes	4%	69%	59%	164
Germany	Wheat	20.4 million tonnes	2.4%	56%	106%	75
Thailand	Cassava	17.7 million tonnes	5.2%	60%	173%	3.3
United States	Apples	17.2 million tonnes	16%	77%	30%	49
United States	Oranges	12.7 million tonnes	10%	84%	25%	36
Germany	Canola	10.3 million tonnes	11%	62%	39%	0.0
China	Barley	10.2 million tonnes	7.5%	89%	16%	1.6
India	Palm oil	9.2 million tonnes	12%	100%	<0.1%	1.3
China	Sorghum	8.1 million tonnes	17%	64%	36%	3.2
Spain	Barley	8.1 million tonnes	6%	52%	53%	5.2
Indonesia	Sugar	7.5 million tonnes	4.4%	72%	32%	26
United States	Pineapples	6.3 million tonnes	18%	102%	2.7%	18
China	Palm oil	5.0 million tonnes	6.6%	99%	2%	1.9
Germany	Tomatoes	4.1 million tonnes	2.1%	103%	2.5%	47
United States	Bananas	4.1 million tonnes	3.1%	114%	0.1%	11
Pakistan	Palm oil	3.0 million tonnes	4%	100%	<0.1%	8.7
United States	Oats	3.0 million tonnes	14%	75%	28%	6.2
India	Sunflower oil	2.8 million tonnes	13%	98%	2.3%	1.8
Pakistan	Canola	1.9 million tonnes	2.1%	58%	42%	0.0
China	Sunflower oil	1.8 million tonnes	8.5%	83%	18%	0.4
United States	Palm oil	1.7 million tonnes	2.3%	107%	<0.1%	0.0
Bangladesh	Palm oil	1.6 million tonnes	2.2%	100%	<0.1%	3.5
United States	Coffee	1.4 million tonnes	12%	146%	0.2%	4.2
Turkey (Türkiye)	Sunflower oil	1.4 million tonnes	6.4%	113%	62%	5.9
China	Sesame seed	1.3 million tonnes	27%	69%	34%	0.4
Spain	Sunflower oil	901 thousand tonnes	4.2%	80%	47%	11
Germany	Oats	839 thousand tonnes	4.1%	72%	61%	5.2
United States	Cocoa	839 thousand tonnes	16%	132%	<0.1%	2.4
Iran	Sunflower oil	799 thousand tonnes	3.7%	95%	5.2%	7.3
Italy	Sunflower oil	770 thousand tonnes	3.6%	87%	19%	6.3
China	Palm kernel oil	737 thousand tonnes	8.6%	98%	2.3%	0.1
Spain	Pineapples	708 thousand tonnes	2.1%	123%	<0.1%	14
Italy	Olive oil	535 thousand tonnes	17%	90%	77%	8.6
Indonesia	Cocoa	525 thousand tonnes	9.8%	60%	103%	1.7
Iraq	Sunflower oil	497 thousand tonnes	2.3%	94%	6%	6.5
Spain	Olive oil	493 thousand tonnes	16%	61%	201%	9.0
Philippines	Coffee	493 thousand tonnes	4.1%	95%	6.1%	4.3
India	Dates	487 thousand tonnes	5.1%	101%	<0.1%	0.3
France	Sunflower oil	460 thousand tonnes	2.1%	59%	135%	4.9
Germany	Coffee	449 thousand tonnes	3.7%	291%	<0.1%	5.3
United States	Coconut oil	431 thousand tonnes	15%	105%	<0.1%	0.2
United States	Olive oil	370 thousand tonnes	12%	101%	4.5%	1.1
Italy	Coffee	365 thousand tonnes	3%	215%	<0.1%	6.1
Hong Kong	Coffee	359 thousand tonnes	3%	110%	<0.1%	43
France	Coffee	346 thousand tonnes	2.9%	144%	<0.1%	5.2
United Kingdom	Coffee	345 thousand tonnes	2.9%	177%	<0.1%	5.0
United States	Palm kernel oil	311 thousand tonnes	3.6%	106%	<0.1%	0.0
China	Coffee	308 thousand tonnes	2.5%	79%	35%	0.2
Brazil	Palm kernel oil	297 thousand tonnes	3.5%	74%	27%	0.0
Germany	Palm kernel oil	282 thousand tonnes	3.3%	111%	<0.1%	—
United Kingdom	Cocoa	270 thousand tonnes	5.1%	134%	<0.1%	3.9
Canada	Coffee	269 thousand tonnes	2.2%	134%	<0.1%	6.8
France	Cocoa	268 thousand tonnes	5%	222%	<0.1%	4.0
United States	Honey	253 thousand tonnes	14%	79%	25%	0.7
Morocco	Dates	237 thousand tonnes	2.5%	56%	45%	3.9
Netherlands	Coconut oil	195 thousand tonnes	6.8%	201%	<0.1%	—
Germany	Coconut oil	189 thousand tonnes	6.6%	114%	<0.1%	—
China	Coconut oil	182 thousand tonnes	6.4%	100%	<0.1%	0.1
Turkey (Türkiye)	Sesame seed	177 thousand tonnes	3.6%	120%	7.5%	0.7
China	Cocoa	175 thousand tonnes	3.3%	134%	<0.1%	0.1
Malaysia	Coconut oil	162 thousand tonnes	5.7%	172%	37%	1.9
Russia	Cocoa	162 thousand tonnes	3%	154%	<0.1%	1.1
Spain	Cocoa	149 thousand tonnes	2.8%	264%	<0.1%	3.1
India	Cocoa	123 thousand tonnes	2.3%	90%	19%	0.1
Sri Lanka	Coconut oil	106 thousand tonnes	3.7%	81%	37%	1.9
France	Olive oil	105 thousand tonnes	3.4%	109%	3.8%	1.6
Portugal	Olive oil	82 thousand tonnes	2.7%	126%	200%	5.9
Germany	Honey	81 thousand tonnes	4.4%	80%	43%	0.9
Brazil	Olive oil	80 thousand tonnes	2.6%	100%	<0.1%	0.4
Italy	Coconut oil	67 thousand tonnes	2.3%	135%	<0.1%	—
United Kingdom	Olive oil	65 thousand tonnes	2.1%	103%	<0.1%	0.9
Germany	Olive oil	62 thousand tonnes	2%	110%	<0.1%	0.7
Spain	Coconut oil	62 thousand tonnes	2.2%	147%	<0.1%	—
United States	Pepper	58 thousand tonnes	7.7%	115%	<0.1%	0.2
United Kingdom	Honey	53 thousand tonnes	2.9%	86%	17%	0.8
France	Honey	45 thousand tonnes	2.4%	69%	40%	0.7
India	Cloves	21 thousand tonnes	11%	110%	<0.1%	0.0

Large markets that produce far more than they use

Markets with self-sufficiency of 150% or more
Country	Commodity	Domestic supply	Share of world supply	Self-sufficiency
Philippines	Coconut oil	138 thousand tonnes	4.8%	980%
Australia	Oats	482 thousand tonnes	2.3%	623%
Canada	Oats	1.8 million tonnes	8.5%	603%
Syria	Olive oil	99 thousand tonnes	3.2%	561%
Tunisia	Olive oil	70 thousand tonnes	2.3%	438%
Vietnam	Coffee	499 thousand tonnes	4.1%	391%
Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)	Cocoa	352 thousand tonnes	6.6%	363%
Brazil	Coffee	1.2 million tonnes	10%	336%
Brazil	Sugar	7.3 million tonnes	4.3%	327%
Australia	Barley	3.8 million tonnes	2.8%	314%
Malaysia	Palm oil	5.6 million tonnes	7.4%	309%
Brazil	Soybeans	59.2 million tonnes	16%	302%
France	Barley	3.6 million tonnes	2.6%	297%
Philippines	Pineapples	1.3 million tonnes	3.7%	286%
Greece	Olive oil	104 thousand tonnes	3.4%	285%
Thailand	Sugar	5.1 million tonnes	3%	274%
Brazil	Pepper	28 thousand tonnes	3.7%	270%
Vietnam	Pepper	103 thousand tonnes	14%	240%
Tanzania	Sesame seed	131 thousand tonnes	2.7%	236%
Tanzania	Cloves	4 thousand tonnes	2.1%	225%
Indonesia	Palm oil	20.3 million tonnes	27%	225%
Brazil	Oranges	7.9 million tonnes	6.3%	223%
United States	Sorghum	3.6 million tonnes	7.4%	218%
Argentina	Sunflower oil	801 thousand tonnes	3.7%	213%
Brazil	Sesame seed	130 thousand tonnes	2.7%	205%
Spain	Olive oil	493 thousand tonnes	16%	201%
Portugal	Olive oil	82 thousand tonnes	2.7%	200%
Spain	Pork	2.5 million tonnes	2.1%	192%
Russia	Sunflower oil	3.8 million tonnes	18%	180%
United States	Soybeans	67.8 million tonnes	18%	174%
Thailand	Cassava	17.7 million tonnes	5.2%	173%
Ethiopia	Coffee	324 thousand tonnes	2.7%	173%
Brazil	Corn	71.1 million tonnes	5.9%	171%
Iraq	Dates	374 thousand tonnes	3.9%	171%
Ukraine	Barley	3.3 million tonnes	2.4%	166%
Turkey (Türkiye)	Olive oil	150 thousand tonnes	4.9%	166%
Thailand	Rice	24.8 million tonnes	3.2%	160%
Canada	Canola	11.3 million tonnes	12%	160%
Russia	Wheat	49.4 million tonnes	5.9%	153%
Philippines	Bananas	3.8 million tonnes	2.9%	153%
Indonesia	Pepper	41 thousand tonnes	5.4%	152%
Finland	Oats	561 thousand tonnes	2.7%	152%
France	Wheat	18.8 million tonnes	2.2%	152%
Canada	Barley	4.1 million tonnes	3%	152%
Turkey (Türkiye)	Grapes	2.2 million tonnes	3.1%	151%
Thailand	Palm kernel oil	200 thousand tonnes	2.3%	150%
Tunisia	Dates	257 thousand tonnes	2.7%	150%

For which countries supply a given importer, see import dependency and trade flows (customs data, which can differ from FAO's balances in coverage and year). For who consumes the most, see consumption.

FAOSTAT Food Balance Sheets (2010-), CC BY 4.0. Each commodity uses its latest FBS year with domestic supply for at least 100 countries (2023 at the time of writing). Self-sufficiency and import dependency are left out for a market whose production plus imports minus exports is not positive.

More patterns

Concentration: How much of each commodity comes from one country?
Producer or exporter?: Is the biggest producer also the biggest seller abroad?
Prices in real terms: Which prices are records once inflation is removed?
Growth and decline: Whose output is rising or falling fastest?
Linked prices and seasons: Which prices move together, and which have a season?
Reserves and mining: Where are the deposits, and who digs them up?
Supply concentration: Which commodities depend on the fewest suppliers?
Land or yield?: Did output grow because farmers planted more or farmed better?
Supply shocks and prices: When world output falls, do prices rise?
Category price indices: How have energy, metals and food prices moved since 1960?
Drawdowns and volatility: How far do prices fall, and do they recover?
Stocks and prices: Are prices lower when the world holds more stock?
Which prices follow oil?: How closely does each commodity track crude oil?
How reliable is the data?: How much of world output rests on estimates?
Net exporters and importers: Who is a net seller and who a net buyer?
Country leaders: Which countries lead across the most commodities?
Export dependency: Which countries rely on one commodity?
Concentration over time: Has production spread out or narrowed?
Import dependency: Which countries buy most of a commodity from one supplier?
Supplier shifts: Who gained and lost importers' business?
Trade price against benchmark: Does traded product sell above or below the benchmark price?
Prices in other currencies: How much of a price move is the dollar?
Do prices lead each other?: Does one commodity price move before another?
Volatility over time: Are prices more volatile now than they used to be?
Seasonality: Which prices have a calendar-month pattern?
Price ratios: What does one commodity buy of another, and is that high or low?
El Niño and prices: Do El Niño and La Niña years move commodity prices?
Who consumes it: Which countries consume each commodity, and how much per person?
Trade flows: Who sells each commodity to whom?

Every figure is computed from the same tables as the commodity pages. The full set is in patterns.json, and single facts from it appear each day on the facts page.