Spain Dominates Global Citrus Exports

By Raulin Cadet | Published March 19, 2024 | Updated March 20, 2024 | Topics: Trade, Spain, Exports, Citrus fruits

The global citrus fruit exports is an important part of agricultural products trade, especially for some countries. In this article, I consider the top ten exporters of citrus fruits (fresh or dried).

Definition: Citrus fruits are a diverse group of fruits belonging to the Rutaceae family, known for their juicy pulp. Fresh citrus fruits include oranges, mandarins, clementin, lemons, grapefruits, and tangerines etc. Regarding dried citrus fruits, they are produced by dehydrating fresh citrus fruits, resulting in products like dried orange slices or candied citrus peels.

The graphic in this article illustrates that Spain's exports of citrus fruits have the highest value among the exporters of this group of fruits. There is a significant gap between Spain's exports and those of the other top exporters of citrus fruits. Spain is followed by South Africa and China. In 2023, the value of citrus fruits exported by Spain was about US $3.8 billion. The production of citrus fruits in Spain benefits from a low-humidity climate, as highlighted by Steve Futch and Ariel Singerman in a publication for Citrus Industry Magazine (July 3, 2018). The production is so significant that 20% is consumed in the internal market (Ref).

It's a pleasure for me to share with you these quotes:

"Never underestimate the power of freshly squeezed orange juice." 

― Wayne Gerard Trotman

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  

— Often attributed to Dale Carnegie or to Elbert Hubbard