The global trade in cheese and curd amounted to 26,811 million USD in 2015, showing notable fluctuations over the period under review. A significant drop in 2009 was followed by recovery over the next two years, until exports slightly decreased again. Overall, there was an annual increase of +2.4% from 2007 to 2015.
According to estimates, Germany continued to dominate in the global supplies of cheese and curd. In 2015, Germany’s cheese and curd exports totaled 3,753 million USD, which accounted for a 14% share of global exports. Netherlands, France, Italy, and USA were the other key global suppliers of cheese and curd in 2015, with a 40% combined share of global exports.
USA (+17% per year) and Italy (+3.9% per year) were the fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2015.
The USA strengthened its position in the global export structure, growing its share from 2% in 2007 to 5% in 2015.
On the other hand, Germany (14%, based on value terms), the UK (7%), Italy (7%), France (6%), and USA (5%) were the leading destinations of cheese and curd imports in 2015. Imports to France grew at a quick pace of +3.8% per year from 2007 to 2015. By contrast, Italy slightly contracted its imports of cheese and curd over the same period. Every major importer saw a contraction in its share of imports over the period under review.