Tobacco: Movement

How India and Zimbabwe climbed the export ranks

What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.

Exports of unmanufactured tobacco and refuse (HS 2401) were worth $12.7 billion in 2024. Brazil led with 21.8%, then India (10.8%), Zimbabwe (10.4%), the United States (8.5%) and Malawi (4.5%). Radetzki and Wårell's data put the United States second only to Brazil, so India and Zimbabwe have since moved up. China was the largest importer at 18.1%, followed by Germany (9.7%), Indonesia (8.8%) and Poland (8.0%). Germany and Poland host large cigarette factories. Landlocked Zimbabwe and Malawi ship leaf by container through Mozambican and South African ports.

Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024. Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.

Unmanufactured tobacco · HS 2401

World exports 2024 $12.7 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $10.4 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Brazil 21.8% India 10.8% Zimbabwe 10.4% United States 8.5% Malawi 4.5% China 4.1% Top importers, share of value China 18.1% Germany 9.7% Indonesia 8.8% Poland 8% United States 7.8% Turkey 5.1% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.