Cracking the Market: U.S. Dominance over Tree Nut Exports

The United States is the leading exporter of tree nuts in the global market, specifically almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. In marketing year 2022/23, the United States accounted for 85 percent of global almond exports, 71 percent of pistachio exports, and 42 percent of walnut exports. That year, the United States exported $8.2 billion of total tree nuts to the world of which 91 percent are almonds, pistachios, and walnuts. Tree nuts are the sixth largest agricultural export product, accounting for 5 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports.

Global importers buy U.S. tree nuts for their snacking and confectionary needs. Tree nuts contain essential fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals and are considered a healthy snack. Additionally, tree nuts are commonly used for ingredients, confectionary products, and in baked goods. The top markets for U.S. tree nuts are (1) the European Union, (2) China, (3) India, (4) Canada, and (5) Turkey. The United States faces limited competition from Australia (almonds), Iran (pistachios), and other walnut producers including China, Chile, and Ukraine.

Domestically, tree nuts add economic value to U.S. farmers. California is the largest producer of tree nuts. According to the California Department of Food & Agriculture, almonds continue to be California’s top valued agricultural export commodity, followed by dairy and pistachios. In the USDA ERS Farm Income and Wealth Statistics database, California accounted for 100 percent of total U.S. almond, pistachio, and walnut cash receipts in 2022, valued at $5.9 billion.