Taiwan - Tree NutsTaiwan - Tree Nuts
Overview
In 2018, Taiwan’s tree nuts import market experienced significant shifts in demand across all varieties. Overall import volumes continued to decline, falling ten percent to 19,741 metric tons due to slow business in the bakery sector. However, the overall value of tree nuts imports remained flat at $121 million, because an aggressive rebound in demand for pistachios and cashews partially offset the plunging import volume of walnuts and almonds. Though the market for the bakery sector is maturing, the demand for snack food processing remains positive.Tree Nuts Market Unit: USD (thousands)
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 (est.) | |
| Total Market Size | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Total Local Production | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Total Exports | $1,138 | $689 | $708 | $630 |
| Total Imports | $119,435 | $120,337 | $121,521 | $110,000 |
| Imports from the U.S. | $63,252 | $66,151 | $60,729 | $55,000 |
| Exchange Rate: USD1 | 32.28 | 29.65 | 30.59 | 30.86 |
Source: Global Trade Atlas (HS code: 0802, 080132)
Leading Sub-Sectors
Taiwan does not produce a significant quantity of tree nuts. Among the many types of imported tree nuts, almonds are considered the most versatile, with U.S. origin almonds account for approximately 20 percent of the market share by volume in 2018. A variety of almond products, such as powder, paste, and slices, are widely available in the local market and have become popular in the baking industry. In addition to baking, tree nuts have increasingly broad applications in snack food offerings.Opportunities
In Taiwan, tree nuts are mainly used for food and snack ingredients. Marketing activities play an important role in promoting consumer awareness of specific tree nut varieties, especially in the food service, food processing, and baking industries, all of which are constantly seeking new ideas for healthy products. One recent success is a health beverage that features multiple combinations of powdered tree nuts and is contained in pocket-sized packaging. Country-of-origin is a key buying criterion for Taiwan importers, as it assures consistent quality. The United States has built its image as a high-quality supplier in the nut trade.Web Resources
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) website offers the following resources for U.S. exporters:- Official data on agriculture trade for specific products and commodities
- GAIN Reports on international food and agricultural markets
- FAS services for U.S. exporters and information on USDA market development programs
- The USDA website lists current agricultural export requirements for Taiwan.
For additional information on the Taiwan market for food and agricultural products or to exhibit in the USA Pavilion at the Taipei International Food Show, please contact AIT's Agricultural Trade Office at: ATOTaipei@fas.usda.gov.
Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.