Toilet paper (Pixabay)

Worldwide, total exports of toilet paper for all countries generated US$5.1 billion worth of international sales in 2024.

That dollar amount results from an average 14.5% gain from $4.44 billion five years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, global spending on exported toilet paper flatlined via a 0.9% increase compared to $5 billion during 2023.

The 5 biggest exporters of toilet paper are mainland China, Germany, Canada, Poland and Italy. Combined, that quintet of major international suppliers sold about two-fifths (39.8%) of the world’s exported toilet paper in 2024.

Adopting a continental perspective, European countries accounted for the highest dollar worth of exported toilet paper during 2024 with shipments valued at $2.91 billion or 57.3% of the world’s total. In second place were exporters in Asia at 21% while another 12.3% of international toilet paper shipments originated from North America.

Smaller amounts came from suppliers Latin America (7.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.3%), then Oceania (0.3%) led by New Zealand and Australia.

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for toilet paper in rolls is 481810.

Below are the 25 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of toilet paper in rolls during 2024.

1. mainland China: US$727.6 million (14.3% of toilet paper exports)
2. Germany: $395 million (7.8%)
3. Canada: $329.3 million (6.5%)
4. Poland: $314.3 million (6.2%)
5. Italy: $254.7 million (5%)
6. France: $252.4 million (5%)
7. Sweden: $230 million (4.5%)
8. United States: $220 million (4.3%)
9. Portugal: $217.1 million (4.3%)
10. Spain: $175.8 million (3.5%)
11. Austria: $162 million (3.2%)
12. El Salvador: $160.7 million (3.2%)
13. United Kingdom: $135.8 million (2.7%)
14. Belgium: $127.2 million (2.5%)
15. Guatemala: $108.7 million (2.1%)
16. Slovakia: $104.7 million (2.1%)
17. Netherlands: $94.6 million (1.9%)
18. Türkiye: $86.5 million (1.7%)
19. Mexico: $77.7 million (1.5%)
20. Slovenia: $73.7 million (1.5%)
21. Indonesia: $63.8 million (1.3%)
22. Malaysia: $54.6 million (1.1%)
23. Serbia: $51.6 million (1%)
24. South Africa: $50.1 million (1%)
25. Jordan: $47.2 million (0.9%)

Countries Earning Greatest Trade Surpluses from Toilet Paper

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for toilet paper in rolls during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported toilet paper and its import purchases for that same commodity.

1. mainland China: US$724 million (net export surplus down -1.4% since 2023)
2. Poland: $267 million (up 5.9%)
3. Italy: $234 million (down -6.2%)
4. Sweden: $167 million (down -6.5%)
5. Portugal: $163.2 million (up 47%)
6. El Salvador: $132.4 million (down -14.8%)
7. Canada: $122.2 million (up 51.9%)
8. Spain: $92.2 million (up 47.4%)
9. Türkiye: $84.9 million (down -13%)
10. Slovakia: $78.4 million (up 12.1%)
11. Mexico: $69.5 million (down -19.8%)
12. United Kingdom: $64 million (down -14.5%)
13. Indonesia: $63.7 million (up 26.1%)
14. South Africa: $49.1 million (down -3.4%)
15. Slovenia: $47.7 million (up 33.5%)

The People’s Republic of China profited with the highest surplus in the international trade of toilet paper. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms mainland China’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.

Countries Facing Worst Trade Deficits from Toilet Paper

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for toilet paper in rolls during 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported toilet paper purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

1. United States: -US$289.7 million (net export deficit up 50.3% since 2023)
2. Netherlands: -$248 million (up 5.2%)
3. Hong Kong: -$130.9 million (down -5.6%)
4. Denmark: -$125.4 million (down -12.3%)
5. Ireland: -$120.7 million (down -6.8%)
6. Australia: -$105.9 million (up 28.8%)
7. Norway: -$102.8 million (down -5.4%)
8. Czech Republic: -$100.3 million (down -5.8%)
9. Switzerland: -$97.9 million (up 8.5%)
10. Costa Rica: -$94 million (down -7.3%)
11. Honduras: -$70 million (down -13.1%)
12. Nicaragua: -$56 million (down -15.5%)
13. Saudi Arabia: -$52.5 million (down -10.8%)
14. Hungary: -$50.6 million (up 261.9%)
15. Germany: -$47.3 million (up 36.3%)

The United States of America and the Netherlands incurred the highest deficits in the international trade of toilet paper. In turn, these negative cashflows highlight both countries’ competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signal opportunities for toilet paper-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.

Toilet Paper Exporting Companies

Below are companies in China or the United States that represent established players engaged in the international trade of toilet paper and other sanitary tissue products. Their home country is shown within parenthesis.

• Changchun Hongli Paper Co., Ltd (China)
• Chongqing Donsea Paper Co., Ltd (China)
• Georgia-Pacific (United States)
• Kimberly Clark (United States)
• Lianyungang Huide Trading Co., Ltd (China)
• Procter & Gamble (United States)
• Scott Paper Company (United States)
• Shanghai Clean Paper Co., Ltd (China)
• Shenzhen Telling Commodity Co., Ltd (China)
• Yiwu HLD Commodity Manufactory Co., Ltd (China)