In this article, we discuss the 15 biggest import-export companies in the world.
International trade is one of the driving factors of the global economy. In the recent year, global trade hit a snag in 2018 due to tensions between USA and China. However, it was on its way to recovery when the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread worldwide. 2021 saw global trade recovery due to mass vaccine roll-outs and the easing of lockdown restrictions.
China was the biggest exporter in the world in 2021 with exports worth $3.36 trillion by the end of the year. It was followed by the United States with exports worth $1.75 trillion and Germany came a close third after recording exports of over $1.6 trillion. In 2020, China accounted for 14.7% of global commodity imports and 5.7% of global services exports.
In 2022, Bahrain is the world’s biggest importer with imports worth $1.33 trillion accounting for 57.3% of the global imports in October alone. It is followed by China with imports worth over $215 billion and then the USA with $191.278 billion worth of imports. In 2021, the United States was the biggest commodity importer in the world with imports worth $3.39 trillion. The top five countries including the USA, China, Germany, France, and Japan accounted for 40.73% of the global imports.
In the first nine months of 2022, the global oil and gas industry has been the biggest exporter in the world, followed by the healthcare and automotive industry.
COVID-19 Impact
The pandemic severely affected global trade due to lockdowns and supply chain disruptions. The most substantial drop was experienced by the world in the second quarter of 2020 after the global merchandise trade declined by 21% YoY. The third quarter was better with global trade experiencing a 5% YoY decline.
In 2021, global trade saw a significant recovery and hit a record of $28.5 trillion, representing a growth of 25% from 2020 and 13% from the 2019 levels.
By the end of 2022, global trade is expected to be lower than the 2021 levels.
Our Methodology
After analyzing the global trade statistics and import-export companies, we made a list of the 15 biggest import-export companies by market capitalization. Some notable names in the list include Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM), and Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM). In addition, we also listed some of the private companies in the list due to their significance in global trade and they have been listed according to their revenue generated in 2021.
Biggest Import-Export Companies in the World
15. McWane, Inc. (Private)
Revenue in 2021: $2 billion
McWane, Inc. is a privately owned manufacturer of iron water works and plumbing equipment headquartered in Alabama. The company’s products are used globally, mostly in Asia. It has close to 7000 employees and operates from 25 manufacturing locations across the globe. McWane, Inc imports a significant amount of its supplies from China and exports finished goods worldwide.
McWane, Inc. had revenues of approximately $2 billion in 2021. The company employs 6000 people, making its revenue per employee ratio $333,333.
McWane, Inc. is one of the notable import-export companies in the world, along with Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM), and Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM).
14. Koch Industries, Inc. (Private)
Revenue in 2021: $115 billion
Koch Industries, Inc. is the second largest privately held company in the United States. It is owned by the Koch family. Its products include asphalt, chemicals, commodities trading, energy, fibers, fertilizers, financial services, minerals, natural gas, plastics, petroleum, and pulp and paper. The company was America’s biggest containerized exporter of goods in 2018.
In 2021, Koch Industries, Inc.’s revenue was approximately $115 billion. The company has over 100,000 employees as of 2021.
13. Cargill Incorporated (Private)
Revenue in 2021: $134.4 billion
Cargill Incorporated is a privately held American company that is owned by the Cargill family. The company’s main businesses include the trade of agricultural products, energy and steel transport, and the production of livestock feed.
Cargill Incorporated’s business model depends highly on imports and exports. The company imports a huge range of products from Argentina and imports palm oil and palm oil products from Malaysia and Indonesia into Pakistan. The company also buys raw cotton from Pakistan and sends it to China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In 2021, Cargill Incorporated reported revenues of $134.4 billion, making it one of the world’s biggest companies by revenue.
12. Gunvor Group Ltd (Private)
Revenue in 2021: $135 billion
Gunvor Group Ltd is a privately-held Swiss commodity trading company. The company primarily focuses on energy and raw materials trading. Moreover, it is one of the largest crude oil traders in the world. One of Gunvor Group Ltd’s major exports is Russian crude oil.
At the end of 2021, Gunvor Group Ltd posted revenues of $135 billion registering a 170% YoY growth. The gross profit for the year was recorded at $1.55 billion and the net profit was $726 million compared to $320 million in 2020.
11. Vitol (Private)
Revenue in 2021: $279 billion
Vitol is a swiss multinational company that operates in 40 countries. Its primary businesses include energy, commodity trading, logistics, and distribution. It is also involved in power generation and retail. The company is heavily invested in the global import/export of crude oil with over 250 super tankers and vessels that ship more than 350 million tonnes of crude oil per year. Moreover, Vitol also trades coal, natural gas, ethanol, base oils, methanol, gasoline, LNG, LPG, naphtha, and bitumen.
Vitol is the largest private energy trader in the world and reported revenues of $279 billion in 2021. On November 17, it announced the acquisition of Vortex Energy from VH Invest, a renewable energy company in Poland. On top of that, the company halted grain trading in 2016 but is planning to resume it again due to volatility in the segment caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
10. Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)
Market Cap as of November 30: $11.233 billion
Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) is an American chemical and advanced materials company. It is the world’s largest producer of acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer and represent’s 25% of the global production of acetic acid. The company is one of the world’s most significant exporters with 25 production plants and six research centers across 11 countries. Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) serves customers globally.
In the last 23 months, Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) made two significant acquisitions. The first one was Santoprene from Exxon Mobil for $1.15 billion in 2021, acquiring Santoprene®, Dytron™, and Geolast™ as part of the deal. Later in February 2022, Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) agreed to acquire DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (NYSE:DD)’s mobility and material business for $11 billion. The company expects revenue and cost synergies of up to US$450 million from both deals in the next 4 years.
On November 10, Deutsche Bank analyst David Begleiter maintained a Buy rating on Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)’s and lowered his price target to $105 from $110 after the company’s Q3 results.
Here is what Vltava Fund had to say about Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) in its Q1 2022 investor letter:
“We then used the money freed up to, among other things, open three new positions. The stock price declines during the Russian invasion brought a lot of good prices to the market. Out of all the possibilities we considered, we picked the stocks of Celanese (CE).
Celanese is the world’s largest producer of acetic acid and its chemical derivatives, including vinyl acetate monomers and emulsions. Their applications are used in a wide range of industries, such as automotive tobacco, coatings, construction, energy, telecommunications, food, and medical. Celanese recently closed the acquisition of a large part of DuPont’s business, which will make Celanese an even bigger player in the industry while reducing the cyclicality of it business. The acquisition is quite large and should deliver significant value to shareholders that in our view is not at all presently reflected in the share price. Celanese is a business that stands more or less aside from the main interests of most investors, but it is a company with very high returns on capital, strong free cash flow, and historically very efficient resource allocation.”
9. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW)
Market Cap as of November 30: $12.5 billion
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) is a food processing company that mainly focuses on potato products. It is an Idaho-based company that sells its products locally and also exports them globally. The United States is one of the most notable potato and potato product exporters in the world.
According to our database, 42 hedge funds had a stake in Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) worth over $1.5 billion in Q3 2022, compared to 35 hedge funds with a combined value of $1.1 billion in Q2. In the third quarter, Anomaly Capital Management owned over 2.7 million shares of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) making it the most prominent stakeholder in the company.
In early October, JPMorgan analyst Thomas Palmer reaffirmed an Overweight rating on Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW)’s shares and raised his price target to $101 from $98. Palmer noted that the company reported “another low maintenance” quarter and is on its way to recovery.
Carillon Tower Advisers made the following comment about Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:
“Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) supplies frozen potato products globally to the restaurant and food retail industries. Just as demand began to recover from pandemic shutdowns last year, an unusually small potato harvest exacerbated an inflationary cost environment. Pricing actions have been effective in recent quarters, driving margin recovery and boosting earnings.”
8. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY)
Market Cap as of November 30: $23.847 billion
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is an American e-commerce company. It has operations in 32 countries. The company operates an online auction platform that allows sellers to list their items and sell them worldwide. eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is technically an exporter because the sellers on the website can choose to deliver their products globally.
On November 15, MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Morton initiated coverage of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) with a Market Perform rating and a $44 price target. The analyst does not believe in the bear case of e-commerce penetration and says that e-commerce growth will continue.
In the third quarter of 2022, 42 hedge funds kept a piece of eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) in their portfolio. D E Shaw increased its holdings in the company by 25% and was the biggest stakeholder in the company.
Here is what Smead Capital Management had to say about eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:
“Two things are very noticeable right off the top. First, sometimes you have to be happy losing less in a bear market environment so that you have more of your capital to grow in the next bull market. We are never really happy losing money. Second, 2022 is likely to be our third year of existence as a fund to lose money for the year. This year would join 2008 and 2018 in this undistinguished category. Our biggest detractors was dominated by eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY). Consumer/investor fears about media and e-commerce hit WBD and EBAY and profit taking in Amgen came from early 2022 strength.”
7. Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE)
Market Cap as of November 30: $38.47 billion
Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) is the largest steel producer in the United States. It is the 14th biggest steel producer in the world and also the largest recycler of scrap metal in North America. In 2019, the United States exported 7.1 million metric tonnes of steel and Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) was one of the biggest exporters in the country.
Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) posted an EPS of $6.50 for the third quarter of 2022, missing the estimates by 21 cents. Furthermore, the revenue declined by 11% QoQ to $10.5 billion, outperforming the estimates by $70 million. By the end of the September quarter, Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) had $3.51 billion in cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, and restricted cash and cash equivalents. The company also has an unused revolving credit facility of $1.75 billion, which is set to expire in 2026.
Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) has been increasing its dividend for 49 consecutive years. As of November 30, the company’s dividend yield is 1.33%. Its latest quarterly dividend of $0.50 was paid out on November 10 to the shareholders of record on September 30.
6. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC)
Market Cap as of November 30: $41.56 billion
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) is a Japanese automobile, motorcycle, and power equipment manufacturer. It is the world’s largest producer of internal combustion engines (ICE) and motorcycles. It became the first company to become a net exporter from the US in 2013.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) exports vehicles worldwide, although it is also an importer. The company uses a lot of locally manufactured parts in the US and Japan. Nevertheless, according to the management, it procures parts from all over the world whenever needed.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) has depended on the sale of ICEs for a long time and has recently joined the race toward electrification. On March 4, the company partnered with Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY) establishing Sony Honda Mobility Inc. for the manufacture of EVs. Moreover, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) also announced the US production of fuel cell EVs in 2024.
Just like Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM), and Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) is also one of the significant global traders.
5. McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK)
Market Cap as of November 30: $53.406 billion
McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) is an American healthcare company. The company provides health information technology, medical supplies, and care management tools and almost 33% of all pharmaceuticals that are sold in North America. The company exports its products worldwide. McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) was founded in 1828 and started as an importer and supplier of botanical drugs.
In the third quarter of 2022, hedge funds showed a positive sentiment toward McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK). 51 hedge funds had a stake in the company in Q3 2022, compared to 47 in the previous quarter.
Here is what Baron Funds specifically said about McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) in its Q3 2022 investor letter:
“McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) is a leading distributor of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. The company also provides prescription technology solutions that connect pharmacies, providers, payers, and biopharmaceutical customers. The stock price rose on solid financial results as its business is less exposed to current macroeconomic headwinds. We continue to have conviction that McKesson can grow earnings per share by an average of 12% to 14% annually and think the stock is still reasonably valued.”
4. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM)
Market Cap as of November 30: $53.56 billion
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) is an Illinois-based food processing and commodity trading company. The company is a major import/export company among US companies. It imported/exported 50.75 billion kg worth of products globally in 2021.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) is a dividend stock that has increased its dividend for the last 49 years. Moreover, the company’s dividend has almost doubled in the last decade and grown at a CAGR of 5% in the last three years. It has a dividend yield of 1.69% as of November 30 with an annualized dividend of $1.60. By looking at the company’s dividend history, it is safe to say that the company will be declaring a dividend raise in its next quarter.
On October 26, Baird analyst Ben Kallo reaffirmed an Outperform rating on Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM)’s shares. Kallo mentioned that the company is adding value to shareholders through share buybacks and strategic mergers & acquisitions.
Here is what Diamond Hill Capital had to say about Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) in its Q1 2022 investor letter:
“ADM is a leading agricultural processor that also operates a global nutrition business focused on the development of ingredients and flavors for food and beverages, supplements, and more. The company’s recent operating results have benefited (unfortunately) from the war in Ukraine as grain prices and agricultural markets globally experienced strong price increases. ADM is positioned well to benefit from the volatility due to its stable North American agricultural base.”
3. QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)
Market Cap as of November 30: $141.8 billion
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is an American multinational semiconductor and telecom equipment company. It has also partnered with a few automotive giants to capture the market of up and coming autonomous vehicle industry. QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is one of the biggest chipset makers in the world and its chips are exported globally, especially for the assembly of Android phones.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is fast becoming the global leader in the 5G IoT market. The company’s 5G baseband market share is racing upwards at a substantial pace which was 29% in Q2 2020 and crossed over 76% in 2021. Furthermore, Renault and Mercedes have partnered with QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) for advanced automotive solutions in the autonomous vehicle industry with the use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon® Digital Chassis™.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) was favored significantly by hedge funds in the third quarter of 2022. 80 of the 920 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey had a stake in the company in Q3, compared to 71 in the previous quarter. Matrix Capital Management owned over 3.3 million shares of the company in the third quarter making it the most notable stakeholder in the company.
Here is what ClearBridge Investments had to say about QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) in its Q4 2021 investor letter:
“Market strength continued in the fourth quarter, with only the communication services sector down in the Russell 1000 Value Index. Portfolio returns benefited from the strong performance of semiconductor maker Qualcomm, which has executed exceptionally well in pursuing the transition to 5G, growing both content and share due to its leadership position in cellular technology. The chipmaker recently outlined a number of peripheral growth opportunities outside of mobile markets, including automotive (where it hopes to leverage its strong presence in the automotive infotainment space into advanced driver assistance systems), Internet of Things (including opportunities in the PC market, VR/AR market, and factory automation) and radio frequency (where mmWave adoption globally, including China, would drive substantial upside).”
2. Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM)
Market Cap as of November 30: $201.513 billion
Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world. It is headquartered in Aichi, Japan, and produces approximately 10 million vehicles per year. The company is a global exporter and from January to July 2022, the company exported 968,845 units. In addition, Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) also imports parts for vehicle production. According to the management, 60% of the car components used in US production are locally made and the rest are imported from abroad. In comparison, only 1% to 2% of the parts used in Japan are imported.
Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) is a dividend stock with a yield of 2.39% as of November 30. The company pays dividends semi-annually with the next payout date coming on December 2, 2022.
In Q3, Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) was a part of 12 hedge fund portfolios, in line with the previous quarter. Fisher Asset Management was the largest stakeholder in the company and increased its activity in the company by 3% in the third quarter. Moreover, Renaissance Technologies was the second largest stakeholder in the company after increasing its holdings in Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) by 100%.
Here is what Baron Funds has to say about Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) in its Q1 2022 investor letter:
“Toyota’s (NYSE:TM) “kaizen” manufacturing philosophy is based on improving manufacturing by using “just in time” processes to eliminate waste and reduce inventory carrying costs. Clearly the company does not contemplates disruptive change that will dramatically lower costs and improve quality.”
1. Saudi Arabian Oil Company (TADAWUL:2222.SR)
Market Cap as of November 30: $7.29 trillion
Saudi Arabian Oil Company (TADAWUL:2222.SR) or Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest company by market capitalization. Its market cap surpassed Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) on May 11, 2022. The company is the largest oil producer and exporter in the world. In 2021, Saudi Arabian Oil Company (TADAWUL:2222.SR) produced around 9.2 million barrels per day.
On November 30, Saudi Arabia’s energy minister announced that Saudi Arabian Oil Company (TADAWUL:2222.SR) has discovered two new natural gas fields, Awtad and AlDahna. Per day, 10 million standard cubic feet of gas flow from the Awtad-108001 well and 16.9 million standard cubic feet from Awtad-100921.
In its 2021 financial report, Saudi Arabian Oil Company (TADAWUL:2222.SR) said that the company intends to become the global leader in Carbon Capture and Storage and is working to develop a substantial hydrogen export capability. On November 11, the company signed a joint development agreement with SLB and Linde to build a carbon capture and storage hub.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Biggest Import-Export Companies in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
