Tomatoes are one of the most popular and widely cultivated fruits/vegetables in the world and hold a significant position in global vegetable trade. In 2021, the top five tomato-producing countries were China (67.64 million tons), India (21.18 million tons), Turkey (13.10 million tons), the United States (10.48 million tons), and Italy (6.65 million tons), accounting for a CR5 share of 63%. From 2010 to 2021, global tomato production increased from 150 million tons to 190 million tons, with a CAGR of 1.9%. In China, tomato production grew from about 47 million tons to approximately 68 million tons, with a CAGR of 3.4%, making it the largest tomato-producing country globally.
Due to the perishable nature of fresh tomatoes and the high cost of long-distance transportation, the majority of tomato trade occurs in processed forms. In 2021, global tomato trade exceeded 8 million tons and was highly regionalized. For example, the United States imports a significant portion of its tomatoes from Mexico and Canada, while the European Union primarily consumes domestically produced tomatoes. Approximately one-fourth of fresh tomatoes globally are used for downstream processing, making tomatoes the largest vegetable category in terms of processing volume. According to the World Processing Tomato Council (WPTC), global processed tomato production in 2021 reached 39.18 million tons, with the top five producers being the United States (10.22 million tons), Italy (6.06 million tons), China (4.80 million tons), Spain (3.19 million tons), and Turkey (2.20 million tons), accounting for a CR5 share of 68%.
China and Italy are the major exporting countries for tomato sauce, while Western Europe and the Middle East are the primary import regions. Over the past decade, global tomato product trade has shown stable growth, except for a significant reduction in production in major processing tomato-producing countries in 2022. Tomato products include tomato paste, sauces and ketchup, and canned tomatoes. Tomato paste is the largest traded category, with China being the largest exporter. The United States and the Netherlands are the largest exporters of tomato sauces, while Italy is the largest exporter of canned tomatoes. In international trade discussions, the term "tomato sauce" refers to tomato paste. In 2022, the top five tomato sauce-exporting countries were China (23%), Italy (22%), Spain (12%), the United States (9%), and Turkey (8%), with a CR5 share of 74%. The top five tomato sauce-importing regions were Western Europe (31%), the Middle East (13%), West Africa (9%), the Far East (9%), and non-EU European countries (8%), indicating a high concentration of trade flows.
