🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates imports of cheese: 2024 trade data
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates imported cheese worth $447.3 million (73.5 thousand tonnes). Its share of world imports was 1%. That is 8% less than in 2023. Over 2017-2024 the trade grew strongly, by about 12% a year on average.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of cheese by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $447.3M | 73.5K t |
| 2023 | $487.1M | 89.7K t |
| 2022 | $442.6M | 87.7K t |
| 2021 | $351.7M | 74.0K t |
| 2020 | $324.0M | 69.4K t |
| 2019 | $352.1M | 75.0K t |
| 2018 | $350.3M | 71.4K t |
| 2017 | $202.6M | 38.3K t |
Where the United Arab Emirates imports cheese from
The largest suppliers were Saudi Arabia (24%), Bahrain (16%), United Kingdom (7%). Trade is spread widely: the top three suppliers together make up only 46%. Among the main suppliers, United Kingdom grew fastest (+67% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $105.5M | 24% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $70.5M | 16% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $29.8M | 6.7% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $29.2M | 6.5% |
| 🇫🇷 France | $25.2M | 5.6% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $21.4M | 4.8% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $17.8M | 4% |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | $16.8M | 3.8% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $16.8M | 3.8% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $12.5M | 2.8% |
Types of cheese under HS 0406
| 0406.30 | Dairy produce: cheese, processed (not grated or powdered) | 36% |
| 0406.90 | Dairy produce: cheese (not grated, powdered or processed), n.e.c. in heading no. 0406 | 35% |
| 0406.10 | Dairy produce: fresh cheese (including whey cheese), not fermented, and curd | 16% |
| 0406.20 | Dairy produce: cheese of all kinds, grated or powdered | 13% |
| 0406.40 | Dairy produce: cheese, blue-veined and other cheese containing veins produced by Penicillium roqueforti (not grated, powdered or processed) | 0.4% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 0406.
Average import price of cheese
The average declared value was about $6.09 per kg, close to the world average of $5.48.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Arab Emirates also exports cheese
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates exported cheese worth $26.4 million (7.4 thousand tonnes). The largest buyer markets were Saudi Arabia (47%), Kuwait (25%), Seychelles (11%). Among the main buyer markets, Bahrain grew fastest (+134% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $12.4M | 47% |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $6.6M | 25% |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | $2.9M | 11% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $2.1M | 8.1% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $1.2M | 4.7% |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | $245K | 0.9% |
| 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | $218K | 0.8% |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | $151K | 0.6% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $92K | 0.4% |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritius | $78K | 0.3% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Arab Emirates?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Mirror data: built from the shipment records of the countries that trade with it.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 0406: Cheese and curd.
Cheese trade in the United Arab Emirates: questions
What is the value of cheese imported by the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates imported cheese worth $447.3 million in 2024 (73.5 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Arab Emirates import cheese from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Saudi Arabia (24%), Bahrain (16%), United Kingdom (7%).
What is the average import price of cheese in the United Arab Emirates?
The average declared import value was about $6.09 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $5.48 per kg.
Does the United Arab Emirates export cheese?
Yes. The United Arab Emirates exported cheese worth $26.4 million in 2024, mainly to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Seychelles.
What is the HS code for cheese?
Cheese falls under HS heading 0406 (Cheese and curd). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading cheese with the United Arab Emirates?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX builds the United Arab Emirates trade from the records of its trading partners, updated weekly, so you can see who ships this product there.
Cheese trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Arab Emirates
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