Bamboo production data are not available at the global level. Individual producer countries publish some production data, but both the product classification and the units of measure vary, making it hard to compare the data. For instance, Japan publishes bamboo wood and bamboo shoots production data, which in 2016 amounted to 1 272.2 thousand bundles and 35 618.8 tonnes respectively. China’s statistical yearbook publishes the data for dry bamboo shoots, which in 2017 were 858 083 tonnes. Philippine forestry statistics report on bamboo poles as one of the main non-wood forest products and provide comprehensive figure about production, export and prices.

Bamboo is traded in several different forms, and international trade data is available in a great level of data according to the Harmonized System (HS) Nomenclature that is a system primarily and universally used for determining customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. The underlying principle of the classification requires that the HS enables customs officers to classify commodities into unambiguous categories based on objective criteria. The main criteria used were classification according to raw or basic material; degree of processing; function; and economics activities.

Within such framework bamboo and the products fall under 8 different chapters, depending on the kind and level of manufacturing. Several subheadings cover the whole scope of bamboo products, including bamboo as a food product, bamboo as plaiting material and industrialized bamboo. For the purpose of this brief, subheadings that are mixed with products that are not bamboo have been dropped from the analysis to avoid overestimation*.

Figure 2. Global bamboo exports value (%) by category. 2018. (Data source: Trademap.org.)

* Bamboo classified under HS chapter 7 could not be included, as well as bamboo under one subheading of HS chapter 20.

The total value of exports of bamboo in 2018 amounted to 2.9 billion USD. Figure 2 shows its distribution among these chapters.

• Bamboo in the Chapter of wood, bamboo and articles thereof

Bamboo products of this chapter are by far the most exported items, accounting for 65% of the global value of exports, although other articles such as kitchenware, tableware, various sticks (circle, bars and popsicles) and others account for most of this trade (Figure 2). The chapter includes specifically:

1. Bamboo charcoal (4402.10)
2. Bamboo wood (4409.21)
3. Bamboo panels (4412.10)
4. Builders’ articles of bamboo (4418.73, 4418,91)
5. Tableware and kitchenware of bamboo (4419.11, 4419.12, 4419.19)
6. Other articles of bamboo (4421.91)

• Bamboo in the Chapter of Manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork

Bamboo products included here account for 13% of global value of exports. The chapter specifies:

1. Mats, matting and screens of bamboo (4601.21)
2. Bamboo plaits and other products of bamboo plaiting material (4601.92)
3. Basketwork, wickerwork and other articles made directly to shape from bamboo plaiting material or from goods under heading 4601.21 (4602.11)

• Bamboo in the Chapter of preparation of vegetables, fruits, nuts or other parts of plants

This chapter includes one bamboo products, the preserved/prepared bamboo shoots that account for 12% of the global value of exports and specifically it refers to:

1. Bamboo shoots prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen (2005.91)

• Bamboo in the Chapter of manufactured articles

Bamboo products of this chapter are divided by:

1. Seats of bamboo (9401.52)
2. Other furniture or parts thereof of bamboo (9403.82)

Overall accounting for 6% of global bamboo exports.

• Bamboo in the chapter of Vegetable plaiting materials

Bamboo included here account for the 3% of global bamboo exports and is simply defined as:

1. Bamboo as plating material (140110)

• Bamboo in the chapters of Pulp and papers

Bamboo included in these chapters account for the residual 1% of total exports and refer to:

1. Pulps of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) bamboo paper or paperboards (4706.30)
2. Trays, dishes, plates, cups and the likes of bamboo paper and paperboard (4823.61)
   

It is worth noting that some countries, given their internal monitoring purposes, developed more detailed categories than those available in the international nomenclature. This is for instance the case of China, Japan and South Korea,  where bamboo as food products has such importance that could be analysed in a greater detail than the prepared/preserved form (fresh, in brine or dried); similarly, Hong Kong custom tariff instead, enable to focus on bamboo as plaiting material further specifying the item Bamboo as plating material (140110) into Bamboo canes (14011010), Bamboo splits (14011020) and Bamboo canes (140130). Such countries refinements, although allowing for targeted analyses, are beyond the scope of this reporting which aim is to provide the picture of the global level of trade and it is believed that the data of seventeen items above described as presented in the HS chapters fulfil the scope.

At country level, the top 5 bamboo exporters in terms of value in 2018 were China (over 2000 million USD), Canada (over 150 million), the Netherlands (over 80 million), Viet Nam (over 70 million) and India (over 60 million).

Figure 4 – Top five countries exports value of bamboo products, 1000 USD Year 2018. (Data source: Trademap.org).

As figure 4 shows, China’s is by far the largest exporter, with most of the value concentrated in particular circle sticks/bars, popsicle sticks, spatula and the like (442191) - followed by bamboo shoots (200591) and plaited bamboo articles (chapter 46). China exports at item level are in the figure below. Although out of scope here, it is worth notice again that greater in-depth analysis of China exports could be figured out once detailed custom data are analysed. For instance, when looking at bamboo as a food source, it would be possible to account for additional trade of bamboo shoots as fresh, chilled, in brine or dried which exports amounted to almost 30 million USD in 2019. Similarly, it is possible to understand the details of trade of the different kind of plywood of bamboo according to thickness and sheets.

Figure 5. China exports of bamboo products, 1000 USD. Year 2018.

For other top exporting countries, articles of bamboo represent a large part of exports as well, except for Viet Nam where plaited bamboo articles play a significant role accounting for 60% of the overall Viet Nam bamboo exports. Also to notice the relevance of bamboo products for non-resource countries such as Canada and Netherlands.

The top five importers of bamboo are shown in Table 1. In 2018, the US imported bamboo and bamboo products for a total of over 1000 million USD, followed by Japan (over 300 million), the Netherlands (180 million), France (130 million) and Germany (120 million). The top five importers mostly import chapter 44 bamboo products, except for Japan that also imports a significant amount of bamboo shoots.

Reference classifications used for this brief are the Central Product Classification (CPC 2.1) and the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS 2017). 

CPC 2.1

Bamboo products are classified in several subclasses under three sections: Section 0 “Agriculture, forestry and fishery products”; section 2 “Food products, beverages and tobacco; textiles, apparel and leather products” and Section 3 “Other transportable goods”.

Section	0	Agriculture, forestry and fishery products
Division	01	Products of agriculture, horticulture and market gardening
Group	012	Vegetables
Class	0129	Vegetables, fresh, n.e.c.
Subclass	01290	Vegetables, fresh, n.e.c.
Division	03	Forestry and logging products
Group	032	Non-wood forest products
Class	0325	Vegetable materials of a kind used primarily for plaiting or as stuffing and padding; raw vegetable materials of a kind used primarily for dyeing or tanning; vegetable products n.e.c.
Subclass	03250	Vegetable materials of a kind used primarily for plaiting or as stuffing and padding; raw vegetable materials of a kind used primarily for dyeing or tanning; vegetable products n.e.c.
Section	2	Food products, beverages and tobacco; textiles, apparel and leather products
Division	21	Meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, oils and fats
Group	213	Prepared and preserved vegetables, pulses and potatoes
Class	2131	Frozen vegetables, pulses and potatoes
Subclass	21319	Other vegetables and pulses, frozen
Class	2133	Vegetables provisionally preserved
Subclass	21330	Vegetables provisionally preserved
Class	2139	Other prepared and preserved vegetables, pulses and potatoes
Subclass	21393	Dried potatoes and other dried vegetables
Subclass	21399	Other vegetables and pulses, preserved other than by vinegar, avìcetic acid or sugar, n.e.c Includes: [...] bamboo shoots [...]
Subclass	21340	Vegetables, pulses and potatoes, preserved by vinegar or acetic acid Includes: [...] bamboo shoots [...]
Section	3	Other transportable goods, except metal products, machinery and equipemnt
Division	31	Products of wood, cork, straw and plaiting materials
Group	312	Wood continuously shaped along any of its edges or faces; wood wool; wood flour; wood in chips or particles
Class	3121	Wood continuously shaped along any of its edges or faces (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled, and beading and mouldings)
Subclass	31212	Wood continuously shaped along any of its edges or faces (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled, and beading and mouldings) of bamboo
Group	314	Boards and panels
Class	3145	Plywood, veneer panels and similar laminated wood of bamboo
Subclass	31450	Plywood, veneer panels and similar laminated wood of bamboo
Group	319	Other products of wood; articles of cork, plaiting materials and straw
Class	3192	Articles of cork and straw or other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork
Subclass	31923	Manufactures of straw, of esparto o of other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork
Division	32	Pulp, paper and paper products; printed matter and related articles
Group		Pulp, paper and paperboard
Class	3122	Pulps of wood or other fibrous cellulosic material
Subclass	32113	Mechanical wood pulp; semi-chemical wood pulp; pulps of fibrous cellulosic materials other than wood
Class	3219	Other paper and paperboard products
Subclass	32199	Other paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding and webs of cellulose fibres, cut to size or shape; cigarette paper, in booklets or tubes, or in rolls of a width not exceeding 5 cm; other articles of paper pulp, paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres
Division	34	Basic chemicals
Group	345	Miscellaneous basic chemical products
Class	3451	Wood charcoal
Subclass	34510	Wood charcoal (includes bamboo)
Division	38	Furniture; other transportable goods, n.e.c.
Group	381	Furniture
Class	3811	Seats
Subclass	38112	Seats, primarily with wooden frames (includes bamboo)
Class	3814	Other furniture, n.e.c.
Subclass	38140	Other furniture, n.e.c. (includes bamboo)

 

Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS 2017)

The HS classifies bamboo products in eight different chapters. Chapter 7, 14 and 20 refer to bamboo as a food products, while chapters 44, 46, 47, 48 and  94 cover industrialized bamboo.

Bamboo as a food product

Chapter	7	Edible vegetables and certain roots and vegetables
Heading	07.09	Other vegetables, fresh or chilled
Subheading	07.09	Other The vegetables of this heading include [...] bamboo shoots [..]
Heading	07.10	Other vegetables (uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water), frozen
Subheading	0710.80	Other vegetables
Heading	07.11	Vegetables provisionally preserved (for example by sulphur dioxide gas, in brine, in sulphur water or in other preservative solutions), but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption.
Subheading	0711.90	Other vegetables, mixtures of vegetables.
Heading	07.12	Dried vegetables, whole, cut, sliced, broken or in powder, but not further prepared.
Subheading	0712.90	Other vegetables, mixtures of vegetables.
Chapter	14	Vegetable plaiting materials; vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included
Heading	14.01	Vegetable materials of a kind used primarily for plaiting (for example, bamboos, rattans, reeds, rushes, osier, raffia, cleaned, bleached or dyed cereal straw, and lime bark)
Subheading	1401.10	Bamboos
Chapter	20	Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants
Heading	20.01	Vegetables, fruits, nuts and other edible parts of plants, prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid
Subheading	2001.90	Other The heading covers only those products of Chapter 7
Heading	20.05	Other vegetables prepared or preserved otherwise than by vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen, other than products of heading 20.06
Subheading	2005.91	Bamboo shoots

 

Industrialized bamboo

Chapter	44	Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal
Heading	44.02	Wood charcoal (including shell or nut charcoal), whether or not agglomerated
Subheading	4402.10	Of bamboo
Heading	44.09	Wood (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled) continuously shaped (tongued, grooved, rebated, chamfered, V-jointed, beaded, moulded, rounded or the like) along any of its edges, ends or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed.
Subheading	4409.21	(Non-coniferous) Of bamboo
Heading	44.12	Plywood, veneered panels and similar laminated wood
Subheading	4412.10	Of bamboo
Heading	44.18	Builders’ joinery and carpentry of wood, including cellular wood panels, assembled flooring panels, shingles and shakes
		- Assembled flooring panels
Subheading	4418.73	-- Of bamboo or with at least the top layer (wear layer) of bamboo
		- Other
Subheading	4418.91	-- Of bamboo
Heading	44.19	Tableware and kitchenware, of wood
		- Of bamboo
Subheading	4419.11	-- Bread and boards, chopping boards and similar boards
Subheading	4419.12	-- Chopsticks
Subheading	4419.19	-- Other
Heading	44.21	Other articles of wood
		- Other
Subheading	4421.91	-- Of bamboo
Chapter	46	Manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork
Heading	46.01	Plaits and similar products of plaiting materials, whether or not assembled into strips; plaiting materials, plaits and similar products of plaiting materials, bound together in parallel strands or woven, in sheet form, whether or not being finished aricles (for example, mats, matting, screens)
		- Mats, matting and screens of vegetable materials
Subheading	4601.21	-- Of bamboo
Heading	46.02	Basketwork, wickerwork, and other articles, made directly to shape from plaiting materials or made op from goods of heading 46.01; articles of loofah
		- Of vegetable materials
Subheading	4602.11	-- Of bamboo
Chapter	47	Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard
Heading	47.06	Pulps of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard or other fibrous cellulosic material
		- Other
Subheading	4706.30	-- Of bamboo
Chapter	48	Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard
Heading	48.23	Other paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding and webs of cellulose fibres, cut to size or shape; other articles of paper pulp, paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres
		- Trays, dishes, plates, cups and the like, of paper or paperboard
Subheading	4823.61	-- Of bamboo
Chapter	94	Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated signs, illuminated name-plates and the like; prefabricated buildings.
Heading	94.01	Seats (other than those of heading 94.02), whether or not convertible into beds, and parts thereof
		- Seats of cane, osier, bamboo or similar materials
Subheading	9401.52	-- Of bamboo
Heading	94.03	Other furniture and parts thereof
		- Furniture of other materials, including cane, osier, bamboo or similar materials
Subheading	9403.82	-- Of bamboo

Sorrenti, S. & Muir, G. 2020. Rome. FAO.

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Lobovikov, M., Ball, L., Guardia, M. and Russo, L. World bamboo resources: a thematic study prepared in the framework of the global forest resources assessment 2005. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome; 2007.

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Trade Map. International Trade Centre. (available at: https://trademap.org/Index.aspx). Accessed 13 January 2025.

UNSD. 2015. Central Product Classification (CPC) Ver.2.1. (available at: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/classifications/unsdclassifications/cpcv21.pdf). Accessed June 2020.

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