There exists a large market demand mainly from developed countries for liquorice due to its multiple usages. It is estimated that the global demand for liquorice extracts and roots is around 200–250 thousand tonnnes per year. In 2007 the total value of international trade in liquorice was US $42 million. Bulk of the drug in the international market originates in China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Turkey, former USSR, Spain, Syria, France, Italy and Iraq are the other major producers. A major portion of the commercial supply comes from wild sources and there is only limited area under cultivation. Total production is between 40–50 thousand tonnes per annum.

China is one of the major suppliers of liquorice roots and extracts in the international trade. Excessive harvesting in this country has reduced its resources from 405 million tonnes in 1950 to 350–450 thousand tonnes in 1983. Even the acreage under liquorice cover declined form 1.53–2 million hectares in 1950s to only 562,400 hectares of land in 2001 with a mere 0.65 million tonnes of reserves remaining. Despite export restrictions imposed for some period, China exported more than 10,000 tonnes each year in the 1980s. Japan, Korea, the United States and China are the dominant importers of liquorice in the world market. Due to unstable global demand and supply, price of liquorice roots in the world market varies from US $1,650/tonne (1988) to US $1200/tonne (2007).

Liquorice does not occur wild in India. Though it grows well in Patiala, Hissar, Jhansi and Lucknow, Indian farmers are hesitant to cultivate it, as profitable returns on the crop come only after three years. The entire Indian requirement for liquorice comes from import.