Overall, the cost of natural honey imports declined by an average -13.8% for all importing countries since 2015 when natural honey purchases were valued at $2.3 billion. Year over year, imported natural honey retreated by -12.1% from 2018 to 2019.
From a continental perspective, European countries bought the highest dollar worth of imported natural honey during 2019 with purchases costing $1.02 billion or 50.8% of the global total. In second place were North American importers at 23.1% while 22.7% of worldwide natural honey imports were delivered to Asia.
Smaller percentages were sold to customers in Oceania (1.9%) led by Australia, Africa (1.2%) and Latin America (0.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for natural honey is 0409.
Natural Honey Imports by Country
Top 15
Below are the 15 countries that spent the most on imported natural honey during 2019.
- United States: US$430.1 million (21.4% of total imported natural honey)
- Germany: $249.6 million (12.4%)
- Japan: $144.5 million (7.2%)
- France: $118.4 million (5.9%)
- United Kingdom: $110.1 million (5.5%)
- China: $84.9 million (4.2%)
- Italy: $82.7 million (4.1%)
- Saudi Arabia: $73 million (3.6%)
- Belgium: $65.1 million (3.2%)
- Poland: $61.8 million (3.1%)
- Spain: $58.4 million (2.9%)
- Netherlands: $53.9 million (2.7%)
- Australia: $36.1 million (1.8%)
- Switzerland: $36.1 million (1.8%)
- Canada: $34.2 million (1.7%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for natural honey since 2015 were: Poland (up 29.4%), Saudi Arabia (up 28.3%), Japan (up 22.9%) and Netherlands (up 16.3%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported natural honey purchases were led by: Australia (down -35%), United States (down -28.9%), Belgium (down -28%) and Germany (down -24.9%).
The listed 15 countries purchased 81.5% of all natural honey imported in 2019.
USA
Natural Honey Imports into America
America’s global purchases of imported natural honey totaled US$430.1 million in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the United States imported the highest dollar value worth of natural honey during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- India: US$85.7 million (down -27.5% from 2015)
- Argentina: $83 million (down -20.4%)
- Brazil: $57.6 million (down -3.3%)
- Vietnam: $52.1 million (down -50.6%)
- New Zealand: $39.8 million (up 97.7%)
- Canada: $25.3 million (down -27.9%)
- Ukraine: $17.5 million (down -54%)
- China: $13 million (up 5172.5%)
- Mexico: $10.6 million (down -49.7%)
- Australia: $5.6 million (up 1180.2%)
- Germany: $4.9 million (up 58.7%)
- Turkey: $4.5 million (down -73.7%)
- Spain: $3.9 million (up 177.5%)
- France: $3.4 million (up 59.4%)
- Thailand: $3.1 million (down -89.2%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 95.3% of natural honey imported by United States in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of natural honey to United States since 2015 were: China (up 5,173%), Australia (up 1,180%), Spain (up 177.5%) and New Zealand (up 97.7%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their natural honey supplied to American importers included: Thailand (down -89.2%), Turkey (down -73.7%), Ukraine (down -54%) and Vietnam (down -50.6%).
Overall, the value of US imported natural honey fell by an average -28.9% from all supplying countries since 2015 when natural honey purchased cost $605 million.
Germany
Natural Honey Imports into Germany
Germany’s global purchases of imported natural honey totaled US$249.6 million in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Germany imported the highest dollar value worth of natural honey during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- Mexico: US$44.6 million (down -28.7% from 2015)
- Argentina: $29.7 million (up 18.8%)
- Ukraine: $26.3 million (up 13.7%)
- New Zealand: $15.6 million (up 104.4%)
- Hungary: $13.4 million (down -30.7%)
- Bulgaria: $13.4 million (down -26.5%)
- Romania: $11.8 million (down -46.3%)
- Chile: $11.6 million (down -56.3%)
- Cuba: $11.2 million (down -4.6%)
- Spain: $10.5 million (down -42.9%)
- Italy: $8.8 million (down -29.6%)
- China: $8.6 million (down -47.4%)
- Brazil: $6.9 million (down -24.5%)
- Turkey: $6.1 million (up 12.9%)
- Poland: $6 million (up 115.2%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 90.0% of natural honey imported by Germany in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of natural honey to Germany since 2015 were: Poland (up 115.2%), New Zealand (up 104.4%), Argentina (up 18.8%) and Ukraine (up 13.7%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their natural honey supplied to German importers included: Chile (down -56.3%), China (down -47.4%), Romania (down -46.3%) and Spain (down -42.9%).
Overall, the value of Germany’s imported natural honey decreased by an average -24.9% from all supplying countries since 2015 when natural honey purchased cost $332.3 million.
Japan
Natural Honey Imports into Japan
Japan’s global purchases of imported natural honey totaled US$144.5 million in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Japan imported the highest dollar value worth of natural honey during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$68.1 million (up 20% from 2015)
- New Zealand: $25.2 million (up 61.6%)
- Canada: $14.3 million (down -0.2%)
- Argentina: $14 million (up 1%)
- Hungary: $8.1 million (up 59.8%)
- Romania: $2.6 million (up 55%)
- Myanmar (Burma): $2 million (up 16.1%)
- Australia: $1.2 million (up 66.1%)
- France: $1.1 million (up 10.9%)
- Mexico: $1 million (down -45.3%)
- Spain: $992,000 (down -16.9%)
- Italy: $829,000 (down -8.1%)
- Bulgaria: $782,000 (up 666.7%)
- Germany: $751,000 (up 38.3%)
- Ukraine: $625,000 (up 352.9%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 98% of natural honey imported by Japan in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of natural honey to Japan since 2015 were: Bulgaria (up 666.7%), Ukraine (up 352.9%), Australia (up 66.1%) and New Zealand (up 61.6%).
Five leading providers experienced declines in the value of their natural honey supplied to Japanese importers namely: Mexico (down -45.3%), Spain (down -16.9%), Italy (down -8.1%) and Canada (down -0.2%).
Overall, the value of Japan’s imported natural honey grew by an average 22.9% from all supplying countries since 2015 when natural honey purchased cost $117.6 million.
France
Natural Honey Imports into France
France’s global purchases of imported natural honey totaled US$118.4 million in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which France imported the highest dollar value worth of natural honey during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- Spain: US$28 million (down -1.5% from 2015)
- Germany: $14.7 million (up 0.5%)
- Ukraine: $13 million (up 32.3%)
- Hungary: $11.7 million (up 110.8%)
- Belgium: $7.5 million (up 9.2%)
- Argentina: $7.4 million (up 416.1%)
- China: $5.6 million (down -70.9%)
- Italy: $4.7 million (down -53.3%)
- Romania: $3.9 million (down -15.2%)
- Mexico: $3.8 million (up 85.6%)
- Bulgaria: $3.4 million (down -18.7%)
- New Zealand: $2.2 million (up 315.1%)
- Moldova: $1.7 million (up 25.1%)
- Brazil: $1.5 million (down -29.5%)
- Chile: $1.4 million (down -80.5%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 93.2% of natural honey imported by France in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of natural honey to France since 2015 were: Argentina (up 416.1%), New Zealand (up 315.1%), Hungary (up 110.8%) and Mexico (up 85.6%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their natural honey supplied to French importers included: Chile (down -80.5%), China (down -70.9%), Italy (down -53.3%) and Brazil (down -29.5%).
Overall, the value of France’s imported natural honey declined by an average 8.3% from all supplying countries since 2015 when natural honey purchased cost $129 million.
Searchable List of Natural Honey Importing Countries in 2019
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2018 data was available.
| Rank | Importer | Natural Honey Imports (US$) | 2018-19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $430,080,000 | -13.6% |
| 2. | Germany | $249,612,000 | -18.7% |
| 3. | Japan | $144,524,000 | -0.7% |
| 4. | France | $118,391,000 | -8.5% |
| 5. | United Kingdom | $110,138,000 | -14.4% |
| 6. | China | $84,901,000 | +21.1% |
| 7. | Italy | $82,667,000 | -18.1% |
| 8. | Saudi Arabia | $72,990,000 | -5.2% |
| 9. | Belgium | $65,103,000 | -11.2% |
| 10. | Poland | $61,775,000 | -1% |
| 11. | Spain | $58,402,000 | -14.8% |
| 12. | Netherlands | $53,906,000 | -17.3% |
| 13. | Australia | $36,121,000 | -31.2% |
| 14. | Switzerland | $36,089,000 | -9.2% |
| 15. | Canada | $34,209,000 | +18.9% |
| 16. | Austria | $25,819,000 | -11% |
| 17. | Sweden | $23,232,000 | -5.3% |
| 18. | United Arab Emirates | $22,736,000 | -26.2% |
| 19. | Singapore | $21,527,000 | -10.6% |
| 20. | Hong Kong | $20,847,000 | -34.9% |
| 21. | Ireland | $18,286,000 | +2.8% |
| 22. | Greece | $17,986,000 | -5.2% |
| 23. | Denmark | $17,014,000 | -13.3% |
| 24. | Portugal | $15,679,000 | -0.7% |
| 25. | Malaysia | $11,335,000 | -17.4% |
| 26. | South Korea | $10,127,000 | -18.5% |
| 27. | Taiwan | $9,842,000 | +12.1% |
| 28. | Czech Republic | $9,824,000 | +18.2% |
| 29. | Romania | $8,868,000 | -22.1% |
| 30. | Finland | $8,762,000 | -13.3% |
| 31. | Kuwait | $8,697,000 | -22.6% |
| 32. | South Africa | $7,928,000 | +19% |
| 33. | Oman | $7,399,000 | -16.3% |
| 34. | Norway | $7,010,000 | -15.9% |
| 35. | Slovakia | $5,333,000 | +16.2% |
| 36. | Morocco | $5,124,000 | -27.3% |
| 37. | Indonesia | $4,771,000 | -40.1% |
| 38. | Qatar | $4,559,000 | -35.3% |
| 39. | Bulgaria | $4,235,000 | +24% |
| 40. | Slovenia | $4,177,000 | -13% |
| 41. | Thailand | $3,757,000 | +2.4% |
| 42. | Jordan | $3,679,000 | -1.4% |
| 43. | Croatia | $3,338,000 | -30.2% |
| 44. | Israel | $3,289,000 | -35.9% |
| 45. | Iraq | $2,894,000 | -69.8% |
| 46. | Lithuania | $2,802,000 | +0.7% |
| 47. | Algeria | $2,080,000 | +167% |
| 48. | Cyprus | $2,020,000 | -19.8% |
| 49. | Philippines | $1,927,000 | +34.7% |
| 50. | India | $1,790,000 | -45.1% |
| 51. | Luxembourg | $1,774,000 | -6.5% |
| 52. | Vietnam | $1,684,000 | +184.5% |
| 53. | Mauritius | $1,657,000 | -7.2% |
| 54. | Pakistan | $1,647,000 | -26.4% |
| 55. | Libya | $1,639,000 | -49.3% |
| 56. | Bangladesh | $1,571,000 | +9.4% |
| 57. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $1,468,000 | +19% |
| 58. | New Zealand | $1,467,000 | +341.9% |
| 59. | Nepal | $1,335,000 | +10.1% |
| 60. | Yemen | $1,312,000 | +5.1% |
| 61. | Botswana | $1,298,000 | +73.8% |
| 62. | Bahrain | $1,258,000 | -60.3% |
| 63. | Costa Rica | $1,206,000 | -43.3% |
| 64. | Malta | $1,086,000 | -2.4% |
| 65. | Montenegro | $968,000 | -0.5% |
| 66. | Estonia | $965,000 | -45% |
| 67. | Iceland | $962,000 | +2.6% |
| 68. | Macao | $941,000 | 0.0% |
| 69. | Lebanon | $917,000 | -68.3% |
| 70. | Russia | $769,000 | +22.1% |
| 71. | Panama | $744,000 | -41.8% |
| 72. | Honduras | $735,000 | +690.3% |
| 73. | North Macedonia | $698,000 | -40.1% |
| 74. | Latvia | $673,000 | -32.9% |
| 75. | Namibia | $658,000 | +14% |
| 76. | Barbados | $591,000 | +21.6% |
| 77. | Sri Lanka | $570,000 | -13.1% |
| 78. | Kenya | $569,000 | +37.4% |
| 79. | Brunei Darussalam | $555,000 | -13.8% |
| 80. | Tunisia | $534,000 | +21.9% |
| 81. | Azerbaijan | $490,000 | +19.8% |
| 82. | Belarus | $456,000 | -23.5% |
| 83. | Cambodia | $450,000 | +78.6% |
| 84. | Maldives | $441,000 | -61.3% |
| 85. | Bermuda | $390,000 | -6.9% |
| 86. | Kazakhstan | $389,000 | +12.1% |
| 87. | Bahamas | $358,000 | -65.8% |
| 88. | Andorra | $355,000 | -11.9% |
| 89. | Egypt | $327,000 | +62.7% |
| 90. | Serbia | $295,000 | +10.1% |
| 91. | Congo | $270,000 | +200% |
| 92. | Angola | $237,000 | -51.4% |
| 93. | Lesotho | $237,000 | +13.4% |
| 94. | Trinidad/Tobago | $228,000 | +267.7% |
| 95. | Cabo Verde | $221,000 | -22.7% |
| 96. | Argentina | $216,000 | +195.9% |
| 97. | Mongolia | $212,000 | -80.7% |
| 98. | Somalia | $211,000 | -82.8% |
| 99. | Moldova | $201,000 | +125.8% |
| 100. | Myanmar (Burma) | $192,000 | -30.7% |
| 101. | Greenland | $184,000 | -16% |
| 102. | Ivory Coast | $178,000 | -3.8% |
| 103. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $172,000 | +22% |
| 104. | Curaçao | $169,000 | -15.5% |
| 105. | Mozambique | $153,000 | +24.4% |
| 106. | Nigeria | $148,000 | -5.1% |
| 107. | Peru | $148,000 | -2.6% |
| 108. | Gabon | $141,000 | -26.9% |
| 109. | Bhutan | $137,000 | -6.2% |
| 110. | Eswatini | $137,000 | -1.4% |
| 111. | Turkey | $129,000 | +69.7% |
| 112. | Senegal | $128,000 | -24.3% |
| 113. | Aruba | $126,000 | -2.3% |
| 114. | Colombia | $125,000 | -88.9% |
| 115. | Albania | $119,000 | -48.7% |
| 116. | Equatorial Guinea | $107,000 | +62.1% |
| 117. | Antigua/Barbuda | $106,000 | +6% |
| 118. | Seychelles | $98,000 | -59.8% |
| 119. | Ecuador | $95,000 | +313% |
| 120. | Faroe Islands | $95,000 | +4.4% |
| 121. | Malawi | $92,000 | +7% |
| 122. | Papua New Guinea | $85,000 | -76.5% |
| 123. | Gibraltar | $83,000 | +69.4% |
| 124. | Palestine | $83,000 | -84.4% |
| 125. | Armenia | $82,000 | -24.1% |
| 126. | Ukraine | $74,000 | +17.5% |
| 127. | Uruguay | $72,000 | +1,700% |
| 128. | Laos | $71,000 | +208.7% |
| 129. | Mauritania | $67,000 | +252.6% |
| 130. | Iran | $65,000 | 0% |
| 131. | Syria | $63,000 | -50% |
| 132. | Cayman Islands | $61,000 | +22% |
| 133. | Dominican Republic | $56,000 | +86.7% |
| 134. | Paraguay | $56,000 | 0% |
| 135. | Ghana | $55,000 | -51.3% |
| 136. | Ethiopia | $54,000 | -58.5% |
| 137. | Mali | $52,000 | -47.5% |
| 138. | Nicaragua | $51,000 | +15.9% |
| 139. | Bolivia | $51,000 | -63.6% |
| 140. | Uzbekistan | $51,000 | +10.9% |
| 141. | Zambia | $50,000 | +900% |
| 142. | Georgia | $46,000 | +170.6% |
| 143. | Cook Islands | $39,000 | -2.5% |
| 144. | Kyrgyzstan | $39,000 | -7.1% |
| 145. | Comoros | $36,000 | +50% |
| 146. | Uganda | $35,000 | -75.9% |
| 147. | Guatemala | $34,000 | +6.3% |
| 148. | Niger | $33,000 | +106.3% |
| 149. | Djibouti | $31,000 | -50.8% |
| 150. | Fiji | $29,000 | +52.6% |
| 151. | New Caledonia | $29,000 | +26.1% |
| 152. | Afghanistan | $27,000 | -81.4% |
| 153. | US Minor Outlying Is | $27,000 | +68.8% |
| 154. | Togo | $25,000 | +47.1% |
| 155. | Chad | $20,000 | +17.6% |
| 156. | Jamaica | $20,000 | 0% |
| 157. | British Virgin Islands | $18,000 | -5.3% |
| 158. | Wallis and Futuna Is | $18,000 | +157.1% |
| 159. | Eritrea | $17,000 | -19% |
| 160. | Madagascar | $17,000 | +6.3% |
| 161. | Liberia | $16,000 | +33.3% |
| 162. | Sudan | $16,000 | -90.8% |
| 163. | Timor-Leste | $15,000 | -31.8% |
| 164. | Zimbabwe | $15,000 | +275% |
| 165. | Guyana | $15,000 | -76.2% |
| 166. | Marshall Islands | $14,000 | +366.7% |
| 167. | St. Pierre/Miquelon | $13,000 | -18.8% |
| 168. | Suriname | $13,000 | +30% |
| 169. | North Korea | $12,000 | +71.4% |
| 170. | Central African Rep | $12,000 | -75.5% |
| 171. | Cameroon | $11,000 | +10% |
| 172. | Burkina Faso | $10,000 | -23.1% |
| 173. | Saint Lucia | $9,000 | +80% |
| 174. | Benin | $8,000 | -11.1% |
| 175. | Haiti | $8,000 | -88.4% |
| 176. | Vanuatu | $7,000 | +133.3% |
| 177. | Sao Tome/Principe | $7,000 | -12.5% |
| 178. | Guinea-Bissau | $7,000 | +75% |
| 179. | Rwanda | $6,000 | -99.5% |
| 180. | St Kitts/Nevis | $6,000 | 0% |
| 181. | Christmas Island | $6,000 | 0% |
| 182. | Gambia | $6,000 | +500% |
| 183. | Guinea | $5,000 | -68.8% |
| 184. | Tanzania | $5,000 | -84.8% |
| 185. | Turks and Caicos Is | $3,000 | +50% |
| 186. | Tajikistan | $3,000 | -57.1% |
| 187. | Sierra Leone | $2,000 | -86.7% |
| 188. | Nauru | $2,000 | -50% |
| 189. | Northern Mariana Is | $1,000 | -83.3% |
| 190. | Grenada | $1,000 | -66.7% |
| 191. | French S./Antarctic Terr | $1,000 | 0% |
| 192. | El Salvador | $1,000 | 0% |
| 193. | Burundi | $1,000 | -96.2% |
| 194. | Brazil | $1,000 | -99.6% |
| 195. | Belize | $1,000 | 0% |
| 196. | St Vincent/Grenadines | $1,000 | -98.4% |
| 197. | Turkmenistan | $1,000 | -91.7% |
See also Natural Honey Exports by Country, America’s Top Trading Partners and Germany’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on May 10, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 10, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 10, 2020
Wikipedia, Honey. Accessed on May 10, 2020