Overall, the value of natural honey exports rose by an average 2.6% for all exporting countries since 2016 when natural honey shipments were valued at $2.2 billion. Year over year, global exports of natural honey increased in value by 15.3% from 2019 to 2020.
The 5 biggest exporters of natural honey are New Zealand, China, Argentina, Germany and Ukraine. Combined, those natural honey suppliers generated 45.3% of worldwide sales in 2020.
Among continents, European countries sold the highest dollar worth of natural honey exported during 2020 with shipments amounting to $938.9 million or 41% of overall international honey sales. That percentage compares with 22.5% from Asian exporters, 16.2% from Oceania (mostly New Zealand and Australia), 14.5% from Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Smaller percentages came North America (5.1%) and Africa (0.6%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for natural honey is 0409.
Natural Honey Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of natural honey during 2020.
- New Zealand: US$328.6 million (14.4% of exported natural honey)
- China: $254 million (11.1%)
- Argentina: $170.2 million (7.4%)
- Germany: $145.9 million (6.4%)
- Ukraine: $138.8 million (6.1%)
- Spain: $112.4 million (4.9%)
- Brazil: $98.6 million (4.3%)
- Hungary: $94.7 million (4.1%)
- India: $83.4 million (3.6%)
- Vietnam: $75.6 million (3.3%)
- Belgium: $74.7 million (3.3%)
- Poland: $61.9 million (2.7%)
- Mexico: $55.6 million (2.4%)
- Romania: $49.3 million (2.2%)
- Australia: $42.5 million (1.9%)
The listed 15 countries shipped over three-quarters (78%) of global natural honey exports in 2020 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing natural honey exporters from 2019 to 2020 were: Brazil (up 45.2%), New Zealand (up 43.7%), Poland (up 43.5%) and Vietnam (up 42.8%).
Two top exporters posted declines in their exported natural honey sales namely India (down -17.3%) and Mexico (down -12.1%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for natural honey during 2020. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s natural honey exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- New Zealand: US$328.4 million (net export surplus up 44.5% since 2019)
- Argentina: $170.2 million (up 16.2%)
- China: $164.8 million (up 9.6%)
- Ukraine: $138.5 million (up 37.1%)
- Brazil: $98.6 million (up 45.2%)
- Hungary: $94.7 million (up 11.7%)
- India: $82.1 million (down -17%)
- Vietnam: $74.3 million (up 41.7%)
- Mexico: $55.6 million (down -12.1%)
- Spain: $46.3 million (up 49.2%)
- Bulgaria: $36.4 million (down -0.4%)
- Romania: $32.4 million (down -7.6%)
- Uruguay: $31 million (up 91.1%)
- Turkey: $25.9 million (up 5.4%)
- Cuba: $15.9 million (down -6.9%)
Natural honey colossus New Zealand generated the highest surplus in the international trade of natural honey. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms the Oceania island nation’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for natural honey during 2020. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s natural honey import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: US-$415.6 million (net export deficit up 2.2% since 2019)
- Japan: -$173.4 million (up 20.2%)
- Germany: -$127.5 million (up 4.2%)
- France: -$100.3 million (up 13.5%)
- United Kingdom: -$95 million (up 16.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$91.5 million (up 45.1%)
- Italy: -$61.3 million (up 24%)
- Netherlands: -$49.6 million (up 19.4%)
- Switzerland: -$33.5 million (up 7.4%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$33.3 million (up 45.7%)
- Indonesia: -$25.7 million (up 124%)
- Singapore: -$20.2 million (up 12.6%)
- Kuwait: -$20 million (up 62.7%)
- Sweden: -$17.7 million (down -19.5%)
- Ireland: -$17.1 million (up 45.8%)
United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of natural honey. In turn, this negative cashflow confirms America’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for natural honey-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand from American consumers.
Companies
Natural Honey Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following companies are also examples of natural honey-trading companies located in the country shown within parentheses.
- Capilano Honey Ltd (Australia)
- Caprilush International (Mexico)
- Duc Cuong Phat Company Limited (Vietnam)
- Dutch Golld Honey (United States)
- Groeb Farms, Inc (United States)
- Navrang SL (Spain)
- Nuxten Health Ltd (New Zealand)
- Rowse Honey Ltd (United Kingdom)
- Zanchetta Alimentos LTDA (Brazil)
- Zhejiang Jiangshan Bee Enterprise Co, Ltd (China)
In addition, here are 5 other multinational honey suppliers based on searches from global trade intelligence firm Zepol.
- Bee Honey (Vietnam)
- Compania Inversora Platens (Argentina)
- Honeyma (Argentina)
- Miel Mex (Mexico)
- Mieles Del Mayab (Mexico)
Searchable List of Natural Honey Exporting Countries in 2020
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icons at the top of the columns. The right-most column highlights the percentage change in the value of exported natural honey from 2019 to 2020. (An entry of 0% in that column means no 2019 data is available.)
| Rank | Exporter | Natural Honey Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | New Zealand | $328,641,000 | +43.7% |
| 2. | China | $254,045,000 | +8% |
| 3. | Argentina | $170,242,000 | +16% |
| 4. | Germany | $145,861,000 | +9.7% |
| 5. | Ukraine | $138,787,000 | +37.3% |
| 6. | Spain | $112,438,000 | +27.1% |
| 7. | Brazil | $98,560,000 | +45.2% |
| 8. | Hungary | $94,698,000 | +11.7% |
| 9. | India | $83,406,000 | -17.3% |
| 10. | Vietnam | $75,636,000 | +42.8% |
| 11. | Belgium | $74,650,000 | +18.1% |
| 12. | Poland | $61,924,000 | +43.5% |
| 13. | Mexico | $55,569,000 | -12.1% |
| 14. | Romania | $49,259,000 | +12.4% |
| 15. | Australia | $42,481,000 | +12.8% |
| 16. | Bulgaria | $39,838,000 | -1.5% |
| 17. | Canada | $35,873,000 | -13.2% |
| 18. | Uruguay | $31,091,000 | +91% |
| 19. | France | $28,630,000 | -4.5% |
| 20. | Turkey | $26,161,000 | +5.6% |
| 21. | United States | $25,801,000 | +10.7% |
| 22. | United Kingdom | $25,178,000 | -15.7% |
| 23. | Italy | $22,262,000 | -26.8% |
| 24. | Greece | $21,616,000 | +46.8% |
| 25. | Thailand | $17,975,000 | -9.3% |
| 26. | Denmark | $16,781,000 | +6.3% |
| 27. | Cuba | $15,937,000 | -6.9% |
| 28. | Yemen | $15,439,000 | +76.1% |
| 29. | Serbia | $14,946,000 | +48.4% |
| 30. | Netherlands | $14,656,000 | +36.2% |
| 31. | Saudi Arabia | $13,555,000 | +36.4% |
| 32. | Portugal | $12,520,000 | +8.2% |
| 33. | Austria | $11,658,000 | -20% |
| 34. | Pakistan | $9,804,000 | +18% |
| 35. | Moldova | $8,770,000 | -24.3% |
| 36. | Lithuania | $8,090,000 | +64% |
| 37. | Egypt | $7,031,000 | +25.6% |
| 38. | Czech Republic | $6,315,000 | +27.8% |
| 39. | Chile | $5,932,000 | -52.6% |
| 40. | Russia | $5,034,000 | -9.5% |
| 41. | Ireland | $4,952,000 | -24% |
| 42. | Slovakia | $4,604,000 | +446.1% |
| 43. | Switzerland | $3,965,000 | -19.5% |
| 44. | Guatemala | $3,801,000 | +7.6% |
| 45. | Myanmar | $3,145,000 | +4.8% |
| 46. | Singapore | $2,880,000 | -19.1% |
| 47. | Sweden | $2,873,000 | +79.8% |
| 48. | South Africa | $2,695,000 | +11.1% |
| 49. | Zambia | $2,474,000 | +7.7% |
| 50. | Taiwan | $2,323,000 | -28.3% |
| 51. | Nicaragua | $2,143,000 | -17.4% |
| 52. | El Salvador | $2,131,000 | +0.1% |
| 53. | United Arab Emirates | $2,063,000 | -64.7% |
| 54. | Hong Kong | $1,939,000 | -46.4% |
| 55. | Slovenia | $1,892,000 | +8.1% |
| 56. | Kyrgyzstan | $1,741,000 | -13.2% |
| 57. | Croatia | $1,584,000 | -17.3% |
| 58. | Malaysia | $1,383,000 | +38.6% |
| 59. | Norway | $1,377,000 | +23.3% |
| 60. | Dominican Republic | $1,205,000 | +6.5% |
| 61. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $1,183,000 | +474.3% |
| 62. | Tanzania | $790,000 | -51% |
| 63. | Estonia | $649,000 | +104.1% |
| 64. | North Macedonia | $648,000 | +9.1% |
| 65. | Latvia | $582,000 | -22.2% |
| 66. | Kuwait | $530,000 | +324% |
| 67. | Indonesia | $462,000 | -56.6% |
| 68. | Kazakhstan | $458,000 | -19.9% |
| 69. | Belarus | $440,000 | +56% |
| 70. | Iran | $423,000 | -59% |
| 71. | Japan | $382,000 | +38.4% |
| 72. | Bangladesh | $378,000 | -7.4% |
| 73. | Ethiopia | $373,000 | -20% |
| 74. | Sierra Leone | $293,000 | +142.1% |
| 75. | Lebanon | $265,000 | -69% |
| 76. | Morocco | $239,000 | -12.5% |
| 77. | Madagascar | $229,000 | -4.2% |
| 78. | Israel | $201,000 | -47% |
| 79. | Sudan | $188,000 | +268.6% |
| 80. | Armenia | $137,000 | -13.3% |
| 81. | Jordan | $136,000 | -75.3% |
| 82. | Georgia | $123,000 | +119.6% |
| 83. | Suriname | $100,000 | 0% |
| 84. | Uzbekistan | $99,000 | +90.4% |
| 85. | Luxembourg | $95,000 | +6.7% |
| 86. | South Korea | $86,000 | -49.7% |
| 87. | Antigua/Barbuda | $75,000 | 0% |
| 88. | Finland | $69,000 | +53.3% |
| 89. | Oman | $62,000 | -97.6% |
| 90. | Syrian Arab Republic | $59,000 | 1,375% |
| 91. | Andorra | $58,000 | -35.6% |
| 92. | Kenya | $53,000 | -94.2% |
| 93. | Libya | $43,000 | +514.3% |
| 94. | Colombia | $43,000 | +514.3% |
| 95. | Uganda | $41,000 | +355.6% |
| 96. | Samoa | $35,000 | 0% |
| 97. | Cyprus | $35,000 | -39.7% |
| 98. | Botswana | $23,000 | +9.5% |
| 99. | Nepal | $21,000 | -30% |
| 100. | Eswatini | $21,000 | -12.5% |
See also Natural Honey Imports by Country, Bananas Exports by Country and Sugar Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier information for natural honey. Accessed on June 5, 2021
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on June 5, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 5, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 5, 2021
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on June 5, 2021
