Natural human hair is also a valued commodity in international trade, processed by businesses into hair extensions and wigs.
Globally, international sales of exported human hair (excluding hair extensions and wigs) totaled US$200.6 million in 2024.
That dollar amount reflects a 153.7% acceleration from $79.1 million in hair exports five years earlier during 2020.
Year over year, globally exported human hair flatlined via a 1.1% gain compared to $201.6 million starting from 2023.
The biggest 3 exporters of human hair are India, Pakistan and the United States of America were responsible for 97.3% of worldwide exports for the commodity in 2024. That percentage is higher than 96.1% for 2023.
Among continents, exporters in Asia sold the highest dollar worth of exported human hair during 2024 with shipments valued at $197.7 million or 98.6% of the worldwide total.
Tinier percentages came from sellers in North America (0.6%), Latin America (0.43%), Europe (0.38%) then Africa (0.04%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0501 for human hair. The formal prefix code label for 0501 is unworked human hair whether or not washed or scoured and the waste of human hair.
Top Human Hair Exporters by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of human hair during 2024.
- India: US$188.8 million (94.1% of total human hair exports)
- Pakistan: $5.6 million (2.8%)
- United States: $1.2 million (0.6%)
- Brazil: $819,000 (0.4%)
- Vietnam: $811,000 (0.4%)
- Myanmar: $709,000 (0.4%)
- South Korea: $409,000 (0.2%)
- Germany: $396,000 (0.2%)
- Uzbekistan: $373,000 (0.2%)
- Bangladesh: $301,000 (0.2%)
- Japan: $227,000 (0.1%)
- Ukraine: $161,000 (0.1%)
- Nepal: $143,000 (0.1%)
- Indonesia: $121,000 (0.1%)
- United Arab Emirates: $103,000 (0.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.8% of globally exported human hair in 2024.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing human hair exporters from 2023 to 2024 were: Bangladesh (up 271.6%), Vietnam (up 257.3%), South Korea (up 128.5%) and Myanmar (up 109.1%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported human hair sales were: Indonesia (down -82.9% from 2023), Japan (down -56.8%), United States of America (down -39.2%), and Brazil (down -32.8%).
Biggest Surpluses from International Trade in Human Hair
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for human hair during 2024. 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 exported human hair and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- India: US$188.8 million (net export surplus up 0.5% since 2023)
- Pakistan: $5.6 million (up 40.8%)
- United States of America: $1.1 million (down -36.2%)
- Brazil: $721,000 (down -40.8%)
- Uzbekistan: $336,000 (up 34.9%)
- Japan: $218,000 (down -52.7%)
- Ukraine: $161,000 (up 67.7%)
- Nepal: $143,000 (up 74.4%)
- Germany: $129,000 (reversing a -$761,000 deficit)
- Indonesia: $109,000 (down -83.9%)
- Vietnam: $102,000 (reversing a -$7.1 million deficit)
- Nigeria: $53,000 (reversing a -$4,000 deficit)
- South Korea: $45,000 (reversing a -$15,000 deficit)
- Guatemala: $34,000 (2023 data unavailable)
- Tajikistan: $33,000 (down -48.4%)
World-leading hair exporter India earned the highest surplus in the international trade of human hair. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms India’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Worst Deficits from International Trade in Human Hair
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for human hair during 2024. 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 imported human hair purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Myanmar: -US$19.9 million (net export deficit down -16.3% since 2023)
- Austria: -$16.5 million (up 16.6%)
- Italy: -$5.9 million (down -27.1%)
- Israel: -$1.1 million (up 63.2%)
- Sweden: -$367,000 (down -77.7%)
- Poland: -$289,000 (up 167.6%)
- United Kingdom: -$284,000 (down -22.6%)
- Bangladesh: -$230,000 (down -73.2%)
- Netherlands: -$172,000 (down -50.1%)
- France: -$133,000 (down -73.8%)
- Oman: -$111,000 (2023 data unavailable)
- Slovakia: -$98,000 (up 4.3%)
- Czech Republic: -$68,000 (down -1.4%)
- Madagascar: -$59,000 (2023 data unavailable)
- Hungary: -$50,000 (down -33.3%)
Myanmar and Austria recorded the highest deficits in the international trade of human hair. In turn, the negative cashflows highlight both countries’ competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for human hair-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful consumer demand.
Average Prices Compared for Major Human Hair Exporters
The world’s average price for exported hair was US$26,516 per ton in 2024, accelerating 120.2% from $12,043 per ton five years earlier in 2020 but deflating -6.5% compared to an average $28,363 starting from 2023.
Listed below are the average unit prices per ton for the top 15 leading exporters of human hair in 2024. The list is sorted in descending order starting with the international suppliers shipping the highest total value of exported human hair.
- India: US$54,164 per ton of human hair exports (up 7.9% from 2023)
- Pakistan: $1,637 per ton (up 11.3%)
- United States of America: $19,700 per ton (down -51.3%)
- Brazil: $91,000 per ton (down -92.5%)
- Vietnam: $56,750 per ton (same as 2023)
- Myanmar: $9,453 per ton (down -33.1%)
- South Korea: $409,000 per ton (up 128.5%)
- Germany: $26,400 per ton (down -28.9%)
- Uzbekistan: $1,123 per ton (down -14.9%)
- Bangladesh: $4,013 per ton (down -90.1%)
- Japan: $56,750 per ton (down -2.7%)
- Nepal: $3,865 per ton (up 3.7%)
- Indonesia: $30,250 per ton (up 2.7%)
- United Arab Emirates: $7,357 per ton (2023 data unavailable)
- Hungary: $15,333 per ton (up 2.2%)
The lowest average prices among the listed biggest exporters of human hair originated from the Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Nepal.
The highest average prices for exported hair were charged by suppliers in South Korea, Brazil, Japan and Vietnam.
Human Hair Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of human hair exporters. The home-country location for each business is shown within parentheses.
- B & K Import & Export (United States)
- Business-Salon Group Ltd (Ukraine)
- Evergreen Products Factory Ltd (Hong Kong)
- GRV Exports (India)
- Rawhair Import Export Company (Vietnam)
- UNICS Co, Ltd (Japan)
- Waheed Universal Hair Company (Pakistan)
- Widya International (Indonesia)
See also Top Exporters of Wigs, Beards and Eyelashes, Beauty Cosmetics and Skincare Exports by Country and Perfumes Exporters by Country
Research Sources:
Alibaba, Supplier showroom for human hair. Accessed on May 24, 2025
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on May 24, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 24, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 24, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 24, 2025
Wikipedia, Hair theft. Accessed on May 24, 2025