The worldwide value of exported headphones increased by an average 44.3% for all exporting countries since 2018 when exported headphone shipments were valued at $13 billion.
Year over year, international sales of exported headphones accelerated by 10.4% compared to $17 billion in 2021.
The world’s 3 most lucrative suppliers of headphones on global markets are Vietnam, mainland China and Germany. Collectively, that trio of leading exporters accounted for almost three-fifths (56.5%) of all exported headphone sales in 2022.
Applying a continental perspective, countries in Asia sold the highest international sales for exported headphones during 2022 with shipments valued at $11.8 billion or approaching two-thirds (63%) of the global total. In second place were exporters in Europe at 29% while another 7.6% of worldwide headphones shipments originated from North America.
Tinier percentages came from sellers in Latin America (0.25%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Oceania (0.21%) led by Australia, then Africa (0.04%).
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 851830 for headphones or earphones including combined microphone/speaker sets.
Headphones Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of headphones during 2022.
- Vietnam: US$5.2 billion (27.8% of total headphone exports)
- China: $4.1 billion (21.9%)
- Germany: $1.3 billion (6.8%)
- Hong Kong: $1.1 billion (5.9%)
- United States: $922.8 million (4.9%)
- Netherlands: $807.2 million (4.3%)
- Malaysia: $531.7 million (2.8%)
- Italy: $490.5 million (2.6%)
- Mexico: $462.8 million (2.5%)
- Czech Republic: $456.3 million (2.4%)
- Singapore: $421.5 million (2.3%)
- Belgium: $365.3 million (2%)
- Sweden: $312.5 million (1.7%)
- France: $202.5 million (1.1%)
- Denmark: $199.2 million (1.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 90% of globally exported headphones in 2022.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of headphones since 2018 were: Vietnam (up 215.3%), Singapore (up 206.3%), Italy (up 176.3%) and the Netherlands (up 147.2%).
A pair of major suppliers posted declines in their international sales of headphones, namely Hong Kong (down -56.4% from 2018) and Belgium (down -14.4%).
Countries Enjoying Best Trade Surpluses from Headphones
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for headphones during 2022. 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 headphones and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Vietnam: US$5.1 billion (net export surplus up 218.1% since 2018)
- China: $3.6 billion (up 163.1%)
- Hong Kong: $534.5 million (down -16.4%)
- Malaysia: $476 million (up 38.6%)
- Italy: $199.6 million (up 653%)
- Netherlands: $49.9 million (down -283.8%)
- Czech Republic: $14 million (down -76%)
- Kyrgyzstan: $4.4 million (reversing a -$1.1 million deficit)
- Samoa: $393,000 (reversing a -$44,000 deficit)
- Myanmar: $151,000 (reversing a -$650,000 deficit)
- North Korea: $22,000 (up 175%)
- Saint Kitts/Nevis: $10,000 (down -92.5%)
- Pitcairn: $2,000 (2021 data unavailable)
- Christmas Island: $1,000 (down -83.3%)
Overtaking China in 2019, Vietnam earned the highest surplus in the international trade of headphones. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong Vietnamese competitive advantages for this specific product category.
Countries Facing Worst Trade Deficits from Headphones
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for headphones during 2022. 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 headphones purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- United States: -US$5.8 billion (net export deficit up 507% since 2018)
- Japan: -$1 billion (up 56%)
- Canada: -$753.1 million (up 73.4%)
- India: -$611.7 million (up 129.2%)
- Australia: -$596.1 million (up 70%)
- France: -$498.1 million (up 43.7%)
- United Kingdom: -$415.4 million (up 1.5%)
- United Arab Emirates: -$343.2 million (up 1,091%)
- Germany: -$341.4 million (up 26.9%)
- Taiwan: -$224 million (up 335%)
- Norway: -$164.3 million (up 32.8%)
- South Korea: -$147.4 million (down -29.3%)
- Spain: -$141.6 million (up 35.4%)
- Switzerland: -$132.3 million (up 73.1%)
- Israel: -$131 million (up 110.6%)
The United States of America incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of headphones. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights America’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for headphones-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.
Headphones Exporting Companies
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers design or manufacture audio products including headphones. Shown within parenthesis is the city and corresponding country where the headquarters for each business is located.
- Beats Electronics (Culver City, United States)
- Beyerdynamic (Heilbronn, Germany)
- Bose Corporation (Framingham, United States)
- Edifier (Beijing, China)
- Encore Data Products (Lafayette, United States)
- HiFiMAN Electronics (Tianjin, China)
- KEF (Maidstone, England)
- Koninklijke Philips NV (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Thinksound (Somersworth, United States)
- Ultrasone (Tutzing, Germany)
See also Cellphone Exports by Country, Top Video Games Exports by Country, Lithium Ion Batteries Exports by Country and Sheet Music Exporting Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on October 21, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on October 21, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 21, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 21, 2023
Wikipedia, List of headphone manufacturers. Accessed on October 21, 2023