Globally, live bees exported from all countries totaled US$72.3 million in 2023.

That dollar amount results from a 53.6% gain from $47.1 million 5 years earlier during 2019.

Year over year, the value of globally exported live bees increased by 4% compared to $69.5 million for 2022.

The top 5 most lucrative exporters of live bees are Slovakia, Belgium, United States of America, Canada and the Netherlands. Collectively, that quintet of leading international suppliers generated over three-quarters (76.3%) of globally exported live bees.

From a continental perspective, suppliers in Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported live bees during 2023 with shipments valued at $41.1 million or 56.8% of the worldwide total. In second place were exporters in North America at 28.5% while another 7.8% of shipments containing live bees originated from Oceania’s New Zealand and Australia.

Smaller percentages came from suppliers in Latin America’s Chile (0.9%) then Africa’s Morocco (0.02%).

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for live bees is 010641.

Top Live Bees Exporters by Country

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of live bees during 2023.

1. Slovakia: US$16.2 million (22.5% of exported live bees)
2. Belgium: $12.3 million (17%)
3. United States: $11.8 million (16.3%)
4. Canada: $8.9 million (12.3%)
5. Netherlands: $6 million (8.3%)
6. Italy: $4 million (5.5%)
7. New Zealand: $3.7 million (5.2%)
8. Türkiye: $2.6 million (3.6%)
9. Australia: $1.9 million (2.7%)
10. Spain: $1.6 million (2.2%)
11. Chile: $675,000 (0.9%)
12. Uzbekistan: $672,000 (0.9%)
13. Israel: $533,000 (0.7%)
14. Ukraine: $361,000 (0.5%)
15. Malta: $245,000 (0.3%)

By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.9% of globally exported live bees in 2023.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of live bees since 2022 were: New Zealand (up 115.7%), Italy (up 98.3%), Türkiye (up 61.8%) and Chile (up 59.2%).

Listed suppliers that posted declines in their international sales of live bees were: Canada (down -34.1% from 2022), Uzbekistan (down -27.7%), Israel (down -12.8%) and Malta (down -5%).

Countries Enjoying Best Trade Surpluses from Live Bees

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for live bees during 2023. 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 live bees and its import purchases for that same commodity.

1. Slovakia: US$16.1 million (up 16.4% since 2022)
2. Belgium: $11.8 million (up 0.4%)
3. United States of America: $10.5 million (down -0.1%)
4. New Zealand: $3.7 million (up 115.7%)
5. Italy: $3.4 million (up 85.4%)
6. Türkiye: $2.4 million (up 49.5%)
7. Australia: $1.9 million (up 13.3%)
8. Chile: $646,000 (up 171.4%)
9. Uzbekistan: $523,000 (down -18.3%)
10. Israel: $500,000 (down -13.3%)
11. Malta: $233,000 (down -4.9%)
12. Ukraine: $151,000 (up 11%)
13. Pakistan: $84,000 (down -18.4%)
14. Slovenia: $14,000 (reversing a -$13,000 deficit)
15. Serbia: $5,000 (up 25%)

Slovakia, Belgium and the United States of America earned the highest surpluses in the international trade of live bees. In turn, these positive cashflows confirm the countries’ strong competitive advantages for this specific product category.

Countries Experiencing Worst Trade Deficits from Live Bees

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for live bees during 2023. 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 live bees purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

1. Canada: -US$12.4 million (up 353% since 2022)
2. Morocco: -$6.8 million (up 4.7%)
3. Japan: -$4.6 million (down -0.9%)
4. France: -$3.1 million (up 19.4%)
5. United Kingdom: -$2.4 million (down -12.7%)
6. Russia: -$2 million (down -1.8%)
7. Spain: -$1.5 million (down -23.4%)
8. Kazakhstan: -$685,000 (down -40.5%)
9. Finland: -$640,000 (down -55%)
10. Switzerland: -$604,000 (up 6%)
11. Turkmenistan: -$602,000 (up 33.2%)
12. Portugal: -$599,000 (down -37.1%)
13. Czech Republic: -$559,000 (up 898.2%)
14. Hungary: -$393,000 (up 18%)
15. Netherlands: -$391,000 (down -172.4%)

Canada incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of live bees. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Canada’s competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for live bees-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.

Bee Hives Exporting Companies

According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of companies that export customized bee hives.

• Biosota Organics Pty Ltd (Australia)
• Epsilon Industries YYM LTD (Israel)
• Finex Trading Ltd (United Kingdom)
• Heze City Minghui Native Products (China)
• New Sunshine International (New Zealand)
• Salcan Mobilya (Turkey)
• South Florida Bee Supplies, LLC (United States)
• VITCO Beekeeping Supplies (India)

The home-country location for each business above appears within parentheses.
 

See also Natural Honey Exports by Country, Flower Bouquet Exports by Country and Top Water and Ice Exporters

Research Sources:
Alibaba, Suppliers for live bees. Accessed on November 23, 2024

Central Intelligence Agency, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on November 23, 2024

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 23, 2024

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 23, 2024

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 23, 2024

Wikipedia, Beekeeping. Accessed on November 23, 2024