In 2021, the EU Member States imported 173 400 tonnes of natural honey (‘honey’) from non-EU countries worth EUR405.9 million. In contrast, in 2021, just 25,500 tonnes were exported by the EU Member States outside the EU. These exports were worth EUR146.6 million.

Compared with 2016, honey imports from outside the EU increased by seven percent in weight, while EU exports to non-EU countries decreased by 10 percent.

In 2021, 51,900 tonnes of honey were imported to Germany from non-EU Member States (30 percent of total extra-EU imports of honey). This makes Germany the largest EU importer of honey from non-EU countries, ahead of Poland (32,200 tonnes, 19 percent), followed by Belgium (25,600 tonnes, 15 percent), Spain (14,500 tonnes, eight percent) and Portugal (7,100 tonnes, four percent).

Imports of honey from non-EU countries in 2021 came mainly from Ukraine (53,800 tonnes, or 31 percent of total extra-EU honey imports), followed by China (48,000 tonnes, 28 percent), Mexico (15,500 tonnes, nine percent), Argentina (14,400 tonnes, eight percent), and Brazil (7,900 tonnes, five percent).