European Union Member States imported 163.7 thousand natural honey from non-member countries in 2023, up 20% from 2013, according to Eurostat, on the occasion of Monday's World Bee Day.

For its part, the EU's honey exports increased by 14% to just 24.9 thousand tonnes in the last dešyear. EU honey exports last year were valued at €146 million and imports at €359.3 million.

The EU's largest imports of honey last year came from China (60.2 thousand tonnes, or 37% of total imports), Ukraine (45.8 thousand tonnes, or 28%), Argentina (20.4 thousand tonnes, or 12%), Mexico (10.7 thousand tonnes, or 7%), and Cuba (4.7 thousand tonnes, or 3%).

Most honey was exported to the United Kingdom (4.3 thousand tonnes, 17% of total exports), Saudi Arabia (3.5 thousand tonnes, 14%), Spain (3.4 thousand tonnes, 13%), the United States of America (3.3 thousand tonnes, 13%), Japan (2.5 thousand tonnes, 10%).

The main Community importers last year were Germany (41 thousand tonnes, 25%), Belgium (31.4 thousand tonnes, 19%), Poland (23.3 thousand tonnes, 14%), Spain (15.7 thousand tonnes, 10%) and France (7.7 thousand tonnes, 5%).

The largest honey exports were made by Spain (7.1 thousand tonnes, 29% of total exports), Germany (5.5 thousand tonnes, 22%), Romania (1.7 thousand tonnes, 7%), Hungary (1.6 thousand tonnes, 6%) and Greece (1.5 thousand tonnes, 6%).