Red blood cells (Pixabay)

Overall exports of life-giving human and animal blood totaled US$2.7 billion in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a -72.7% plunge for all blood shippers from 5 years earlier in 2020 when global blood shipments were worth $9.84 billion.

Year over year, the value of blood exports fell by -11.5% compared to $3.04 billion starting from 2023.

The 5 biggest exporters of human or animal blood are the United States of America, United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Australia. That quintet of major blood exporters approached three-quarters (72%) of blood exported in 2024. That percentage suggests a relatively concentrated cohort of blood exporting nations.

Among continents, suppliers in North America sold the highest dollar worth of exported blood during 2024 with shipments valued at $1.42 billion or 52.8% of worldwide blood exports. In second place were exporters located in Europe at 34.9% trailed by those in Asia at 6.4%.

Smaller percentages came from sellers in Oceania (4.9%) led by Australia and New Zealand, Latin America (0.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Africa (0.2%).

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code is 300290 which covers both human blood and animal blood for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses.

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of blood during 2024.

1. United States: US$1.3 billion (50.1% of total blood exports)
2. United Kingdom: $207 million (7.7%)
3. Belgium: $145.8 million (5.4%)
4. France: $119.3 million (4.4%)
5. Australia: $115.6 million (4.3%)
6. Hungary: $114.6 million (4.3%)
7. Switzerland: $80.9 million (3%)
8. South Korea: $70.8 million (2.6%)
9. Poland: $59.7 million (2.2%)
10. Canada: $59.2 million (2.2%)
11. Ireland: $43.3 million (1.6%)
12. Netherlands: $31.8 million (1.2%)
13. India: $31.3 million (1.2%)
14. Austria: $30.3 million (1.1%)
15. Denmark: $24.3 million (0.9%)

Countries Generating Best Surpluses from Global Blood Trade

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for blood 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 blood and its import purchases for that same commodity.

1. United States: US$371.8 million (net export surplus down -18.4% since 2023)
2. Hungary: $113.9 million (up 13.3%)
3. France: $56.4 million (up 9.5%)
4. Poland: $52.7 million (up 45.7%)
5. South Korea: $46.8 million (up 292%)
6. Switzerland: $45.8 million (up 52.8%)
7. Austria: $20.6 million (down -2.8%)
8. Ireland: $17.8 million (down -56.1%)
9. Australia: $16.8 million (reversing a -$10.7 million deficit)
10. Denmark: $16 million (down -45.4%)
11. Czech Republic: $15.9 million (up 1,089%)
12. mainland China: $10.9 million (down -5.1%)
13. Japan: $10.6 million (up 5.2%)
14. Uruguay: $3.5 million (up 826.3%)
15. Croatia: $3.1 million (up 2.6%)

World-leading blood exporter the United States of America generated the highest surplus in the international trade of blood. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms strong American competitive advantages for this specific product category.

Countries Causing Largest Deficits from Global Blood Trade

The following countries recorded the biggest negative net exports for blood 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 blood purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

1. Sweden: -US$473.3 million (net export deficit down -22.4% since 2023)
2. Canada: -$107.6 million (down -52.7%)
3. United Kingdom: -$94.9 million (reversing a $122.8 million surplus)
4. Guatemala: -$85.6 million (up 27.1%)
5. Brazil: -$78.8 million (up 5.1%)
6. Dominican Republic: -$60.8 million (up 21.3%)
7. Belgium: -$43.3 million (down -26.1%)
8. Spain: -$42.3 million (down -8.9%)
9. Italy: -$37.2 million (up 81.4%)
10. Ecuador: -$31.6 million (down -41.5%)
11. Malaysia: -$28.4 million (up 62%)
12. Russia: -$24.7 million (down -8.4%)
13. Singapore: -$24.6 million (down -22.7%)
14. Thailand: -$23.6 million (down -41.7%)
15. Ukraine: -$23.2 million (down -3.7%)

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

Blood-Equipment Exporting Companies

According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following suppliers are examples of export companies that engage in the international trade of blood giving equipment and supplies including blood transfusion sets.

• Alredwan International Trading (Turkey)
• Angi Plast Private Limited (India)
• Anhui Tiankang Medical Technology (China)
• Daddy D Pro (Pakistan)
• Medicfit Technology Sdn. BHD (Malaysia)
• Ultra for Medical Products Ultramed UMIC (Egypt)