Propolis
Propolis is the resinous material honey bees gather from plant buds, shoots and exudates and work with wax and their own secretions into a sealant for the hive. It is collected from scrapings or, more cleanly, from purpose made collector screens. It is used as a raw material for tinctures, extracts and standardised powders sold into dietary supplements, oral care, throat sprays and lozenges, skincare and wound care, veterinary preparations, and as a natural preservative and coating. Its composition follows the plants the bees worked, so the botanical type is the first thing a buyer names.
Listed propolis markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Propolis is graded on botanical type, on collection method, and on the measured content of the resin and marker compounds that a manufacturer standardises an extract against. There is no single international standard, so the contract names the type, the assay methods and the laboratory.
Botanical type as the contracted article
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Green propolisBaccharis dracunculifolia source, southeast Brazil | Marked by artepillin C and by the prenylated cinnamic acid group. The most closely specified propolis in world trade and the one contracted on a stated marker content. |
| Brown and poplar type propolisPopulus species source, temperate northern hemisphere | Marked by pinocembrin, galangin, chrysin, pinobanksin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester. Europe, China, Ukraine, Turkiye and North America. |
| Red propolisDalbergia ecastaphyllum source, northeast Brazil and the Caribbean | Marked by the isoflavonoids formononetin, vestitol and medicarpin. |
| Birch typeBetula source, Russia and northern Europe | A distinct flavonoid profile from the poplar type. |
| Mediterranean typeCupressaceae source, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Sicily | Marked by diterpenic acids rather than by flavonoids, so a flavonoid assay alone misvalues it. |
| Pacific and Okinawa typeMacaranga source | Marked by prenylflavonoids. |
| Stingless bee propolis and geopropolisMeliponini source, declared by bee species | A different material with a mineral fraction. Never delivered against an Apis mellifera specification. |
Composition and assay
10 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dry matterPercentage by mass, minimum | Loss on drying. It sets what everything else is expressed against. |
| Total balsam or resin contentPercentage by mass, minimum | Ethanol extractable fraction, dried and weighed. The primary commercial number. |
| Total phenolic contentPercentage by mass, expressed as gallic acid equivalent | Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometry. |
| Total flavonoid contentPercentage by mass, expressed as quercetin or as pinocembrin equivalent | Aluminium chloride spectrophotometry. The reference compound is named on the contract, because the two are not interchangeable. |
| Marker compound contentPercentage by mass, by named marker | High performance liquid chromatography against a reference standard. Artepillin C for green, formononetin and vestitol for red, galangin and pinocembrin for poplar type. |
| Chromatographic fingerprintPass or fail against the reference profile | The whole profile, which is the authenticity test and the botanical origin evidence together. |
| Wax contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Beeswax carried in from the hive. It dilutes the active fraction and it fouls extraction. |
| Mechanical impuritiesPercentage by mass, maximum | Wood, paint flakes, plastic and insect parts. This is why collector screen material is a separate article from scrapings. |
| AshPercentage by mass, maximum | Mineral residue, elevated in geopropolis and in scraped material. |
| Oxidation indexSeconds, by the permanganate method | A classical Brazilian trade determination on the reducing capacity of the extract. |
Collection, form and processing
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Collector screen or trap collectedDeclared | Bees fill a plastic or fabric screen, which is frozen and flexed to release clean propolis. The clean article, and it commands the premium. |
| ScrapedDeclared | Scraped from frames and hive bodies. Carries wood, paint and hive debris, and it is contracted at an impurity ceiling. |
| Raw crudeDeclared | Unprocessed, as taken from the hive. Frozen and milled by the buyer. |
| Cleaned and milled powderDeclared, with the mesh | Frozen, milled and sieved to a stated aperture. |
| ExtractDeclared, with the solvent and the concentration | Ethanolic, aqueous, glycolic or supercritical carbon dioxide. A derived article priced on marker content, not on weight. |
| Dewaxed extractDeclared | Wax removed by cold precipitation. The standard input to supplement manufacture. |
| Cold chainDeclared | Propolis is handled frozen or chilled because it is plastic at room temperature and it agglomerates. It is a delivery term and it is priced. |
Residues and contaminants
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Veterinary drug residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by substance | Screened by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry against the destination market residue list. Chloramphenicol, nitrofuran metabolites, sulphonamides and tetracyclines are the standard screen and the usual reason a lot is rejected. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum, by substance | Multi-residue screen against the destination maximum residue limits, including the acaricides used in the hive. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Lead and cadmium determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, against CXS 193. |
| Pyrrolizidine alkaloidsMicrograms per kilogram, maximum | Determined by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Driven by the forage plants rather than by the beekeeper, so it is an origin question. |
| Solvent residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Where an extract is contracted, residual solvent against the destination pharmacopoeia limits. |
Documentation and delivery
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, fair trade, kosher, halal or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| TraceabilityDeclared, to apiary or to collection centre | Beekeeper or cooperative, apiary location and harvest batch. It is the only defence against an origin claim. |
| PackingDeclared | Drums, pails, cartons or blocks, with the liner specified. It is a delivery term and it is priced. |
| Sampling planDeclared | How many drums are sampled and by whom. Hive products are heterogeneous between drums, so the plan is written before the cargo moves. |
| Novel food and supplement statusDeclared | Destination markets differ on how propolis and its extracts may be sold. The regulatory route is confirmed before the cargo moves, not after. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul | Origin and destination |
| Brazil | Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Paraiba | Origin and destination |
| China | Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Hubei | Origin and destination |
| Ukraine | Vinnytsia, Poltava, Kyiv, Zhytomyr | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Mugla, Ordu, Rize, Anatolia | Origin and destination |
| Russia | Bashkortostan, Altai, Central Federal District | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires, Entre Rios, Santa Fe | Origin and destination |
| Chile | Araucania, Bio Bio, Los Lagos | Origin and destination |
| Uruguay | Canelones, Florida | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | Jalisco, Yucatan, Veracruz | Origin and destination |
| Cuba | Matanzas, Camaguey | Origin and destination |
| United States | California, Florida, Midwest | Origin and destination |
| Canada | Alberta, Ontario, Quebec | Origin and destination |
| Poland | Lublin, Podlasie, Warmia | Origin and destination |
| Romania | Banat, Muntenia, Transylvania | Origin and destination |
| Bulgaria | Thrace, Danube plain | Origin and destination |
| Hungary | Great Plain | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Nationwide | Origin and destination |
| France | Occitanie, Auvergne, Provence | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Castile and Leon, Andalusia | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Crete, Attica, Peloponnese | Origin and destination |
| Cyprus | Nationwide | Origin and destination |
| Portugal | Tras-os-Montes, Alentejo | Origin and destination |
| Ethiopia | Oromia, Amhara | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | Baringo, Kitui | Origin and destination |
| Tanzania | Tabora, Kigoma | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | Western Cape, Eastern Cape | Origin and destination |
| India | Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand | Origin and destination |
| Vietnam | Dak Lak, Lam Dong | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi | Origin and destination |
| Australia | New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia | Origin and destination |
| New Zealand | Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Northland | Origin and destination |
| Japan | Okinawa, Hokkaido | Origin and destination |
| South Korea | Nationwide | Destination |
| Japan | Nationwide | Destination |
| United States | Utah, New Jersey, California | Destination |
| Germany | Nationwide | Destination |
| Netherlands | Nationwide | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Nationwide | Destination |
| Switzerland | Nationwide | Destination |
| Singapore | Nationwide | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Nationwide | Destination |
| Taiwan | Nationwide | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest here is when the propolis is taken off the hive at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is freezing, cleaning, milling or extraction, assay and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to Sep, arrival May to NovGreen propolis collection runs through the dry season in Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, when the Baccharis shoots are resinous. Japan is the historical buyer and the reason the Brazilian marker specification exists. | |||
| Brazil | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Sep to Feb, arrival Nov to AprRed propolis from the mangrove Dalbergia stands of the northeast, collected through the warmer months. | ||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Jul to NovPoplar type collection through the summer, and the largest volume in world trade. | |||||
| Ukraine | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Jul to NovPoplar type collection through the warm season. | |||||
| Turkiye | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Oct, arrival Jul to DecCollection through the warm months, with a distinct Anatolian profile. | ||||
| Argentina | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Jan to MayAustral summer collection, poplar and eucalyptus influenced. | |||||
| Chile | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Jan to MayAustral summer collection from native and introduced forest. | |||||
| Australia | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to Mar, arrival Dec to MayAustral spring and summer collection, eucalyptus influenced and chemically distinct from the northern types. | ||||
| New Zealand | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Jan to MayAustral summer collection, largely processed domestically into supplement extracts. | |||||
| Ethiopia | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest May to Dec, arrival Jul to FebCollected alongside the honey harvests. | |||
| Poland | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Aug, arrival Jul to OctPoplar type collection through the northern summer. | ||||||
| United States | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Jun to OctSummer collection, largely consumed domestically by the supplement trade. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for propolis. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1301.90 Natural resins, other, including propolis
- PackingHoney in 300 kg food grade steel or HDPE drums, or 25 kg pails. Beeswax in 25 kg blocks or slabs on pallets. Propolis chilled in lined cartons.
- Container loading20ft: 20 t to 22 t of honey in 80 drums. Beeswax at 18 t to 20 t. Keep honey below 25 degrees Celsius to protect HMF and diastase.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on specification with a certificate of analysis covering moisture, HMF, diastase activity, C4 sugar and, increasingly, NMR profiling. Arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU Honey Directive 2001/110 as amended by Directive 2024/1438 with mandatory origin labelling, veterinary drug residue limits under Regulation 37/2010 with chloramphenicol and nitrofurans at zero tolerance, the third country residue monitoring plan requirement under Regulation 2022/1646, adulteration screening by NMR and EA-IRMS, and pyrrolizidine alkaloid limits under Regulation 2023/915.
Common questions
What grades of propolis does SIP Global trade?
We quote 34 published grades of propolis, including Green propolis - Baccharis dracunculifolia source, southeast Brazil, Brown and poplar type propolis - Populus species source, temperate northern hemisphere, Red propolis - Dalbergia ecastaphyllum source, northeast Brazil and the Caribbean, Birch type - Betula source, Russia and northern Europe, Mediterranean type - Cupressaceae source, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Sicily and Pacific and Okinawa type - Macaranga source. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is propolis graded?
Propolis is graded on botanical type, on collection method, and on the measured content of the resin and marker compounds that a manufacturer standardises an extract against. There is no single international standard, so the contract names the type, the assay methods and the laboratory. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical type as the contracted article, Composition and assay, Collection, form and processing, Residues and contaminants and Documentation and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade propolis?
We trade propolis in Brazil, Brazil, China, Ukraine, Turkiye, Russia, Argentina and Chile and 36 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is propolis harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Brazil: harvest mar to sep, arrival may to nov; Brazil: harvest sep to feb, arrival nov to apr; China: harvest may to sep, arrival jul to nov; Ukraine: harvest may to sep, arrival jul to nov; Turkiye: harvest may to oct, arrival jul to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for propolis?
Propolis is normally classified under HS 1301.90 (natural resins, other, including propolis). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for propolis?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed propolis market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.