HS Code:
Lilies (Lilium spp.) are a genus of herbaceous flowering plants widely cultivated for their large, prominent flowers. They are popular in the global floriculture market for ornamental purposes, including cut flowers, potted plants, and garden landscaping. Lilies are traded primarily as bulbs, cut flowers, and sometimes as live plants under the Harmonized System (HS) Code 060110 (bulbs, tubers, tuberous roots, corms, crowns, and rhizomes, dormant) and HS Code 060314 (cut flowers of lilies). The trade of lilies is driven by demand in floral arrangements for events, weddings, and home decor, with significant seasonal peaks around holidays such as Easter and Mother’s Day.
Total Trade Volume
Approximately $1.2 billion USD
Data from 2022
Source
United Nations Comtrade Database, International Trade Centre (ITC)
$650 million USD
54% of total trade of total trade
Increasing
$180 million USD
15% of total trade of total trade
Increasing
$90 million USD
7.5% of total trade of total trade
Stable
$70 million USD
5.8% of total trade of total trade
Stable
$50 million USD
4.2% of total trade of total trade
Increasing
Average Rate
5.2% ad valorem
Highest Rate
12% (applied by certain developing countries to protect local floriculture industries)
Lowest Rate
0% (under free trade agreements such as EU-US agreements or within regional blocs like ASEAN)
Growing demand for sustainable and organic lilies
Increased production costs but higher premiums in markets like the EU and North America, driving exporters to adopt eco-friendly practices
2021-2023
Rise in e-commerce for floral products
Direct-to-consumer sales of lily bulbs and cut flowers have surged, benefiting exporters with strong logistics networks
2020-2022
Shift towards hybrid varieties
Demand for disease-resistant and longer-lasting lily hybrids has encouraged innovation in breeding, particularly in the Netherlands
2019-2023
The European Union introduced stricter phytosanitary requirements for imported lilies to combat the spread of lily leaf beetles and fungal diseases.
January 2023
Exporters from non-EU countries, especially in Africa and Latin America, face higher compliance costs, potentially reducing trade volumes to the EU.
The Dutch government and private sector invested in expanding lily bulb production capacity to meet growing global demand.
March 2022
Solidifies the Netherlands' dominance in the lily trade, potentially pressuring smaller exporters.
Renewal of preferential trade terms under the US-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, reducing tariffs on Colombian lilies entering the US market.
October 2022
Boosts Colombian lily exports to the US, increasing competition for domestic US growers.