2007年蜂蜡进口量估计为440万磅，较2006年576万磅的历史纪录急剧下降。主要的蜂蜡进口来源国为加拿大（24%），中国（22%），阿根廷（17%），法国（7%）。2007年从中国进口量下降了45%，从阿根廷的进口量下降了23%。
    相信2007年蜂蜡进口量的减少是暂时的，因为过去25年的进口量都是增长的。二十世纪80年代蜂蜡进口量平均194万磅/年。
    蜂蜡的成分包括一元烷基磷酸酯（Alkyl ester monocarboxylic Acids 71-72%）,游离蜡酸（free wax acids 13.5-14.5%）,碳氢化合物（hydrocarbons 10-11%）,一元酸脂，即十六酸蜂花脂（myricyl palmitate C15H31CO2C30H61）占到最大的比重。游离酸有二十六碳酸(C26H52O2)以及碳氢化合物（C31H64）。蜂蜡里还有少量的十六(烷)酸鲸蜡(醇)酯（C42H84O3）。
    化妆品应用是蜂蜡最大的终端用途，占到蜂蜡消费量的3/4。化妆品用途包括化妆乳、化装膏、盥洗用品、润发油、胭脂、眼霜、防晒霜、片剂包封、口红。还有一小部分蜂蜡被用来做羽毛润饰，釉质酸蚀、平版印刷术，糖果包皮。
    最近这些年，由于国内的蜜蜂养殖厂经历了蜂群崩溃症的祸害，这个祸害是大量成年蜂的缺失，而在蜂巢内和门口也没有发现蜜蜂尸体的堆积。结果，蜂群不明理由地丧失了他们的工蜂。蜜蜂在食物供应上起着很重要的作用，因为它们担负着为全球90多种水果和蔬菜授粉的任务，蜜蜂还为本地生物系统内的很多植物授粉。蜜蜂蜂群的这种现象被称为蜂群崩溃失调症（CCD）。蜂群崩溃失调症引起美国蜂群养殖中50-90%的损失。由于蜜蜂在农业生产中的重要性，很多正在进行的研究项目都是对蜂群崩溃症的原因的研究。
    随着研究的继续，很多的团队报告说在蜂群崩溃症（CCD）和以色列急性瘫痪病毒(IAPV) 发病现状有很强的联系。尽管研究人员还没有发现在CCD和和其他传染载体之间有任何的必然联系，但是他们在患CCD的蜜蜂上发现IAPV病毒的流行，包括发病周期，地理环境因素都表明IAPV病毒是蜂群崩溃症的起因。
    在一个项目中，研究在蜜蜂中辨别出五种细菌组，四种真菌血统以及七种病毒。这项研究利用一项新的处理方法包括快速基因排列技术来对蜜蜂身上的各种微生物进行分类。在对已知的序列进行比较之后，他们在健康的蜜蜂和患病的蜜蜂中找到了相同的共生的可致病的细菌、真菌和病毒，还发现了相同的外来有机体。有一种叫IAPV的病毒只有在患病的蜜蜂上有发现，所以IAPV病毒成为排名第一的蜂群崩溃症起因。下一步的研究包括如何减少患病蜜蜂的数量、测定IAPV病毒的传播途径以及如何抵抗蜂群崩溃症。
    Beeswax imports in 2007 are forecast at 4.40 million pounds, down sharply from a record 5.76 million pounds in 2006. The leading sources of bee wax imports in 2007 are Canada (24%), China (22%), Argentina (17%) and France (7%). Imports from China in 2007 are down 45 percent and shipments from Argentina are down by 23 percent.
    The decline in imports in 2007 is believed to be temporary as the overall trend over the 25 years has been an increase in imports. Beeswax imports in the decade of the 1980s averaged 1.94 million pounds per year, and increasing to 2.85 million pounds in the 1990s. So far in the first decade of the new century, beeswax imports have averaged slightly more than 4.16 million pounds per year.
    The composition of beeswax consists of alkyl esters of monocarboxylic acids (71-72%), free wax acids(13.5-14.5%), and hydrocarbons (10-11%). The monocarboxylic acids ester present in largest quantity is myricyl palmitate (C15H31CO2C30H61), the free acid is cerotic acid (C26H52O2) and the hydrocarbon (C31H64), and Small quantities of ceryl palmitate (C42H84O3) are also present.
    Cosmetic applications are the largest end use for beeswax, accounting for an estimated three-quarter of consumption. Cosmetic uses include creams, salves, ointments, lotions, pomades, rouges, eye makeup, sunscreens, pill and tablet coatings, and lipsticks. Small amounts of beeswax are use in leather finishing, acids etching, lithography, and as a confectionary coating.
    In recent years, domestic beekeepers have been plagued by a collapse of honeybec colonies in which there is a complete absence of adult bees and little or no build up of dead bees and little of no build up of dead bees inside or in front of hives. As a result, honey bee colonies inexplicably lose all of their worker bees. Bees play an important role food supply, since they are essential for the pollination of over 90 fruit and vegetable crops world-wide. Honey bees also pollinate many native plants within the ecosvstem. The problem has been called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). CCD has resulted in a loss of 50-90 percent of colonies in beekeeping operations across the U.S. Because of the importance of honeybees to agriculture, a number of research programs have been undertaken to determine the cause of CCD.
    As the work continues, a number of these teams have now reported a strong correlation between the occurrence of CCD and a virus “Israel Acute Paralysis Virus” (IAPV). Although researchers have not yet proven a casual relationship between any infectious agent and CCD, they note that the prevalence of IAPV genetic material in bees suffering from CCD, the timing of the outbreaks, and the geographical circumstances, all of which indicate that IAPV is a significant marker for CCD.