The EU has become the third-largest importer of agri-food products after the United States and China, according to a European Commission report published this week.
Last year, EU agri-food trade reached a total value of €306 billion; €184 billion in exports and €122 billion in imports. Both values represent slight growth of 1.4% and 0.5% respectively, compared to the year before.
The EU is the largest trading bloc and has a wide-ranging network of free trade agreements (FTAs) underpinning its position in world trade.
Commenting on the figures, Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said: “Promoting open and fair trade is a political priority for the European Commission which greatly benefits our farmers.
“The success of agricultural trade is clearly linked to the Common Agricultural Policy, which supports competitiveness and innovation, and also to the excellent reputation of our products as being safe, sustainably produced, nutritious and of high quality.”
Which agri-food products is the EU importing and exporting?
The EU exports a wide range of products in a variety of product classes, ranging from commodities to highly processed food industry products.
EU imports however, are clearly dominated by basic agricultural food and feed products, which represent about 75% of all imports.
Looking at product categories, exports of pigmeat and wheat strongly contributed to the increase in overall EU agri-food exports.
The growth in EU agri-food imports was mainly driven by increases in import values for oilseeds, fatty acids and waxes, palm oil, fruit and soya beans.
Which countries are the EU’s biggest agri-food trading partners?
China, Switzerland and the Middle East and North Africa region were the major growth destinations for EU agri-food exports in 2020.
The value of EU exports fell most to the United States, Turkey, Singapore and Japan. In terms of imports, Canada grew significantly as a source for EU imports. At the same time, EU imports declined most in value from the United Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States.
In 2020, the UK was the EU’s most important partner in agri-food trade, with a share of 23% in total EU agri-food exports and 13% in total imports.
Sales of EU agri-food goods to the UK reported a moderate growth of 1% over the course of 2020 to reach €41.8 billion.