EU: solid agri-food trade in 2026
September 30, 2026 at 12:13 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Exports outweigh imports
The EU agri-food sector expanded its positive trade balance in the first seven months of 2026, with a cumulative surplus of EUR 30.1 billion, EUR 2.9 billion higher than in the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports for January-July totalled EUR 138.7 billion, EUR 1.6 billion (1%) below the same period in 2025.
There was notable growth in exports to several countries recorded in this period. Exports to Egypt increased by EUR 251 million (+22%), driven mainly by wheat, while exports to Ukraine rose by EUR 239 million (+10%) and those to Türkiye by EUR 235 million (+7%). Among product categories, exports of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices fell by EUR 1.3 billion (-16%), while pigmeat and olives and olive oil also recorded significant decreases. Exports of other animal products increased by EUR 549 million (+11%), while spirits and liqueurs rose by EUR 470 million (+10%).
|
EU agri food exports (million EUR) |
|||
|
Category |
2025 |
2026 |
Diff. |
|
Cereal preparations and milling products |
14,668 |
14,446 |
-1.5% |
|
Dairy products |
12,063 |
12,309 |
2.0% |
|
Mixed food preparations and ingredients |
9,412 |
9,456 |
0.5% |
|
Wine and wine based products |
9,726 |
9,446 |
-2.9% |
|
Preparations of fruit, nuts and vegetables |
7,398 |
7,010 |
-5.2% |
|
Confectionary and chocolate |
7,305 |
6,914 |
-5.4% |
|
Coffee, tea, cocoa and spices |
7,922 |
6,645 |
-16.1% |
|
Pigmeat |
7,245 |
6,315 |
-12.8% |
|
Beer, cider and other beverages |
6,345 |
6,282 |
-1.0% |
|
Cereals |
6,150 |
6,227 |
1.3% |
|
Pet food and forage crops |
5,251 |
5,531 |
5.3% |
|
Other animal products |
4,859 |
5,408 |
11.3% |
|
Vegetables |
5,462 |
5,344 |
-2.2% |
|
Spirits and liqueurs |
4,809 |
5,279 |
9.8% |
|
Tobacco, cigars and cigarettes |
5,086 |
4,806 |
-5.5% |
|
Other products |
26,547 |
27,258 |
2.7% |
|
Total |
140,246 |
138,677 |
-1.1% |
|
EC (2026), Monitoring EU agri-food trade. European Commission, DG Agricultural and Rural Development, Eurostat Comext, 01/01-31/07 |
|||
Cocoa prices main driver for imports
Cumulative imports reached EUR 108.6 billion, down EUR 4.5 billion (4%) year-on-year. Import values from major cocoa-producing countries declined as cocoa prices continued to fall, with prices now around half their spring 2025 peak. Imports from Côte d’Ivoire fell by EUR 1.2 billion (-21%), while imports from Cameroon and Nigeria both decreased by 46%. By contrast, imports from Brazil increased by EUR 528 million (+5%), mainly due to higher soybean volumes, while imports from Argentina rose by EUR 240 million (+8%), driven by sunflower seeds.
Among product categories, imports of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices fell by EUR 4.8 billion (-19%), while cereal imports declined by EUR 609 million (-11%) and dairy imports by EUR 308 million (-19%). By contrast, imports of fruit and nuts increased by EUR 587 million (+3%), while imports of non-edible products for technical use and margarine and other oils and fats also recorded increases.
|
EU agri food exports (million EUR) |
|||
|
Category |
2025 |
2026 |
Diff. |
|
Coffee, tea, cocoa and spices |
25,280 |
20,456 |
-19.1% |
|
Fruit and nuts |
17,159 |
17,746 |
3.4% |
|
Oilseeds and protein crops |
11,248 |
10,962 |
-2.5% |
|
Non-edible for technical use |
6,213 |
6,677 |
7.5% |
|
Cereals |
5,373 |
4,764 |
-11.3% |
|
Preparation of fruit, nuts and vegetables |
4,485 |
4,519 |
0.8% |
|
Vegetable oils (oilseeds and palm) |
4,327 |
4,367 |
0.9% |
|
Mixed food preparations and ingredients |
3,990 |
3,969 |
-0.5% |
|
Vegetables |
4,052 |
3,951 |
-2.5% |
|
Other animal products |
3,297 |
3,292 |
-0.2% |
|
Cereal preparations and milling products |
3,189 |
3,137 |
-1.6% |
|
Tobacco, cigars and cigarettes |
3,292 |
3,135 |
-4.8% |
|
Margarine and other oils and fats (vegetable) |
2,740 |
3,071 |
12.1% |
|
Spirits and liqueurs |
2,457 |
2,570 |
4.6% |
|
Beef and veal |
1,836 |
2,130 |
16.0% |
|
Other products |
14,150 |
13,880 |
-1.9% |
|
Total |
113,091 |
108,627 |
-4.0% |
|
EC (2026), Monitoring EU agri-food trade. European Commission, DG Agricultural and Rural Development, Eurostat Comext, 01/01-31/07 |
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