EU’s third country exports fall in volume and value

EU fresh fruit and vegetable exports to third countries fell 4 per cent in 2021, according to Eurostat data, processed by Fepex.

Exports from the 27 EU member states plus the UK to non-EU countries dropped to 5.5m tonnes, with value decreasing by 2 per cent to just over €5bn.

Vegetable exports came to 2.8m tonnes, 6 per cent less than in 2020, with value falling by 4 per cent to €2.12bn.

Fresh fruit exports, meanwhile, stood at 2.6m tonnes, down 1 per cent, at a value of €2.88bn (down 1 per cent).

”Faced with the low volumes and the drop in sales of community fruit and vegetables to third countries, the opposite process occurs in community imports from third countries, with much more volume and growth,” Fepex stated.

”In this sense, imports from the EU plus the UK of fruit and vegetables produced in third countries grew by 4 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020, standing at 14.8m tonnes, which shows, according to Fepex, the globalisation of the food market.”