According to data corresponding to the period between January and October 2017 from the Department of Customs and Special Taxes, Spanish exports of fresh fruits and vegetables to the EU grew by 3% over to the same period of 2016, as they amounted to 9,484 million euro. Meanwhile, its exports to non-EU European countries increased by 5%, and amounted to 274.3 million euro, and exports to the rest of the world grew by 1%, totaling 480.6 million euro. The export shares of the main destination areas remain unchanged: 93% of the total is sent to the EU, 2.5% to non-EU European countries, and the remaining 4.5% to extra-European countries. Thus, market diversification continues to be one of FEPEX's priorities for 2018.
Diversifying markets is also important for the European Commission. Regulation (EU) 2017/2393 of the European Parliament and Council, which entered into force on January 1 and includes the part corresponding to agriculture and rural development of the so-called Omnibus Regulation, includes promotional actions to diversify markets. Article 4 on the amendments to (EU) Regulation No. 1308/2013, which established the common organization of markets for agricultural products, extends crisis management measures of producer organizations and their associations to include activities aimed at diversifying and consolidating the fruit and vegetable markets.
In the period analyzed, Germany and the Netherlands recorded year-on-year growth of 5%, totaling 2,658 million euro and 816.6 million euro respectively, while both France and the United Kingdom United registered a 2% setbacks, totaling 1,782 million euro and 1,384 million euro respectively.
Switzerland is the biggest non-EU market for Spanish fruit and vegetables, with 181 million euro (+7%), followed by Brazil with 79.6 million euro (-13%).
Some outstanding increases in the period were the exports to Canada, which amounted to 39.8 million euro (+18%), and to Saudi Arabia, which totaled 47 million euro (+21%). In contrast, exports to the United Arab Emirates declined by 9% and amounted to 49.8 million euro.
China has also registered a positive evolution in the analyzed period with 21.4 million euro (+49%).
Source: fepex.es