Egypt has increased its presence in Spain's sweet potato market, nearly quadrupling exports during the 2024/25 marketing year (MY), according to EastFruit. Between July 2024 and June 2025, Egypt shipped 18,600 metric tons of sweet potatoes to Spain, valued at about US$12.4 million, marking a record volume. This represented 3.9 times more than in MY 2023/24 and 18.2 times more than in MY 2022/23.
Until recently, Spain was not a leading destination for Egyptian sweet potato exports. However, rapid growth in shipments has moved Spain to fifth place among Egypt's largest importers in MY 2024/25. Egypt supplies Spain year-round, with peak volumes usually recorded in winter. In MY 2023/24, the highest export volume occurred in December, while in MY 2024/25, peak shipments shifted to February.
Spain has traditionally sourced sweet potatoes from Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United States. Over the past two years, this trade dynamic has shifted. In MY 2023/24, Egypt overtook its competitors to become Spain's main supplier. In MY 2024/25, Egypt consolidated this position, supplying 62.8% of Spain's total imports. Portugal's share fell to 13.4%, while China moved into third place, surpassing both the Netherlands and the US.
Spain remains the largest sweet potato producer in Europe and the EU's second-largest exporter after the Netherlands. However, local farmers have reduced acreage in recent years due to competition from lower-cost imports, particularly from Egypt. This has led to lower domestic production and exports. At the same time, consumer demand has increased, with imports ensuring year-round availability and varietal diversity. Egypt's geographic proximity and competitive pricing have enabled it to dominate Spain's import market.
With Spain's exports declining, Egypt has also doubled its shipments to France, becoming the country's leading supplier of sweet potatoes.
Source: EastFruit