European imports are growing faster than exports

Trade in agricultural products within the European Union continues to grow. Still, the balance between imports and exports is slowly shifting. For companies in the food industry, international trade flows therefore remain important to monitor closely.

Exports rise slightly

In 2025, the EU exported €238.2 billion worth of agricultural products. That was 1.6 percent higher than in 2024. Imports reached €213.5 billion. As a result, the EU maintained a trade surplus of €24.7 billion.

Trade has continued to grow steadily since 2015. Exports increased by an average of 4.4 percent annually. Imports grew by an average of 5 percent over the same period.

The United Kingdom remained the largest export market for European agricultural products. The country accounted for 23.3 percent of the total export value. That equals €55.6 billion. The United States, Switzerland, and China followed behind.

The share of the United States declined slightly. According to the EU, this was caused by import tariffs on several agricultural products.

Brazil remains the largest import partner

On the import side, Brazil remained the EU’s most important trading partner. In 2025, the country supplied €18.2 billion worth of agricultural products to Europe. The United Kingdom, the United States, and China followed behind.

The EU’s main trading partners changed little compared to 2024. Ukraine was the exception. The share of Ukrainian agricultural products in total EU imports dropped from 6.7 to 5 percent.

According to the EU, that decline is linked to the expiration of temporary trade arrangements for agricultural products from Ukraine.

Ec.europa.eu