EU reinforces its leading position in global agri-food trade

9 Sep 2021 12:50 PM

2020 marked another improvement in the EU's leading position among the world's biggest exporters of agri-food products. On the import side, the EU has become the third largest importer after the United States and China, according to a report published yesterday.

2020 was an exceptionally challenging, yet successful year for EU agri-food trade, which reached a total value of €306 billion: €184 billion in exports and €122 billion in imports. Both values represent a slight growth of 1.4% and 0.5% respectively, compared to 2019.

International trade has played a crucial role in mitigating the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and proved to be a central tool in enhancing resilience. The EU is the largest trading bloc and a wide-ranging network of free trade agreements (FTAs) underpins its position in world trade.

Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture, yesterday said:

“Promoting open and fair trade is a political priority for the European Commission which greatly benefits our farmers. The success of agricultural trade is clearly linked to the Common Agricultural Policy, which supports competitiveness and innovation, and also to the excellent reputation of our products as being safe, sustainably produced, nutritious and of high quality.”

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