The value of trade (imports plus exports) of agricultural goods between the European Union (EU) and the rest of the world was € 275 billion in 2018, equivalent to 7.0 % of the total extra EU international trade in goods. It is almost evenly divided between exports at € 137 billion and imports at € 138 billion and so there was only a small trade deficit. Between 2002 and 2018, trade measured in value more than doubled, equivalent to an average annual growth of 5.0 %, with exports growing faster (5.8 %) than imports (4.3 %).
The source dataset is accesible here.
In terms of volume of trade, in 2018 the EU imported 151 million tonnes of agricultural products, while it exported 99 million tonnes. Between 2002 and 2018 the total trade volume had an average annual growth rate of 2.1 %. Here too, exports grew faster (3.1 %) than imports (1.5 %). The average annual increase in prices for exports (2.6 %) was lower than for imports (2.8 %).
Agricultural products can be subdivided into three main groups: animal products, vegetable products and foodstuffs. In exports, the largest group, with 57 %, is foodstuffs, while vegetable products (22 %) and animal products (21 %) had almost equal shares. In imports, the largest group, with 48 %, is vegetable products, followed by foodstuffs (32 %) and animal products (20 %).
The source dataset is here.
Note:
The animal products category consists of live animals, meat, fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates, dairy produce, eggs, honey, and other products of animal origin.
Vegetable products include trees, plants, vegetables, fruit, coffee, cereals, seeds and oil.
Foodstuffs consist of various types of processed goods deriving from vegetable and animal products such as sugar, beverages, tobacco and prepared animal fodder.
For more information:
- Statistics explained article on extra-EU trade in agricultural goods
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