The total value of imports and exports of agricultural products between the EU and the rest of the world was EUR 275 billion in 2017.
Agricultural products can be divided into three product categories: vegetables (trees, plants, vegetables, fruit, coffee, cereals, seeds and oil), foodstuffs (various types of processed goods deriving from vegetable and animal products such as sugar, beverages, tobacco and prepared animal fodder) and animal products (live animals, meat, fish, crustaceans, dairy produce, eggs, honey etc.).
Foodstuffs made up 56 % of EU exports of agricultural products in 2017, vegetables 22 % and animal products 22 %. Vegetables accounted for 48 % of EU imports of agricultural products, foodstuffs 32 % and animal products 20 %. The main recipient of EU exports of agricultural products in 2017 was the United States (16 % of total EU exports of agricultural products), followed by China (8 %) and Switzerland (6 %). For EU imports of agricultural products, Brazil and the United States (8 % each of total EU imports of agricultural products) were the biggest partners, followed by Norway and China (both 5 %).
Further information is provided in the Statistics Explained article Extra-EU trade in agricultural goods.
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