With US trade at the forefront of the news cycle, Fepex has revealed that fresh produce shipments climbed in volume and value last year, albeit from a low base
Fepex has revealed that Spanish fruit and vegetable sales to the US increased in both volume and value terms in 2024.
In volume terms, exports came in 20 per cent higher year-on-year at 32,468 tonnes, with value rising 10 per cent to €93mn, according to data from the Department of Customs and Special Taxes
Despite the growth, exports did not exceed 0.2 per cent of the total fresh produce volume exported by Spain, which stood at 12.3mn tonnes last year, and 0.5 per cent of the total value, which exceeded €17.7bn.
Garlic was the main product exported by Spain to the US in 2024 at 18,015 tonnes (down 4 per cent), for a value of €68.6mn euros (up 2 per cent).
Onions followed with 6,381 tonnes at €3.6mn euros, and then lemons with 2,000 tonnes exported at a value of €2.8mn.
Fepex said that other notable categories were persimmons, with 1,335 tonnes and €3.1mn; mandarins, at 1,301 tonnes and €1.4mn; peppers with 1,166 tonnes and €3.7mn; and cucumbers with 1,158 tonnes and €2.4mn.
”The US is ranked 20th among the destination countries of the Spanish sector, so, as a whole and at a sector level, it would not be one of the most affected if the US imposed tariffs on community production,” Fepex stated.
”However, at an individual level it would harm companies that have already made investments and campaign plans to export to this country.
”Regarding bilateral agri-food trade between the United States and Spain, according to the ’Special Bilateral Report: United States 2023’ of the Ministry of Agriculture, agri-food and fishery exports from Spain to the United States represented 4.2 per cent of the total traded by this sector, while imports from that origin accounted for 3.8 per cent of the total imported by our country,” Fepex added.
