Spanish fruit and vegetable exports to China dip in H1

Spain exported 3,661 tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables worth €5.9m to China in the first half of this year, a fall of 6 per cent in value and 1 per cent in volume compared to the same period in 2023. Imports for the first six months of this year grew 65 per cent in value and 34 per cent in volume to €6.6m and 4,823 tonnes respectively.

China accounts for just 0.2 per cent of total Spanish fruit and vegetable imports, which stood at 2.2m tonnes and €2.6bn in the first half of this year, according to data from the Customs and Excise Department, processed by Fepex.

Although China accounts for just 0.2 per cent of Spain’s total fruit and vegetable exports, it has been a market of interest for exports due to its size and growing middle class.

However, its distance has been a limiting factor, as has the fact that the Spanish authorities have been slower than their counterparts in other parts of the world when it comes to negotiating phytosanitary protocols with the Chinese government.

At present, Spain has export protocols in place for stonefruit (peaches, plums, nectarines), grapes, citrus, persimmons and almonds.