The EU has sustained the growth of Spanish fresh fruit and vegetable exports in the first four months of the year, with a 10% increase in volume and 13% in value compared with the same period of 2014, reaching a total of 4.5 million tonnes and 4,342 million Euro, while exports to non-EU countries dropped by 13% in both volume and value, to a total of 303,609 tonnes and 289 million Euro.
Spanish exports to the EU have increased in 2015 and represent 94% of the total exported by Spain in the first four months of the year, compared with 92% in the same period of 2014. By contrast, exports to non-EU destinations represent 6%, compared to the 9% registered in 2014.
In the group of non-EU destinations, most exports have gone to non-EU European countries, which received 136,626 tonnes, 36% less than in the first four months of 2014, worth 153 million Euro (-32%). The decline has been due to the Russian veto, since exports from Spain to Russia in the first four months of the year have gone from 79,271 tonnes in 2014 to 0 this year. In any case, there have also been declines in shipments to other noteworthy destinations, such as Norway, with 35,293 tonnes (-11%) and 38.7 million Euro (-9%). By contrast, exports to Switzerland have increased by 9% in volume and 10% in value, to a total of 70,641 tonnes and 92.6 million Euro.
As for Spanish exports outside Europe in the first four months of the year, they amounted to 166,893 tonnes (+24%) worth 136 million Euro (+28%). Algeria, UAE, Canada and Morocco are the main destinations in this group, with the UAE registering the greatest growth (+44%).
Spain's total fruit and vegetable exports between January and April 2015 grew by 8% in volume compared to the same period in 2014, to a total of 4.8 million tonnes, and by 11% in value, reaching 4,632 million Euro, according to the Department of Customs and Special Taxes of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
