The UK's fresh fruit and vegetable imports from the EU amounted to 6.1 million tonnes worth 7,172 million Euro in the period from January to September 2016, which makes it the largest importer within the EU horticultural market, according to the latest data, updated by the European Statistical Office, Eurostat.
During the period at hand, the United Kingdom imported 2.8 million tonnes of EU vegetables and 3.3 million tonnes of fruit worth 3,316 million Euro and 3,856 million Euro, respectively. The UK imports a wide range of vegetables; it is the largest importer of EU tomatoes, with 568,042 tonnes worth 880.7 million Euro and the second largest importer of potatoes, with 447,178 tonnes worth 185 million Euro. Also noteworthy are the imports of pepper, with more than 400,000 tonnes; cucumber, with 346,159 tonnes; lettuce, with 208,157 tonnes; onion, with 208,772 tonnes, and cabbage, with 192,642 tonnes.
The main fruits imported by the UK from the EU are citrus fruits, with 694,820 tonnes worth 690.7 million Euro; bananas, with 537.383 tonnes and 451.5 million Euro, and apples and pears, with 499.4 million tonnes worth 471 million Euro.
During the period under analysis, intra-EU trade in fruit and vegetables totalled 28.4 million tonnes worth 26,006 million Euro.
Exports of fresh fruit and vegetables from the United Kingdom to the EU during the period at hand amounted to 277,046 tonnes, of which 190,895 tonnes corresponded to vegetables and 86,192 tonnes to fruit, worth 204 million Euro, of which 111 million Euro corresponded to vegetables and 93 million Euro to fruits. These data reflect the United Kingdom's strong deficit in its trade balance with the EU in the fruit and vegetable sector.
For Spain, the United Kingdom is the third most important export market. During the period analysed, up to September 2016, Spain exported 1.1 million tonnes to the United Kingdom, 12.5% of the total, for which it received 1,312 million Euro. In 2015, Spanish exports totalled 1.4 million tonnes worth 1,614 million Euro, having grown by 40% over the last five years.
FEPEX considers it highly important for the United Kingdom to remain in the single market in the fruit and vegetable sector, given the volumes handled and the market interdependence.
