Agri-food and fisheries exports increased by 4.1% in 2020 and reached a record figure of 53.848 billion euros

These results are included in the Annual Preview of Foreign Trade prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) based on data from the Customs and Excise Department of the State Tax Administration Agency. The balance does not include forestry products, which were included in previous reports of the historical series and which are now the responsibility of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The data can also be viewed with the new interactive computer tool on the MAPA website.

Imports in the Spanish economy as a whole fell by 14.7% with respect to 2019. This decrease was smaller in the agri-food and fisheries sector, 4.6%, and reached an overall figure of 35.155 billion euros.

As a result, the trade balance of the Spanish agri-food and fisheries sector (the difference between exports and imports) increased by 25.8% in the year as a whole, and amounted to 18.693 billion euros, a figure that is also a record in the historical series of these indicators. In contrast, the overall trade balance of the Spanish economy declined by 57.4% in 2020.

Thus, the agri-food and fisheries sector consolidated the key role it plays in Spanish foreign trade, and now accounts for more than a fifth (20.6%) of the national economy's total exports, while imports represent 12.8%.

The main contribution came from fruit, with an export value of 9.57 billion euros. In second place was meat, at 8.476 billion euros, and was the subsector with the highest growth, 17.8%, driven by the demand for pork from China. Vegetables constituted the third largest export group at 6.89 billion euros.

The beverages group, among which wine is of great importance, was more affected by the pandemic, particularly due to closures and restrictions on opening hours in the hotel and catering industry, meaning exports fell by 3.5%, with a total value sold of 4.348 billion euros. Olive oil exports also fell slightly, by 1.5%, with billings of 4.182 billion euros.

The European Union (EU) remains the preferred destination for Spanish food and beverage exports, accounting for 63% (33.760 billion euros in economic terms), with an increase in export value of 1.7%. The EU's share until last year was even higher at 72% in 2019, before the UK's exit. Although the data refer to 2020, the UK is already included as a third country in the 2021 report.

The value of exports to third countries increased last year by 8.5% (20.088 billion euros overall) due to the significant boost in sales to China, which increased by 67.3%.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has developed a new interactive computer tool-available on its website since 28 July-that allows data and analysis of the evolution of agri-food and fisheries foreign trade to be obtained.

The tool is available to any user on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in the Analysis and Foresight section.

Non official translation