However, the value of exports was 3.7% higher compared with April 2017, according to the European Commission’s latest monthly trade report. Monthly import values decreased by 2% compared with the same month a year ago. This led to the monthly agri-food trade surplus rising to €1.5 billion, a 66% increase over April 2017.
The highest increases in monthly export values (April 2018 compared to April 2017) were recorded for the United States (up €64 million), Japan (an increase of €59 million), Algeria (an increase of €40 million) and Switzerland (up €37 million), while exports fell most to Saudi Arabia (down €92 million), Turkey (decreased by €71 million) and the UAE (down €38 million).
Wheat exports have experienced the most significant drop in value terms on an annual basis (down €1.254 billion or 26%).
As for imports, the value of April 2018 E.U. agri-food imports compared with April 2017 increased most for imports coming from Ivory Coast (up €50 million), Chile (increased by €42 million) and Tunisia (up €37 million). The value of imports from Ukraine, Indonesia, Australia and Paraguay went down most, with respectively a decrease of €110 million, €74 million, €71 million and €67 million.
The highest increases in import values over the last 12 months were recorded for cereals (excluding wheat and rice) (up 38%), tropical fruit (up 5%), fatty acids (up 35%) and olive oil (up 75%). However, import values decreased in particular for soya beans (down 14%) and oilcakes (down 9%).
