Spain posted a historic high in food and beverage exports in 2023, helping push the annual positive trade balance for agri-food products higher by 14.5 percent. The 2023 trade balance report shows Spain achieved a surplus of 14,124.4 million euros in the sector of food, beverages, and tobacco, while exports reached 67,209.6 million euros, rising 4.6 percent year over year. The uptick in outbound shipments reflects a broad-based improvement across categories, underscoring the country’s growing prominence as a supplier of agricultural and processed foods to international markets.
Imports in the agri-food sphere also climbed, by 2.3 percent, reaching 53,086 million euros, according to data from the Secretary of State for Trade. Within Spain’s export mix, food, beverages, and tobacco ranked as the second-largest sector by weight, accounting for 17.6 percent of total goods exports, trailing only machinery and equipment. Destination and product patterns highlight the positive impact of sales of fruits, vegetables, and pulses to Germany, while a decline in oil exports to Belgium offset some gains on the import side.
Indeed, fruits, vegetables, and pulses constitute the most significant group within the agri-food balance, with external sales totaling 22,918.4 million euros and an increase of 5.1 percent. At the same time, hortofrutícola imports also rose, reaching 8,218.3 million euros, up 12.1 percent from 2022.
Food products of animal origin follow in importance, with meat products exporting 12,192.6 million euros, up 6.4 percent, while imports for this category climbed to 3,385.6 million euros, an ascent of 13.7 percent. In third place are exports of oils and fats, which reached 6,847.6 million euros but fell by 2.9 percent; imports for this category stood at 5,253.8 million euros, down 11.8 percent. These figures illustrate shifting patterns in energy-dense and processed food trade within the broader agri-food sector.
Pescados, mariscos, and conservas form the fourth-largest export group by value, totaling 5,344 million euros, with a slight decrease of 0.2 percent. Spain remains a net importer in the fishing trade, with imports worth 8,183.5 million euros, down 7.9 percent, resulting in a reduced fisheries trade deficit of 2,839.5 million euros, a 19.5 percent improvement versus 2022. This trajectory points to a cooling in domestic seafood consumption and a tighter balance in maritime food trade.
Exports of sugar, coffee, and cocoa also rose, by 10.4 percent to reach 2,771 million euros. However, imports climbed by 14 percent to 4,775 million euros, leaving a negative balance of 2,004.3 million euros in that sub-sector. The dairy and egg category achieved exports of 2,409 million euros, rising 8.5 percent, even as imports increased by 10.5 percent to 3,266.5 million euros. The overall picture shows a persistent but evolving demand for dairy products within both domestic consumption and international markets.
Together, these trends illustrate how Spain’s agri-food sector leveraged product diversity and growing external demand to strengthen its trade position in 2023, while also signaling areas where domestic consumption patterns and price dynamics influence the balance of trade. Analysts note that the strength in fresh produce and value-added goods helped offset some sectoral weaknesses elsewhere, contributing to a healthier overall export profile and a more favorable deficit outlook in certain subsectors. Ongoing diversification of markets and continued emphasis on quality and safety standards are expected to sustain momentum into the following year.
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