Large import duties reduce the EU's agri-food surplus, despite stable exports.

Brussels, January 28, 2026 – The agri-food trade of the European Union slowed down in November 2025, after a peak performance in October, according to the latest report published by the European Commission. Although the community bloc remains a dominant global exporter, high import prices have affected the overall trade balance, reducing the surplus compared to the previous year.

In short

The cumulative agri-food surplus of the EU for the period January-November 2025 reached 46.1 billion euros, lower than in the same period of 2024. Cumulative imports increased by 10%, reaching 173.1 billion euros, a growth largely driven by higher prices of imported goods, not by volumes. Despite a monthly decline in November, total exports for this year reached 219.2 billion euros, an increase of 1% compared to 2024.

Between January and November 2025, the EU maintained a positive trade balance, with a cumulative surplus of 46.1 billion euros. However, the figure is below the levels of 2024, a change mainly attributed to difficult market conditions and the rising cost of imports. November, in particular, recorded a monthly surplus of 4.1 billion euros, as trade flows returned to more typical levels after an exceptionally strong October.

Exports in November 2025 totaled 19.7 billion euros, a decrease of 2% compared to November 2024. However, the long-term trend remains positive: cumulative exports for the first eleven months of the year stood at 219.2 billion euros, an increase of 2.8 billion euros (+1%) compared to the previous year, confirming the EU's status as a major global supplier of agri-food products.

On the other side of the balance, imports remained persistently high. In November alone, the EU imported agri-food goods worth 15.6 billion euros, an increase of 1% both compared to the previous month and the previous year. The impact of inflation on goods is evident in the figures from the beginning of the year to the present: from January to November, imports amounted to 173.1 billion euros, a significant jump of 10% (+15.9 billion euros) compared to 2024, driven almost exclusively by higher unit prices.