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Oceans and fisheries

External trade

The EU is the leading trader of fisheries and aquaculture products in the world in terms of value. EU trade (i.e. imports and exports) has increased over the past few years, reaching €31.2 billion in 2020. Norway, the United Kingdom, China, Morocco and Ecuador are the EU’s main suppliers, while the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Norway and Switzerland are the EU’s main customers.

The EU is a net importer of fisheries and aquaculture products, mostly frozen, fresh and chilled. Spain, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are the leading importing Member States.

In 2020 exports to non-EU countries increased to €6.96 billion. Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain are the leading exporting Member States.

Trade between the Member States is very significant, totalling €23.25 billion in 2020. The main exporters to other Member States are the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Denmark. The main importers are Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Trade of fisheries and aquaculture products between EU Member States and non-EU countries (2020)
(volume in tonnes and value in thousand EUR)

 IMPORTSEXPORTS
VOLUMEVALUEVOLUMEVALUE
Pelagic fish1 246 3333 613 443907 7541 623 296
Salmonids1 076 7166 147 036151 4631 200 527
Other fish1 828 3966 981 613822 8152 386 440
Crustaceans598 3104 034 580121 666665 464
Molluscs577 8702 533 06862 859353 269
Non-food use products824 720897 162500 848734 413
Total EU-276 152 34524 206 9022 567 4056 963 409

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data.

Trade of fisheries and aquaculture products between EU Member States and non-EU countries – main suppliers (2020)
(value in thousand EUR and percentage of total)

Value of EU-27 imports from the main suppliers

Main suppliersValue%
Norway6 410 68026.5%
United Kingdom1 739 6877.2%
China1 519 3466.3%
Morocco1 296 9565.4%
Ecuador1 240 9835.1%
Iceland1 017 9354.2%
United States839 0433.5%
Vietnam793 3113.3%
Greenland623 5182.6%
India605 9722.5%
Russia582 6442.4%
Other non-EU countries7 536 82631.1%
Total24 206 902100%

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data.

Trade of fisheries and aquaculture products between EU Member States and non-EU countries – main customers (2020)
(value in thousand EUR and percentage of total)

Value of EU-27 exports to the main customers

Main customersValue%
United Kingdom1 683 325.8224.2%
United States644 177.679.3%
China577 743.428.3%
Norway560 139.518.0%
Switzerland499 387.067.2%
Japan341 056.654.9%
Nigeria221 846.923.2%
Morocco160 970.322.3%
Ukraine147 749.092.1%
Egypt137 146.362.0%
Canada121 601.001.7%
Other non-EU countries1 868 265.1526.8%
Total6 963 409

100%

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data.

Trade of fisheries and aquaculture products between EU Member States and non-EU countries (2020)
(value in thousand EUR and percentage of total)

Main Member States importing from non-EU countries
Spain4 267 91117.6%
Sweden4 047 06316.7%
Denmark2 856 80811.8%
Netherlands2 843 95011.7%
France2 559 11510.6%
Italy2 140 1188.8%
Germany1 765 9287.3%
Poland915 4613.8%
Other Member States2 810 55011.6%
Total EU-2724 206 902100%
Main Member States exporting to non-EU countries
Denmark1 451 64720.8%
Netherlands1 193 05917.1%
Spain1 041 23215.0%
Germany519 1637.5%
France507 7207.3%
Sweden388 8875.6%
Poland383 3275.5%
Ireland286 6614.1%
Other Member States1 191 71217.1%
Total EU-276 936 409100%

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data

Imports and exports of fisheries and aquaculture products - extra-EU trade (2020)
(volume in tonnes and value in thousand EUR)

Member StateIMPORTSEXPORTS
VolumeValueVolumeValue
BE136 958820 95319 59964 228
BG14 07629 5312 90114 349
CZ14 63250 0361 77510 316
DK932 5742 856 808515 2221 451 647
DE483 3681 765 928137 911519 163
EE8 19936 93571 06164 701
IE185 796272 106220 799286 661
EL121 247317 23017 23377 220
ES1 130 6624 267 911446 7041 041 232
FR563 7962 559 115138 192507 720
HR13 25824 99122 43495 060
IT442 8092 140 11852 405227 226
CY7 57032 0054 65525 416
LV24 84453 72846 31077 414
LT71 113194 37636 166102 599
LU3134 6781301 137
HU3 21710 1951 4345 113
MT30 87543 55610 540132 725
NL669 6982 843 950575 0801 193 059
AT7 84848 2092 07122 959
PL267 027915 461106 386383 327
PT150 703531 87446 390203 354
RO18 54351 7353 86113 985
SI4 21811 7041 9638 170
SK5 60214 9849002 997
FI57 603261 72616 94842 745
SE785 7974 047 06368 334388 887
Total EU-276 152 34524 206 9022 567 4056 963 409

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data.

Imports of fisheries and aquaculture products – extra-EU trade (2020)
(value in thousand EUR)

 Pelagic fish
ES1 012 139
IT651 584
NL457 907
FR444 078
DE328 203
PL129 337
SE102 343
PT94 287
Other Member States393 566
Total EU-273 613 443
 Salmonids
SE3 258 831
DK1 112 482
PL410 343
FR394 023
NL239 591
FI216 479
DE206 617
BE59 168
Other Member States249 501
Total EU-276 147 036
 Other fish

NL

1 374 281
ES892 321
DK840 934
DE839 769
FR736 291
SE549 501
IT434 446
PL339 509
Other Member States974 561
Total EU-276 981 613
 Crustaceans
ES899 274
FR693 095
NL605 064
DK516 554
IT369 066
BE358 435
DE227 198
SE120 219
Other Member States245 675
Total EU-274 034 580
 Molluscs
ES1 333 643
IT604 220
FR213 429
PT95 110
NL88 970
EL69 301
DE32 202
BE32 034
Other Member States64 161
Total EU-272 533 068
Non-food use products
DK275 645
DE131 940
ES82 351
FR78 198
NL78 137
EL67 711
BE57 655
IE57 524
Other Member States68 001
Total EU-27897 162

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data.

Exports of fisheries and aquaculture products - extra-EU trade (2020)
(value in thousand EUR)

 Pelagic fish
ES488 718
NL283 268
FR121 849
IE109 789
IT97 924
MT93 643
PL79 599
HR64 639
Other Member States283 866
Total EU-271 623 296
 Salmonids
SE313 735
DK234 371
NL173 429
DE157 014
PL143 465
FR61 114
FI32 915
IE19 322
Other Member States65 162
Total EU-271 200 527
 Other fish
NL509 942
ES334 541
DK334 431
DE263 581
FR185 426
PL146 320
PT114 677
IT76 854
Other Member States420 669
Total EU-272 386 440

 

 Crustaceans
DK347 446
NL164 922
FR31 789
ES30 658
DE27 661
EE16 402
IE13 788
IT8 994
Other Member States23 804
Total EU-27665 464

 

 Molluscs
ES158 686
FR68 410
IE29 533
IT20 758
PT19 939
NL16 257
DK15 211
BG7 196
Other Member States17 280
Total EU-27353 269
Non-food use products
DK457 097
IE60 912
NL45 240
FR39 133
DE38 122
BE22 372
ES21 635
IT16 796
Other Member States33 107
Total EU-27734 413

Source: Eumofa elaboration of Eurostat data.