EU tomato imports rise as exports shrink

EU imports of fresh tomato have climbed steadily since 2015, from 481,000 tons to 628,000 tons in 2018. The largest non-EU supplier by far is Morocco. Imports from the North African country climbed 10.7% in 2018 to reach 449,700 tons. While tomato exports from Turkey plummeted between 2009 and 2013 (from 105,000 tons to 29,000 tons), they have since risen steadily, reaching 108,000 tons in 2018 – an increase of 6.5% from 2017. Israel is no longer the major source of tomatoes it once was. Between 2009 and 2018, shipment volumes fell from 25,000 tons to just 639 tons.

Meanwhile, exports of fresh tomato beyond the EU have plunged since 2013, as the Russian market is no longer available. In 2013, shipments stood at 369,000 tons, but by 2018, they had fallen to just 117,000 tons. Volumes have shrunk to both Russia and Belarus (8,100 tons and 32,200 tons respectively in 2018), while they’ve remained stable to the other major destinations: Switzerland (27,200 tons) and Norway (23,800 tons).