Browse Data and Analysis

The Italian food-processing industry continues to be highly fragmented, characterized by growing consolidation of smaller companies.

The turnover of the Dutch food processing industry in 2021 (most recent data available) was valued at $83 billion. There are more than 8,000 food processing companies active in the Netherlands and together they account for an estimated 150,000 jobs.

The February 6, 2023 earthquakes greatly affected Kahramanmaras, the center of Turkiye's cotton yarn and textile production, but the industry is already on the road to recovery.

Turkiye’s food and beverage sector depends on domestic and imported ingredients, a large portion of which are sourced from Europe. European ingredients enjoy zero or low import duties under preferential trade agreements, as well as lower freight costs.

The drought in Andalucía is anticipated to prevent further expansion of Spain’s cotton area in MY 2023/24. Irrigation water allocation will be critical for farmer’s planting decisions, and temperatures and pest incidence during the summer months will also determine final yields.

The food processing is the fourth-largest industry in Germany. According to the Federation of German Food and Drink Industries' (BEV) estimates, total revenue of USD 20.7 billion were generated across all sectors in 2022, which is 17.9 percent higher than the previous year.

In March, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry (MinAF) detected for the first time an SAT-2 strain of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in cattle.

On February 15, 2023, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/334 amending Annexes II and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 lowering the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for clothianidin and thiamethoxam in or on certain products was published in the Official Journal (OJ).

In 2022, Spain imported $2.1 billion worth of agricultural, seafood and forest products from the United States, up 27 percent compared to the previous year. After high rates of consumer price inflation in 2022, the latest European Union economic forecast shows Spain’s economic growth forecast at 1.4 percent in 2023 and 2.0 percent in 2024.

The UK has a large, well-developed food processing industry, requiring a wide range of ingredients, from low-value, highly processed food to high-value, lightly processed ingredients. This provides many opportunities for U.S. exporters, including wellness and health products.

On March 8, 2023, the Turkish government issued a notice in the Official Gazette to lift the remaining restrictions on exporting certain agricultural products, including red meat, tomatoes, some pulses, and sunflower oil.

Bulgarian production of oilseed crops in marketing year (MY)2022/23 was at the same level as in MY2021/22 at 2.4 million metric tons (MMT), from 8 percent higher area harvested due to lower yields impacted by the summer heat and drought.