Browse Data and Analysis

EU’s cherry and peaches and nectarines production for MY2022/23 is anticipated to amount to just over 726,000 MT and 3.1 million MT, respectively. The favorable growing conditions in the main producing Member States support cherry production expansion, while in the case of peaches and nectarines, improved production levels in Greece, Italy, and France, have offset poor performance registered in Spain.

Dry and warm conditions across the EU, combined with a decline in corn plantings, are anticipated to reduce the bloc’s total grain production in MY 2022/23. Nevertheless, EU exports of grains are expected to remain stable and partially replace Black Sea Region origins in international grain markets. EU grain importing Member States will expand their purchases in alternative grain suppliers to make up for the limited access to Ukrainian grain and the shorter domestic availability.

U.S. beef exports into the EU’s High Quality Beef (HQB) quota seem to finally have emerged from the impact of COVID-19 restrictions in the last quarter of the 2021/2022 quota year. In the quota year 2022-2023, U.S. beef exporters can at last start benefitting from the 2019 agreement with the EU about reserving a U.S. specific part of the HQB quota, which was negotiated between the United States and the European Union in 2009.

MY 2021/22 citrus production in the EU is projected to drop by five percent as unfavorable weather conditions pushed yield down in the main EU citrus-producing Member States. The lower domestic supply is expected to reduce exported amounts of citrus. Imports are projected to expand, in response to the lower EU production available and the return to close to pre-pandemic tourism activity.

On June 29, 2022, the European Commission (EC) approved one genetically engineered (GE) crop (maize) for food and animal feed. The authorization was published in the European Union’s Official Journal on July 1, 2022 and remains valid for 10 years.

Interactive Tableau visualization showing what percentage of U.S. agricultural exports go to each of the top markets.

With the lifting of the pandemic lockdowns during 2021 and 2022, EU consumption of both bioethanol and biodiesel is picking up. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to surges in prices of the transport fuel blends.

In 2021, EU wood pellet consumption hit a new record of 23.1 million metric tons (MMT) mainly due to increased residential use in Germany and co-firing of wood pellets with coal in the Netherlands. In 2022, EU demand is expected to further grow to 24.3 MMT, based on expansion of the residential markets, mainly in Germany and France, boosted by support programs for the installation of biomass boilers and the high price of fossil fuels.

On June 22, 2022, the European Commission adopted its proposal for a new Regulation on the sustainable use of Plant Protection Products (SUR). The rules encourage reducing pesticides through integrated pest management and alternatives to chemical pesticides.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.

This report provides an overview of the biofuel use mandates in EU-27 member states, including temporary changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It supplements the EU Biofuels Annual Report 2022.

On July 1, 2022, a new quota year starts for the EU High Quality Beef Quota. U.S. exporters can use this quota as well as the Hilton quota for exporting high quality bovine meat to the European Union. This report provides an update on the programs and the certification requirements for both tariff rate quotas.