IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘EU – Wheat – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

Imports of durum wheat in the EU surged by +25% y-o-y to 6.1M tonnes, reaching $1.7B in 2020. Over the last year, the share of durum supplies by volume in the total European wheat imports increased from 15.4% to 19.2%. Italy represents the largest importer of durum wheat in the EU. Belgium emerged as the fastest-growing European importer of durum wheat in 2020. The total imports of all types of wheat estimated at 32M tonnes or $7.4B in value terms.

European Imports of Durum Wheat

In 2020, imports of durum wheat in the EU surged to 6.1M tonnes, with an increase of +25% against the previous year’s figure. In value terms, durum wheat imports soared by +29.0% y-o-y to $1.7B in 2020. Over the last year, the share of the durum wheat supplies (by volume) in the total European wheat imports increased from 15.4% to 19.2%.

Italy represented the major importing country with an import of around 3.2M tonnes, which amounted to 51% of total imports. Belgium (866K tonnes) occupied the second position in the ranking, followed by Spain (498K tonnes) and Germany (372K tonnes). All these countries together occupied approx. 28% share of total imports. Poland (264K tonnes), the Netherlands (263K tonnes), Portugal (145K tonnes), Greece (103K tonnes) and Luxembourg (96K tonnes) followed a long way behind the leaders.

Imports into Italy in volume terms increased by +27.8% in 2020. Belgium (+163.7%), Poland (+105.5%), Portugal (+51.0%), Greece (+7.6%) and Luxembourg (+5.5%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Belgium emerged as the fastest-growing importer imported in the EUin 2020. By contrast, Germany (-3.7%), Spain (-8.3%) and the Netherlands (-30.5%) illustrated a downward trend over the same period.

In value terms, Italy ($950M) constitutes the largest market for imported durum wheat in the EU, comprising 55% of total imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Belgium ($200M), with a 12% share of total imports. It was followed by Spain, with a 7.7% share.

In 2020, the durum wheat import price in the EU amounted to $282 per tonne, increasing by 3.5% against the previous year. Average prices varied somewhat amongst the major importing countries. In 2020, major importing countries recorded the following prices: in Germany ($319 per tonne) and Luxembourg ($304 per tonne), while Poland ($214 per tonne) and Belgium ($230 per tonne) were amongst the lowest. In 2020, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Spain, while the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Total European Wheat Imports

In 2020, approx. 32M tonnes of wheat were imported in the EU; flattening at the previous year’s figure. In value terms, wheat imports rose by +2.2% y-o-y to $7.4B (IndexBox estimates) in 2020.

In 2020, Italy (8M tonnes), distantly followed by the Netherlands (4.4M tonnes), Spain (4.2M tonnes), Germany (4M tonnes) and Belgium (3.8M tonnes) were the largest importers of wheat, together comprising 77% of total imports. Romania (1.2M tonnes), Portugal (1.2M tonnes), Austria (1.2M tonnes), Greece (0.9M tonnes), Poland (0.9M tonnes) and Latvia (0.7M tonnes) followed a long way behind the leaders.

In value terms, Italy ($2B) constitutes the largest market for imported wheat in the EU, comprising 28% of total imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by the Netherlands ($962M), with a 13% share of total imports. It was followed by Spain, with a 13% share.

The wheat import price in the EU stood at $233 per tonne in 2020, picking up by +2.9% against the previous year. Average prices varied somewhat amongst the major importing countries. In 2020, major importing countries recorded the following prices: in Italy ($256 per tonne) and Portugal ($243 per tonne), while Poland ($199 per tonne) and Austria ($207 per tonne) were amongst the lowest.

Source: IndexBox Platform