Cereals: European imports fall by 10 per cent in the first 10 months of 2026
Wheat imports from non-EU countries have fallen by a third thanks to a massive rebound in domestic production. The agri-food sector as a whole recorded a surplus of 34.7 billion
European cereal imports have taken a step backwards, with spending falling to 5.48 billion euros in January–August 2026, 10 per cent less than a year ago. This downturn was driven primarily by imports of wheat and rice from non-EU countries. This trend is part of a broader slowdown in agri-food trade, although the decline is less pronounced for the food and drink sector as a whole.
A breakdown of the data released by the European Commission reveals a particularly sharp decline for wheat, with a massive 34 per cent drop in value, corresponding to a reduction of 548 million euros compared with the same period in 2025. This was mainly due to the contraction in physical trade flows, driven by the sharp rebound in harvests across the EU-27, whilst for rice – which saw a 16 per cent fall, amounting to 212 million – the decline reflects the combined effect of lower import volumes and more subdued international prices. These two trends converge in the final result, but highlight differing patterns in the evolution of European demand, which remains lower than a year ago.
Overall – according to Brussels – agri-food imports fell to 122.9 billion euros, a drop of 4 per cent and a reduction of 4.5 billion. The main factor easing the burden on the EU-27’s balance sheet was the price of cocoa, which fell significantly from the peaks reached last year. For the category comprising coffee, tea, cocoa and spices, the decline totalled 5.5 billion euros, corresponding to a fall of 19 per cent. However, dairy imports also contributed to the slowdown, falling by 21 per cent.
The results are positive, with the sector’s trade balance continuing to favour the EU-27. Over the eight months under review, the surplus jumped to 34.7 billion euros, adding over 4 billion to last year’s positive balance. Exports, which have continued to hover around €157.7 billion, reflect the negative trends in olive oil, pork and cocoa-based products in this year’s flat performance. These trends were offset by growth in cross-border turnover recorded for other items, with the most marked improvements seen in other products of animal origin and in the spirits and liqueurs category.
