2025/Q2 Article 04. Food commodity production and imports in Spain and the EU: how much external autonomy is there?

Series: Economic Bulletin.

Author: Lucía Cuadro-Sáez, Javier J. Pérez and Francesca Viani

European Union

• International trade

Full document

2025/Q2 Article 04. Food commodity production and imports in Spain and the EU: how much external autonomy is there? (529 KB)

Abstract

Rationale

This article analyses European Union (EU) and Spanish production and imports of food commodities. A distinction is drawn between intra- and extra-EU imports, documenting the main non-EU suppliers and their concentration. The article also examines the geopolitical affinity of these non-EU suppliers with Spain and the EU.

Takeaways

• Products are considered to have high external vulnerability when, in addition to being produced in insufficient quantity to cover domestic consumption, they meet three conditions: (i) extra-EU imports exceed total exports (i.e. exports cannot fully replace such imports); (ii) extra-EU imports account for more than 50% of total imports; and (iii) there is high concentration among non-EU suppliers.
• On these criteria, both the EU and Spain show considerable external autonomy in the 11 food categories analysed, primarily underpinned by domestic production and trade integration within the European single market.
• Spain has strong supply and export capacity in olive oil, meat, fruit and vegetables. The only food commodity group that meets the criteria for high external dependency is oilseeds.
• The geopolitical positioning of the main non-EU suppliers of food commodities does not appear to pose a significant risk to either Spain or other countries in the region.