EU Agri-Trade: Moving through Turbulent Times

The EU remains the leading trader in the world. In terms of imports it far exceeds its nearest rival, the US and is also the world’s leading exporter since 2003. In 2006 the EU had turned into a small net exporter of agricultural products. However this proved short-lived (see MAP brief June 2008), with the EU once again showing a deficit in its agricultural trade balance for 2007 and the trend has continued in 2008. This MAP examines what lies behind the evolution in the trade balance.