Which EU Countries Export the Most Food?

Key Takeaways

• France holds 33% of the EU’s extra-EU beverage exports in 2025. Wine and sparkling wine account for nearly two-thirds of France’s beverage export value.
• Spain leads EU meat exports at €4.1 billion in 2025. It is the EU’s largest pork producer.
• Romania leads EU cereal exports at €2.3 billion in 2025.
• France leads EU dairy exports at €3.3 billion in 2025. France, the Netherlands, and Ireland together account for 43% of EU dairy exports to non-EU markets.
• Ten countries account for nearly 90% of the combined export value across meat, dairy, cereals, and beverages.
• Product specialization determines each country’s ranking, not economic size. Countries with strength across multiple categories rank higher overall than those dominant in just one.

EU Countries’ Food and Beverage Exports to Non-EU Markets

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EU member states exported €82.1 billion in beverages, meat, dairy, and cereals to non-EU markets in 2025. France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland together account for €52.2 billion. That represents 64% of the combined total. 

France and Italy Together Exceed All Other EU Countries in Beverage Exports

France exported €11.9 billion in beverages in 2025. That figure represents 65% of its total across the four categories. Wine and sparkling wine account for nearly two-thirds of France’s beverage export value.

Italy ranks second at €7.0 billion. Wine drives most of Italy’s beverage exports as well. France and Italy together exported €18.9 billion in beverages. That exceeds the combined beverage exports of the remaining 25 EU member states by €2.2 billion.

Spain Leads EU Meat Exports Because It Produces the Most Pork

Spain exported €4.1 billion in meat in 2025. Spain is the EU’s largest pork producer. It contributes 23.5% of total EU pig meat output. 

Three countries follow Spain in EU meat exports:

• The Netherlands: €2.9 billion
• Ireland: €2.3 billion
• Poland: €2.1 billion

Beef dominates Ireland’s meat exports. Poland is the EU’s largest poultry producer. Together, these four countries account for €11.4 billion of the EU’s €17.2 billion in extra-EU meat exports.

Three Countries Account for 43% of EU Dairy Exports Outside the Bloc

France ranks first in dairy exports at €3.3 billion. The Netherlands follows at €2.8 billion and Ireland at €2.6 billion. Together, the three countries exported €8.6 billion. That represents 43% of the EU’s €20.3 billion dairy total.

Ireland’s position reflects how its agricultural sector is built around export rather than domestic consumption.

The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter by value. Advanced greenhouse farming and agricultural research underpin that position.

Romania and France Lead EU Cereal Exports

Romania leads all EU countries in cereal exports at €2.30 billion in 2025. France follows at €2.26 billion. Three Eastern European countries follow:

• Lithuania: €608 million
• Bulgaria: €957 million
• Poland: €625 million

In 2025, the EU was the world’s largest agri-food exporter. The combined €82.1 billion represents roughly a third of the EU’s total agri-food exports to non-EU markets.

Economic size does not determine a country’s position in total exports across the four categories. Product specialization does. Countries that have built export strength across multiple categories tend to rank higher in the combined total than those concentrated in a single one, even when that single-category position is substantial.