Brussels: The EU agri-food trade surplus reached €34.7 billion in January to August 2026, the European Commission reported on 29 October, up €4.1 billion on the same period a year earlier. The figure comes from the DG AGRI report on EU agri-food trade developments until August 2026. Exports held steady while imports fell, and that gap widened the surplus.

Exports totalled €157.7 billion, roughly unchanged year on year, according to the Commission’s agriculture news item. Imports dropped €4.5 billion, or 4%, to €122.9 billion. That combination explains why the agri-food trade surplus grew even without any export growth.

Spirits and liqueurs led the gains, with exports rising €583 million, or 11%. Exports of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices moved the other way and fell €1.4 billion, or 16%. Lower shipments of olive oil, pig meat and cocoa products also weighed on the total, but gains in several other categories offset them and protected the agri-food trade surplus.

Destination markets shifted too. Exports to Türkiye rose €320 million, or 8%, mainly on beef and veal. Shipments to India grew €253 million, or 29%, with sunflower oil doing most of the work. Exports to Gulf countries returned to average levels in August after earlier disruption.

The import figures show where the surplus came from. Imports of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices fell €5.5 billion, or 19%, mainly because cocoa prices keep falling. Imports from Côte d’Ivoire dropped €1.4 billion, or 22%, while imports from Cameroon fell 46% and from Nigeria 47%. Fruit and nut imports moved up €825 million, or 4%.

The pattern matters for the EU’s trade stance. A flat export line combined with falling imports means the agri-food trade surplus grew because of lower purchasing costs, not because European farmers sold more abroad. That distinction shapes how Commission officials, farm lobbies and trade negotiators read the 2026 figures, particularly for products such as olive oil and pig meat where exports slipped.

Farmers and food makers should read the numbers with care. A larger agri-food trade surplus does not mean stronger demand for every product, because cheaper cocoa explains a large share of the import decline. The 2026 trade data therefore reflect price movements, not only volumes, and the export side stayed flat.

The Commission publishes the full monitoring report on its agriculture portal, and negotiators will use it as a benchmark in trade talks. For now, the EU agri-food trade surplus shows a resilient sector, yet the olive oil, pig meat and cocoa figures show how quickly a good year can turn.