Market evolution: Animal products unfit for food (CN 0511) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the trade dynamics of EU customs code 0511, which covers Animal products n.e.s.; dead animals of all types, unfit for human consumption. The heading bundles three sub-categories: bovine semen (051110), fish and aquatic products unfit for consumption (051191), and all other animal-origin products and dead animals unfit for consumption (051199). Over the 2015–2025 period, the EU's external trade in this product class underwent a striking structural transformation: the bloc moved from being a notable net importer to approximate trade balance, with exports nearly doubling in value while import volumes actually contracted. The following sections unpack the main dynamics behind this shift.

1. From net importer to near self-sufficiency: a structural trade reversal

The most consequential development over the decade is the EU's transition from a position of significant net import reliance to one of near self-sufficiency in CN 0511 products.

The trade balance swung from deficit to near parity

In 2015, the EU ran a trade deficit of €80.2 million in CN 0511 with non-EU countries. By 2025, this deficit had narrowed to €48.7 million — an improvement of 39.3%. More strikingly, the net import reliance indicator shifted from +32.4% in 2015 to −5.4% in 2025, meaning the EU actually became a slight net exporter on average across the period. At its most negative point, the indicator reached −8.9%, confirming that the EU flipped from dependence to modest surplus.

Exports grew far more vigorously than imports

The divergence was driven by asymmetric growth:

Export volumes more than doubled, while import volumes actually shrank. On the price side, export unit values declined slightly (−6.6%), suggesting the EU was able to scale up exports while remaining price-competitive, whereas import prices surged by 66.8% — a dynamic explored further below.

EU domestic production expanded substantially

Behind the export surge lies a significant expansion of EU production volumes. Domestic output grew from 2.18 billion kg in 2015 to 3.52 billion kg in 2025 (+61.6% by quantity). Production value rose even faster, from €240 million to €741 million (+208.4%), indicating that the EU not only produced more but captured higher-value segments. The export propensity — the share of domestic production directed to non-EU markets — climbed from 35.3% to 51.4%, suggesting that the EU's growing output was increasingly channelled abroad.

2. Deepening trade relationships, rising prices, and partner volatility

While the aggregate figures tell a story of export growth, the partner-level data reveals a more complex picture of diversification, price shocks, and shifting supply chains.

Import partners: Brazil and Viet Nam surged while traditional suppliers held steady

The top import partners in 2025 were the United Kingdom (€52.6M), Brazil (€43.9M), Norway (€46.4M), Switzerland (€13.2M), and the Faroe Islands (€8.3M). Over the decade, the most dramatic growth came from:

• Brazil: €16.5M → €43.9M (+165.9%)
• Viet Nam: €6.5M → €20.5M (+216.1%)
• Faroe Islands: €5.2M → €8.3M (+59.6%)

Meanwhile, Norway — the largest single supplier in 2015 — saw its share decline by 18.1%, and Iceland dropped by 46.0%. This diversification reduced import concentration: the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for import value fell from 1,163 to 1,042 (−10.4%), and import volume concentration dropped even more sharply (−21.8%).

Export markets expanded rapidly, with some spectacular growth stories

On the export side, the EU's top destinations in 2025 were the United Kingdom (€65.0M), the United States (€60.7M), Norway (€51.3M), Ecuador (€32.7M), and Chile (€18.4M). Several partners saw exceptional growth:

• Ecuador: €1.7M → €32.7M (+1,840%)
• Norway: €8.0M → €51.3M (+537.7%)
• Liechtenstein: €8.5M → €23.8M (+179.7%)

Export concentration remained moderate and rose slightly, with the HHI for exports edging up from 897 to 951 (+5.9%), reflecting the growing weight of a few large partners like Norway.

The 2022 price shock stands out as a defining moment

The volatility and shock analysis identifies three major shock events:

The simultaneous occurrence of the Brazilian and Chilean shocks in 2022 is likely linked to the global commodity price inflation and supply chain disruptions of that year. The large volatility coefficients for partners like Faroe Islands (CV = 0.73), Iceland (CV = 0.62), and the Russian Federation (CV = 0.61) on the import side, and Norway (CV = 0.97) and Thailand (CV = 1.04) on the export side, underline that significant price and volume fluctuations remain a feature of this trade.

Germany, Denmark, and France dominate intra-EU reporting

Among EU Member States, Germany was the largest both importer (€79.9M in 2025) and exporter (€67.8M). Denmark saw the most dramatic export growth among the top seven, rising from €19.3M to €66.9M (+246.3%), while Belgium (+366.2%), Spain (+260.1%), and Poland (+326.3%) also expanded exports substantially. On the import side, France's imports grew by 150.9% (€27.9M → €70.0M) and Ireland's by 180.4%. Denmark held the highest revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA = 0.58) among EU members, followed by Poland (0.29) and the Netherlands (0.13), confirming the Nordic and Benelux countries' strong specialisation in this product class.

3. Aquatic waste and bovine semen: divergent sub-segment trajectories

The CN 0511 heading masks highly heterogeneous sub-products, and the aggregate growth figures are underpinned by very different dynamics across the three sub-segments.

Fish and aquatic waste (051191) was the fastest-growing export segment

The star performer was sub-heading 051191 — fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates unfit for human consumption. EU exports in this segment exploded:

This single sub-product accounted for nearly all of the acceleration in CN 0511 export growth. On the import side, 051191 volumes fluctuated (316,450 t in 2015 → 266,152 t in 2025) but value grew modestly (€100.8M → €96.2M), reflecting a relatively stable price environment. The export unit value for 051191 was volatile (ranging from €884/t to €1,560/t across the period), suggesting a heterogeneous and possibly niche product mix.

Terrestrial animal waste (051199) remained the largest segment by volume

Sub-heading 051199 — terrestrial animal-origin products and dead animals unfit for consumption — was the largest component by both import and export volume. Imports held broadly steady in volume (254,374 t → 270,694 t) but value rose from €115.9M to €239.7M (+106.8%), driven by a near-doubling of the unit price from €452/t to €885/t. Export volumes grew from 144,138 t to 237,878 t (+65.0%) with value rising from €140.2M to €231.5M (+65.1%). The unit export price for 051199 remained relatively stable (€933–€1,063/t range), in contrast to the sharp import price rise, which suggests that the EU's position as both producer and exporter provided some pricing insulation.

Bovine semen (051110): tiny in volume, significant in value, and price-opaque

Bovine semen (051110) is a micro-segment in weight terms — just 33 tonnes imported and 51 tonnes exported in 2025 — but punches well above its weight in value:

Imports of bovine semen consistently exceeded exports in value, contributing a structural deficit of roughly €56 million in 2025. Notably, the supplementary unit price (EUR per unit of semen) for imports ranged from €6.0 to €8.3 per unit across the period, while the primary unit price (EUR per tonne) was extremely high (€228,000–€3,246,000/t), reflecting the extraordinary density and value-per-kilogram of this biological product. The import supplementary volume grew from 8.07 million units to 11.54 million units (+43.0%), indicating rising demand for foreign bovine genetics.

Conclusion

Over 2015–2025, the EU's trade in CN 0511 products underwent a fundamental reorientation. The bloc moved from a position of meaningful net import reliance (32.4%) to near balance and even slight net export status (−5.4%), powered by a doubling of export values and volumes. This transformation was driven primarily by the explosive growth of aquatic waste exports (051191, +411% in value) and by a broad expansion of terrestrial animal waste exports (051199, +65% in value), underpinned by a 62% rise in EU production volumes.

At the same time, import dynamics tell a story of rising costs and diversifying sources. Import volumes fell by 6% even as values rose by 57%, reflecting a 67% increase in unit prices — particularly acute in the terrestrial segment. Traditional suppliers like Norway ceded ground to rapidly growing exporters like Brazil (+166%) and Viet Nam (+216%). The 2022 commodity price shock left a visible mark on both import and export prices.

The EU's export orientation has strengthened markedly: export propensity nearly reached 51% of domestic production, and the bloc's trade in this category is now characterised more by outbound flows than by the inbound dependence that prevailed at the start of the period. Denmark, Belgium, Spain, and Poland emerged as particularly dynamic exporters, while the structural deficit in bovine semen highlights a remaining area of import dependence within the broader product group.