Market evolution: Fresh brassicas (CN 0704) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyses the European Union's external trade in fresh or chilled brassicas (Combined Nomenclature code 0704) between 2015 and 2025. The product group includes cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and kale. Over this decade, the EU's trade dynamics have been characterized by a pronounced shift from volume growth to value growth, a diversification of import sources, and evolving trade patterns among its member states. The following sections detail these key developments.

1. Value-Driven Export Growth Amidst Volume Stagnation

The EU's export performance in fresh brassicas has been marked by a fundamental shift: while the total value of exports increased substantially, the quantity shipped abroad declined. This points to significant unit price inflation as the primary driver of revenue growth.

• The value of EU exports to non-EU countries rose from €281.6 million in 2015 to €448.5 million in 2025, a 59.3% increase.
• Conversely, export volume fell from 338,710 tonnes to 275,795 tonnes, an 18.6% decrease.
• Consequently, the average export price surged from €831 per tonne to €1,626 per tonne, nearly doubling (+95.6%).

This price escalation reflects a combination of factors likely including inflationary pressures in the EU, increased production costs, and a possible shift towards higher-value products or markets. The trade balance remained strongly positive, widening from €246.8 million to €376.2 million over the period, underscoring the EU's role as a net exporter. The General Overview provides a comprehensive view of these aggregate trends.

1.1 The United Kingdom Remains the Paramount Export Market

The United Kingdom's importance as a destination for EU brassicas grew even more pronounced during the period, cementing its position as the largest single non-EU partner by a significant margin.

• In 2025, the UK absorbed €327.3 million worth of EU fresh brassicas, representing 72.9% of the bloc's total export value for this product.
• This value increased by 72.7% from 2015, while volumes were more stable, indicating the UK market also experienced substantial price inflation.
• Other key export partners like Switzerland and Norway also saw robust value growth (99.0% and 53.8% respectively).

A stark divergence is observed with Belarus. Exports to Belarus collapsed from €17.5 million in 2015 to just €0.4 million in 2025, a decline of 97.7%. This dramatic drop, coinciding with geopolitical tensions, highlights the vulnerability of trade corridors to external shocks. In contrast, exports to Ukraine surged from €0.7 million to €16.4 million. The full list of top export partners illustrates these shifts.

1.2 Internal EU Export Leaders and Specialisation

Within the EU, production and export capacity is concentrated. Spain is by far the largest exporter, followed by the Netherlands, France, Italy, and Poland.

• Spanish exports grew from €164.4 million to €285.0 million (+73.4%), solidifying its lead.
• Italian exports nearly doubled (+98.2%), showing strong growth.
• Analysis of specialisation indices confirms that Spain, Italy, and Portugal have the strongest comparative advantage in producing and exporting fresh brassicas within the EU.

2. Diversification and Growth in EU Import Sources

While the EU is a net exporter, its imports also grew significantly, both in value and volume. More notably, the geographic sources of these imports have diversified, reducing the concentration on traditional suppliers.

• Import value more than doubled, rising from €34.8 million in 2015 to €72.3 million in 2025 (+107.8%).
• Import volume increased from 63,579 tonnes to 86,811 tonnes (+36.5%), again with prices rising sharply (+52.2%).
• The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for import value fell from 2,751 to 1,832, indicating a clear decrease in market concentration and a more diversified supplier base.

2.1 The Rise of Western Balkan and Neighbouring Suppliers

The most dramatic growth in imports originated from several Western Balkan and neighbouring countries, which have rapidly increased their market share.

This surge reflects the successful integration of these countries into EU supply chains, likely benefiting from geographical proximity, favourable trade agreements, and competitive production costs. The full evolution can be explored via the top import partners.

2.2 EU Member States Driving Import Demand

Import growth is not uniform across the EU. Several member states, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, have substantially increased their intake of non-EU brassicas.

• Poland: Import value grew from €2.6 million to €9.0 million (+243.1%).
• Romania: Value increased from €1.8 million to €8.3 million (+358.6%).
• Austria: A 480.0% increase, from €1.2 million to €7.2 million.

Meanwhile, traditional importers like Ireland and the Netherlands showed more modest changes. This pattern suggests growing consumption or logistical advantages for sourcing from non-EU neighbours in newer EU member states. The detailed breakdown by reporting member state provides further insight.

3. Product-Level Nuances and Trade Stability

The aggregated CN 0704 heading masks distinct trends among its three main product sub-categories: cauliflowers and broccoli (070410), Brussels sprouts (070420), and other brassicas like cabbages and kale (070490).

• Cauliflowers & Broccoli (070410): This is the dominant export category by value (€319.3 million in 2025). Exports are relatively stable in volume (~170,000t) but saw strong price-driven value growth. Import volumes are more variable.
• Other Brassicas (070490): This category, which includes cabbages and kale, showed the strongest volume growth in imports (+37.5% since 2015). It is also the main category for imports, accounting for €50.8 million in 2025.
• Brussels Sprouts (070420): This is a smaller segment. Export values and volumes for this niche product have declined from their peak around 2019, while import prices have shown an increasing trend.

The product segment breakdown highlights these differences.

3.1 Trade Volatility and a Notable Price Shock

Trade with certain partners exhibits high volatility, as measured by the coefficient of variation (CV). For instance, exports to Ukraine and Belarus (CV >1.3) and imports from Egypt (CV 0.81) are particularly unstable.

A significant price shock was detected in 2023 for imports from the United Kingdom. This event saw an abnormal price shift of -20.4%, occurring in the largest import partner for several EU members. While specific causes require external context (e.g., a seasonal oversupply or logistical disruption), the supply shock analysis identifies it as the most pronounced single event in the dataset.

Conclusion

Over the 2015–2025 period, the EU's trade in fresh brassicas was fundamentally reshaped by persistent price inflation, which transformed modest volume trends into strong value growth for exports. The bloc's external trade relationship deepened, with the UK market growing in value importance while the EU's import sources diversified significantly, notably through the rise of Western Balkan suppliers like North Macedonia and Albania. Internally, Southern European nations like Spain and Italy consolidated their export specialisation, while newer EU members in the East became increasingly active importers. These dynamics illustrate a market adapting to cost pressures, changing supply chains, and evolving regional trade patterns.