Market evolution: Fresh leguminous vegetables (CN 0708) — 2015–2025
Introduction
This report examines the evolution of EU extra-EU trade in fresh leguminous vegetables (CN code 0708), covering peas, beans, and other leguminous vegetables, shelled or unshelled, fresh or chilled. Over the 2015–2025 period, the EU has remained a large net importer of these products, with a persistent trade deficit hovering around €350–390 million. However, beneath this apparent stability lie dramatic structural shifts: a collapse of EU exports, a reshaping of import supplier geography, rising unit prices, and a stark divergence between the fortunes of the export and import sides. The analysis draws on trade overview data, partner-level breakdowns, and product segment comparisons.
1. The Dramatic Collapse of EU Exports
The most striking feature of the 2015–2025 period is the severe contraction of EU exports of fresh leguminous vegetables to non-EU countries. Total export value fell from €69.0 million in 2015 to just €24.3 million in 2025 (−64.7%), while export volumes dropped from 33,901 tonnes to 10,093 tonnes (−70.2%).
1.1 Brexit as the single largest shock to EU export markets
The United Kingdom was by far the EU's largest export destination throughout the period, yet its share of EU exports collapsed catastrophically. UK-bound exports peaked at €68.9 million (in 2017, when the UK still participated in the EU single market for customs purposes) before falling to €6.9 million in 2025 — a decline of 83.2%. This decline accelerated sharply after 2020, coinciding with the UK's formal departure from the EU single market and customs union. The volatility coefficient for this trade flow stands at 0.83, confirming the instability of the relationship.
| Destination | Value 2015 (€M) | Value 2025 (€M) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 41.2 | 6.9 | −83.2 |
| Switzerland | 9.6 | 9.4 | −2.5 |
| Norway | 9.8 | 5.7 | −41.5 |
| Egypt | 0.02 | 0.24 | +1,334.0 |
| India | 1.6 | 0.3 | −81.9 |
| United States | 2.6 | 0.03 | −98.7 |
| Pakistan | 0.4 | 0.09 | −73.6 |
Source: Partners (exports)
The collapse of UK-bound exports largely explains the aggregate decline: without the UK, the EU's remaining non-EU export markets had already been modest and also contracted over the period. Switzerland remained the only relatively stable non-EU destination.
1.2 EU member states' exporting capacity in retreat
The decline in exports was broad-based across major EU exporting member states:
| Reporter | Value 2015 (€M) | Value 2025 (€M) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 25.3 | 12.9 | −49.0 |
| France | 13.3 | 4.3 | −67.9 |
| Belgium | 10.8 | 0.3 | −97.3 |
| Spain | 4.6 | 1.9 | −58.2 |
| Germany | 7.2 | 0.3 | −96.2 |
| Italy | 1.7 | 1.7 | +2.4 |
| Latvia | 0.2 | 0.9 | +374.4 |
Source: Reporters (exports)
Belgium and Germany essentially exited the export market, while the Netherlands — the EU's largest re-exporter — lost nearly half its value. Only Italy held steady and Latvia grew, though from a very small base. This broad retreat suggests a structural erosion of competitiveness or reorientation of EU production towards intra-EU markets rather than merely a partner-specific shock.
1.3 Export concentration fell as volumes shrank
Paradoxically, as the overall export volume collapsed, the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) for export concentration by value fell from 4,032 to 2,882 (−28.5%). This reflects the fact that the previous dominance of the UK as a single destination was being broken by its collapse, and residual exports were spread across a more diverse — but much smaller — set of partners. Concentration data.
2. Import Resilience and the Consolidation of African Supplier Dominance
In contrast to exports, EU imports of fresh leguminous vegetables proved far more resilient. Total import value declined only moderately from €416.1 million to €385.6 million (−7.3%), while import volumes fell from 189,125 tonnes to 158,139 tonnes (−16.4%). This divergence — steeper volume decline than value decline — signals rising import prices.
2.1 Morocco: the indispensable supplier
Morocco remained the EU's overwhelmingly dominant supplier throughout the decade, accounting for roughly 60–65% of total extra-EU import value. Moroccan imports moved from €247.8 million in 2015 to €239.3 million in 2025 (−3.4%), with a notably low coefficient of variation (0.089), confirming the stability and reliability of this supply relationship. The maximum recorded value was €269.9 million. Morocco's dominance reflects its geographical proximity, established logistics chains (particularly for green beans and peas), and preferential trade arrangements with the EU.
| Supplier | Value 2015 (€M) | Value 2025 (€M) | Change (%) | CV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 247.8 | 239.3 | −3.4 | 0.089 |
| Kenya | 62.1 | 57.2 | −7.8 | 0.112 |
| Egypt | 36.2 | 30.7 | −15.2 | 0.208 |
| Senegal | 16.6 | 24.4 | +47.1 | 0.191 |
| Guatemala | 19.7 | 2.5 | −87.3 | 0.481 |
| United Kingdom | 8.6 | 1.1 | −86.9 | 0.813 |
| Zimbabwe | 10.1 | 4.0 | −60.1 | 0.260 |
Source: Partners (imports)
2.2 African suppliers: consolidation and selective growth
The import side shows a clear trend toward African supplier consolidation. While Kenya and Egypt experienced moderate declines, Senegal stands out as a growth story, increasing from €16.6 million to €24.4 million (+47.1%). Senegal's rise — from the fourth to potentially third or second-ranked African supplier by value — reflects the country's investment in off-season horticultural production for the European market, particularly green beans.
By contrast, non-African suppliers experienced steep declines. Guatemala collapsed from €19.7 million to €2.5 million (−87.3%), and the United Kingdom (now a non-EU exporter to the bloc) fell from €8.6 million to €1.1 million (−86.9%). Both flows show very high volatility (CV of 0.48 and 0.81 respectively), indicating instability.
2.3 EU importers: Spain consolidates as the gateway
Among EU member states, Spain emerged as the largest importing country, growing from €134.6 million to €150.4 million (+11.7%), reflecting its role as the primary entry point for Moroccan and African produce. The Netherlands and France, the other two major importers, both contracted:
| EU Importer | Value 2015 (€M) | Value 2025 (€M) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 134.6 | 150.4 | +11.7 |
| Netherlands | 108.4 | 99.6 | −8.1 |
| France | 120.8 | 100.0 | −17.3 |
| Belgium | 17.8 | 9.6 | −46.3 |
| Germany | 20.1 | 10.8 | −46.2 |
| Italy | 4.7 | 7.5 | +59.4 |
Source: Reporters (imports)
Belgium and Germany saw import values roughly halved. Italy, however, grew strongly (+59.4%), possibly reflecting increasing demand or shifts in supply chain routing. Import concentration by value rose slightly (HHI from 3,909 to 4,199, +7.4%), consistent with Morocco's share remaining dominant while smaller suppliers fell away.
2.4 Specialisation underscores the Mediterranean–Atlantic axis
Revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) analysis for 2025 shows that the most specialised EU member states in fresh leguminous vegetable trade are Lithuania (RSCA 0.64), France (0.52), Spain (0.46), and the Netherlands (0.39). At the other extreme, Finland (−0.99), Ireland (−0.99), and Sweden (−0.96) show strong negative specialisation, meaning they are structurally net importers with negligible export capacity in this product category. Specialisation data.
3. Rising Prices, Shifting Product Mix, and Supply Shocks
3.1 Bean imports dominate and prices are climbing
The product segment breakdown confirms that beans (CN 070820) account for the overwhelming majority of EU extra-EU trade. In 2025, beans represented 142,459 tonnes out of 158,139 tonnes of total imports (90.1% by volume) and €332.0 million out of €385.6 million by value (86.1%).
Import prices for beans rose from €2,072/t in 2015 to €2,331/t in 2025 (+12.5%), with a notable acceleration from 2022 onwards, likely reflecting inflationary pressures and rising production/logistics costs:
| Year | Bean imports (€/t) | Pea imports (€/t) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,072 | 3,597 |
| 2018 | 2,016 | 3,285 |
| 2020 | 1,822 | 3,347 |
| 2022 | 2,000 | 3,594 |
| 2024 | 2,308 | 3,926 |
| 2025 | 2,331 | 3,844 |
Source: Product segment breakdown
Peas (CN 070810) consistently commanded higher unit prices (€3,845/t in 2025 versus €2,331/t for beans), reflecting their more niche market position. Import volumes of peas were relatively stable around 13,000–19,000 tonnes, declining to 12,908 tonnes in 2025.
The "other leguminous vegetables" category (CN 070890) remained marginal in imports but showed an anomalous spike in 2021, when volume surged to 11,651 tonnes (up from 3,047 tonnes in 2020) at a collapsed price of €601/t — suggesting a possible one-off bulk shipment or reclassification.
3.2 Export prices diverge from import prices
Export prices for beans followed an even steeper upward trajectory, rising from €2,605/t to €3,482/t (+33.7%). This differential — with export prices exceeding import prices by over €1,000/t by 2025 — is consistent with the EU exporting higher-value, differentiated products (e.g., fresh, premium-packaged, or organic legumes to Switzerland and Norway) while importing more commodity-grade produce from Morocco and Africa.
Export volumes in beans fell from 18,004 tonnes to 4,319 tonnes (−76.0%), confirming that the export base has been fundamentally eroded. Other leguminous vegetables (070890) experienced even wilder swings: volume surged to 32,506 tonnes in 2017 before collapsing to under 1,100 tonnes in subsequent years, likely reflecting intermittent large shipments rather than structural trade.
3.3 Isolated supply shocks amid structural stability
Three notable supply shocks were detected during the period:
| Event | Type | Flow | Year | Abnormality | Shift (%) | Value Share (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt – price | Price | Exports | 2021 | 51.7 | +194.5 | 2.8 |
| Norway – price | Price | Exports | 2020 | 8.9 | +224.8 | 15.6 |
| Egypt – supply | Supply | Exports | 2019 | 3.0 | −99.5 | 2.8 |
Source: Supply shocks
The Egypt supply shock in 2019 (a near-total disappearance of EU-to-Egypt exports) and its subsequent price spike in 2021 are likely related. The Norway price shock in 2020 (+224.8%) is notable given Norway's role as a significant non-EU destination, and may reflect pandemic-era disruptions or changes in product mix. However, none of these shocks were large enough in value share to alter the overall structural trend.
On the import side, Morocco's exceptionally low volatility (CV 0.089) contrasts with smaller suppliers such as Albania (CV 1.03) and the UK (CV 0.81), whose trade flows were highly erratic. This confirms that the EU's import supply chain is structurally anchored to a small number of stable North and West African partners, while peripheral suppliers remain volatile and opportunistic. Volatility data.
Conclusion
The EU market for fresh leguminous vegetables over 2015–2025 is defined by one overarching narrative: the asymmetric divergence between a resilient import side and a collapsing export side. Imports, anchored by Morocco and a constellation of African suppliers, remained broadly stable in value despite volume declines, buoyed by rising unit prices. Exports, by contrast, were decimated — falling by nearly two-thirds in value and over two-thirds in volume — with the UK's departure from the EU single market serving as the single most consequential structural shock.
The trade deficit consequently widened from €347 million to €361 million (−4.1%, i.e. a larger deficit), though this masks the fact that both imports and exports declined in volume. Rising import prices (particularly for beans, up 12.5% per tonne) suggest that the EU's dependence on external suppliers carries growing cost implications. Meanwhile, the specialisation data reveals a concentrated production geography, with France, Spain, and the Netherlands accounting for the bulk of EU engagement in this product category.
Looking ahead, the consolidation of Morocco's position, the growth of Senegal as a supplier, and the structural decline in EU export capacity suggest that the EU will remain a deeply import-dependent market for fresh leguminous vegetables, with limited prospects for a near-term export recovery outside of niche destinations such as Switzerland and Norway.