Market evolution: Liquid egg white (CN 35021990) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the EU's external trade in liquid egg albumin fit for human consumption (Combined Nomenclature code 35021990) over the period 2015–2025. The product covers egg white in liquid (non-dried) form — including pasteurised, frozen, or otherwise preserved liquid egg albumin destined for food use. The EU is a major global producer and a strong net exporter of this product. Over the decade under review, EU extra-EU trade in this segment underwent a pronounced expansion, driven by rising global demand for processed egg ingredients, a reconfiguration of sourcing patterns, and a significant price shock linked to the 2021–2022 food inflation cycle. The scope and product definition place CN 35021990 as a residual sub-heading under egg albumin, excluding the more commonly traded dried forms.

1. A Market Defined by Strong and Expanding Net Exports

1.1 EU exports more than doubled in value and volume over the decade

Between 2015 and 2025, extra-EU exports of liquid egg white surged from EUR 8.9 million to EUR 23.7 million in value (+167.1 %) and from 4,564 tonnes to 11,946 tonnes in quantity (+161.7 %). In contrast, imports remained a fraction of this trade: they rose from EUR 546 K to EUR 961 K in value (+76.0 %) while quantities were essentially flat (1,213 t → 1,213 t). The trade overview shows the EU trade balance widened from EUR 8.3 million to EUR 22.7 million (+173.1 %).

1.2 The EU is structurally a net exporter with rising export propensity

The net import reliance indicator remained deeply negative throughout the period, moving from −93.0 % to −145.0 %, confirming that the EU consistently exported far more than it imported. Export propensity — the share of domestic production shipped to non-EU markets — rose from 51.5 % to 61.0 %, while trade intensity (imports + exports relative to production + consumption) climbed from 53.1 % to 61.7 %. These figures show that the EU's liquid egg white sector became progressively more outward-oriented.

1.3 Domestic production grew strongly, underpinning export capacity

EU production volumes rose from approximately 102.6 million kg to 133.2 million kg (+29.9 %), while production value more than doubled from EUR 118.6 million to EUR 245.0 million (+106.6 %). The much larger increase in value than in quantity reflects the upward shift in egg white prices over the period, partly driven by input cost inflation (feed, energy) and partly by structural demand growth for processed egg ingredients in the food industry.

2. Shifting Trade Geographies: Consolidation of Neighbouring Markets and Rise of Asia

2.1 The United Kingdom is the dominant export destination by a wide margin

The partner breakdown shows that the United Kingdom absorbed the largest share of EU exports throughout the decade, rising from EUR 6.7 million (2015) to EUR 15.2 million (2025), a +128.5 % increase. The UK's share of total extra-EU export value fluctuated but consistently exceeded 60 %. This reflects both geographic proximity, deep supply-chain integration in food processing, and the post-Brexit shift from intra-EU to extra-EU trade reporting for UK-bound flows.

2.2 South Korea and the Gulf emerged as high-growth secondary markets

South Korea's imports of EU liquid egg white expanded by +451.9 %, making it the second-largest extra-EU destination by 2025 with EUR 4.9 million. The United Arab Emirates grew even faster (+557.1 %), reaching EUR 867 K. These gains are consistent with rising demand for convenient, ready-to-use egg ingredients in Asian and Middle Eastern food manufacturing. By contrast, exports to Malaysia collapsed from EUR 302 K to just EUR 2,240 (−99.3 %), possibly reflecting a shift to local or regional suppliers.

2.3 Import sourcing diversified away from traditional European suppliers

EU imports shifted considerably over the decade:

Norway remained the leading supplier (EUR 577 K in 2025), but the most dramatic change was the surge of Ukrainian exports into the EU, rising from EUR 8 K to EUR 308 K. This likely reflects the EU's autonomous trade liberalisation measures for Ukraine introduced after 2022. Brazil also entered as a new supplier (EUR 23 K). Meanwhile, imports from Switzerland and the United States declined markedly.

2.4 Trade concentration decreased on both sides

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) fell for both exports (from 5,776 to 4,747; −17.8 %) and imports (from 6,595 to 4,745; −28.1 %), indicating a meaningful diversification of trade partners on both the buying and selling sides. The sharper decline on the import side reflects the emergence of Ukraine and Brazil as new suppliers, reducing dependence on the previously dominant Norwegian and Swiss sources.

2.5 The Netherlands, Belgium, and France are the EU's leading exporting Member States

Within the EU, the top reporting Member States for extra-EU exports were:

The specialisation analysis reveals that the Netherlands, France, and Poland hold the strongest revealed comparative advantages among large Member States, while Latvia stands out with a very high RCA (6.57) — albeit from a small absolute base — suggesting a niche specialisation.

3. The 2021–2022 Price Shock and Its Uneven Impact

3.1 Export unit prices spiked in 2021–2022 before partially correcting

The overall export unit price evolved relatively smoothly at the aggregate level (EUR 1,942/t in 2015 to EUR 1,982/t in 2025, +2.1 %), but this masks significant year-to-year swings. The price reached a peak of EUR 2,397/t at its maximum and dipped as low as EUR 1,174/t, reflecting the pronounced volatility in global egg markets during the avian influenza waves and the broader food inflation of 2021–2022. Import prices showed even larger swings, ranging from EUR 450/t to EUR 1,929/t.

3.2 Three major price shocks were detected at the partner level

The shock analysis identified three significant price shock events:

The first two shocks reflect the global food-price surge of 2021–2022, driven by avian influenza outbreaks (which tightened egg supply worldwide), soaring energy and feed costs, and post-COVID demand recovery. The +56 % price spike to South Korea in 2022 had the highest abnormality score (9.0), indicating a severe deviation from trend. The Norwegian import price shock of 2021 (+53.7 %) likely reflects upstream cost pressures in Scandinavian egg production. Conversely, the UK export price decline of −22 % in 2022 suggests that the large UK market — accounting for 85.8 % of the export value shock exposure — experienced some price correction even as the EU's global export prices were rising, possibly reflecting competitive pressure or demand adjustment.

3.3 High-volatility partners contrast with stable core markets

The coefficient of variation of export values by partner reveals a clear divide between stable, high-volume markets and volatile, smaller ones:

The UK, Switzerland, and Hong Kong — the EU's core extra-EU outlets — display relatively low volatility, providing a stable revenue base. In contrast, the United States and Japan, while small in absolute terms, exhibit extremely erratic trade flows, making them unreliable as consistent demand sources.

Conclusion

The EU's liquid egg white market (CN 35021990) underwent a decade of robust growth, with extra-EU exports more than doubling in both value and volume while the EU consolidated its position as a dominant net exporter. The United Kingdom remained the overwhelmingly largest export partner, but meaningful growth came from South Korea, the UAE, and Switzerland, diversifying the EU's customer base. On the import side, Ukraine emerged as a rapidly growing supplier, likely facilitated by EU trade preferences, while Norway remained the principal traditional source. The 2021–2022 period stands out as a significant inflection point: global supply disruptions and input cost inflation generated sharp price shocks, particularly for South Korean export prices (+56 %) and Norwegian import prices (+54 %), before markets partially normalised. With export propensity now exceeding 60 % and the trade balance reaching EUR 22.7 million, the EU's liquid egg white sector is deeply integrated into global food supply chains — a position that brings growth opportunities but also exposure to price volatility in key partner markets.