Market evolution: Live animals (CN 01) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report analyses the evolution of EU trade in live animals (Customs Code 01) from 2015 to 2025. The data reveals a market characterized by a significant divergence between value and volume trends, pointing to underlying price inflation and structural shifts. While the EU has maintained a strong and growing trade surplus, the dynamics behind this trend are complex, involving changing partner relationships, product mix evolution, and episodic shocks. The analysis is based solely on the provided annual data, comparing the first (2015) and last (2025) complete years in the dataset.

Rising Values Amidst Falling Volumes: The Price-Driven Trade Surplus

The overarching story of EU live animals trade over the past decade is one of increasing monetary value against a backdrop of declining physical quantity, indicating a strong rise in unit values or prices. This trend has significantly bolstered the EU's trade position.

Export value growth contrasts sharply with falling export volumes

EU exports of live animals grew substantially in value terms but contracted in volume. Export value increased from €2.72 billion in 2015 to €3.76 billion in 2025, a rise of 38.3%. In contrast, export quantity fell from 532,985 tonnes to 460,531 tonnes, a decrease of -13.6% (General Overview). This divergence is explained by a steep increase in export prices, which rose by 60.1% from €5,094 per tonne to €8,154 per tonne.

A persistent and growing trade surplus

Despite the fall in export volumes, the EU's trade balance in live animals strengthened considerably. The surplus grew from €2.11 billion in 2015 to €2.91 billion in 2025, an increase of 37.4%. This was achieved because import values and quantities grew even more slowly than the decline in export volumes, with import values rising 41.4% while import quantities increased by only 29.0%. The price effect was also present on the import side, with the import price rising from €34,258 per tonne to €37,567 per tonne (+9.7%), albeit less dramatically than on the export side.

Main EU exporter and importer states

The internal market concentration is evident, with a few Member States driving the bulk of trade. In 2025, the largest exporters by value were the Netherlands (€489 million), Ireland (€598 million), and Spain (€389 million). Notably, Romania saw a massive expansion in export value, growing by 167.0% from 2015 to 2025 to become a major player. On the import side, Ireland was by far the largest importer (€391 million), reflecting its significant live bovine trade with the UK. France and the Netherlands also saw substantial growth in their import bills (General Overview).

Shifting Geographies: Volatility in Partner Relationships

The EU's external trade relationships in live animals are marked by high concentration but also significant volatility, with dramatic shifts in the direction of exports over the decade.

The United Kingdom remains the dominant but evolving partner

The UK is by far the EU's most important trading partner for live animals, both for imports and exports. In 2025, it accounted for €603 million of EU imports (71% of total imports) and €746 million of EU exports (20% of total exports). Both flows have grown strongly since 2015, with imports up 39.5% and exports up 47.9%. However, the UK's share has fluctuated, and the relationship operates within a distinct volatility band (Volatility & Shocks).

Exports to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region show extreme dynamism

Exports to several MENA countries have undergone radical transformations. Trade with Türkiye collapsed, falling by -92.4% from €322 million in 2015 to just €25 million in 2025. Conversely, exports to Israel exploded, growing by 470% from €62 million to €351 million over the same period. Libya and Lebanon also saw steep declines (-77.9% and -55.8% respectively), while Algeria experienced robust growth (+141.2%) (General Overview).

Concentration and detected supply shocks

The export market is less concentrated (HHI value: 840) than the import market (HHI value: 5,214), indicating more diversified export destinations. A specific supply shock was detected in exports to Morocco in 2022, involving a sharp price shift (+32.3%) and an abnormality score of 4.1, likely linked to the product mix or specific contract changes in poultry shipments (Volatility & Shocks).

Product Mix Divergence: The Sectoral Engines of Change

The aggregate trends mask very different performances across the sub-segments of live animals, with horses and poultry driving value growth while bovine volumes plummet.

Horses (0101) and poultry (0105) are the primary value drivers

Live horses are the highest-value segment by both import and export unit price. The export value of horses grew from €808 million in 2015 to €1.32 billion in 2025 (+64%), despite relatively stable quantities. For live poultry, export value surged by 38% to €470 million, fueled by a near-doubling of the export price per tonne. On the import side, live poultry imports also saw strong value growth (+117%) (Product Segment Breakdown).

Bovine animals (0102) exhibit a paradox of rising prices and collapsing volumes

The live bovine sector tells a starkly different story. Export volumes of cattle fell drastically from 344,873 tonnes in 2015 to 233,821 tonnes in 2025 (-32%). However, the export price per tonne increased by 44%. This price rise was insufficient to fully offset the volume loss, leading to a slight decline in total export value. Meanwhile, import quantities of live bovine animals fell by over 90% from 2,192 tonnes to 178 tonnes, reflecting perhaps a shift towards importing meat rather than live animals or significant sanitary or market access changes.

Sheep/goats (0104) show stable growth; swine (0103) and other animals (0106) are volatile

The live sheep and goat segment has been a steady performer, with export value growing by 125% from €220 million to €495 million, supported by a 55% increase in unit price and stable volumes. Live swine exports are more volatile but trended upwards in value. The catch-all category "other live animals" (0106) saw its import unit price swing wildly, falling from €38,865 per tonne in 2015 to €60,273 in 2025, suggesting changing product composition within this heterogeneous group.

Conclusion

Between 2015 and 2025, the EU's trade in live animals has become more valuable but not larger in physical terms. The market is increasingly driven by price inflation, particularly for high-value segments like horses and poultry, which has expanded the trade surplus. The external landscape has been reshaped, with the UK's dominance consolidating while exports to traditional partners in the MENA region have become highly volatile or collapsed. Internally, Member States like Romania and Ireland have significantly enhanced their roles. The sector's evolution is thus a tale of two markets: a high-value, price-inflationary segment for horses and poultry, and a volume-declining, reconfiguring segment for bovine animals, pointing to ongoing structural adjustments in EU livestock trade.