Market evolution: Other animal meat (CN 0208) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the EU's external trade in meat and edible offal classified under Combined Nomenclature code 0208, covering rabbits, hares, pigeons, game, reptiles, and other animals not included in mainstream categories such as beef, pork, poultry, or sheep meat (Scope & Definitions). The analysis spans the period from 2015 to 2025 and draws on trade values, volumes, unit prices, partner concentration, production data, and volatility indicators.

Over this decade, the EU market for CN 0208 products underwent a marked contraction in trade volumes, accompanied by a significant repricing. Import volumes fell by nearly 45 %, while export volumes declined by about 35 %. Despite these volume declines, the EU's trade deficit narrowed sharply—from approximately €90 million to €29 million—reflecting a combination of reduced import dependence and a substantial increase in export unit values. The period also saw a notable reorientation of trade partners, with some traditional suppliers losing ground and new sources emerging.

1. A structural shift from volume-driven to value-driven trade

1.1. Import volumes declined far more steeply than export volumes

Between 2015 and 2025, EU imports of CN 0208 products fell from 27,024 tonnes to 14,947 tonnes, a drop of 44.7 % (General Overview). Over the same period, export volumes decreased from 10,575 tonnes to 6,860 tonnes (−35.1 %). Both flows contracted, but imports suffered a deeper and more sustained decline in absolute tonnage.

The import volume decline was spread across the period, with a particularly sharp dip in 2020–2021 likely linked to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by only a partial recovery.

1.2. Unit prices rose significantly, especially on the export side

While volumes contracted, unit prices moved in the opposite direction. EU import prices edged up by 13.7 % (from €6,274/t to €7,135/t), but the most dramatic shift was on the export side, where the average export price surged by 48.9 %, from €7,561/t in 2015 to €11,261/t in 2025 (General Overview). This divergence suggests that EU exporters have shifted toward higher-value segments or that supply constraints have pushed niche product prices upward.

The price differential between EU exports and imports widened considerably: in 2015, the EU exported at a modest 20 % premium over import prices; by 2025, that premium had grown to 58 %. This indicates that the EU is increasingly selling specialty or premium-positioned products abroad while sourcing more competitively priced goods from third countries.

1.3. The trade deficit narrowed dramatically, improving EU self-sufficiency

The EU's trade deficit in CN 0208 shrank from €89.6 million in 2015 to €29.4 million in 2025, an improvement of 67.2 % (General Overview). The smallest deficit was recorded in 2024 (approximately €23 million), before slightly widening again in 2025.

Consistent with this trend, the EU's net import reliance for this product group declined from 3.6 % to 3.0 % over the decade, and trade intensity (imports plus exports as a share of production plus imports) fell from 19.3 % to 18.1 %, while export propensity edged down from 9.0 % to 8.6 %. The sector became somewhat less internationally integrated, with domestic production absorbing a larger share of total supply.

2. Geographic reorientation: old partners recede, new ones rise

2.1. New Zealand remained the dominant import source but lost significant ground

New Zealand has consistently been the EU's largest supplier of CN 0208 products, primarily game and rabbit meat. However, its share contracted markedly: imports from New Zealand fell from €70.7 million in 2015 to €43.2 million in 2025, a decline of 38.9 % (Top import partners). Nevertheless, New Zealand retained its leading position throughout the period, underscoring the structural role of Southern Hemisphere game suppliers in the EU market.

Several other traditional suppliers experienced even steeper declines:

Argentina's collapse—from €11.1 million to €3.0 million—is particularly striking and may reflect shifts in production focus, regulatory changes, or competitive displacement. Indonesia and Australia also saw their shares halved or more.

2.2. Viet Nam emerged as a major new import source

The most dramatic shift on the import side was the rise of Viet Nam, which grew from €5.0 million in 2015 to €15.9 million in 2025—an increase of 216.2 % (Top import partners). This made Viet Nam the third-largest import source by value in 2025, overtaking the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Australia, and Argentina. The surge likely reflects the growing role of Southeast Asian producers in supplying niche animal meat products—potentially including farmed game, reptile, or other exotic meats—to the European market.

2.3. EU exports became heavily concentrated in Switzerland, while UK trade collapsed

On the export side, Switzerland was by far the most important destination, absorbing €42.6 million of EU exports in 2025 (55 % of total export value), up from €40.9 million in 2015 (+4.2 %). Switzerland's share increased because other destinations contracted more sharply (Top export destinations).

The collapse of EU exports to the United Kingdom (−66.5 %) is noteworthy. While Brexit-related trade friction likely played a role from 2021 onward, the decline had already begun before 2020. The near-total disappearance of exports to Russia (−90.8 %) and China (−100.0 %) also stands out and may reflect geopolitical tensions and trade sanctions.

Conversely, exports to the United States surged by 456.6 %, from just €1.4 million to €7.7 million, making the US the third-largest export market by 2025. This may reflect growing American appetite for specialty game meats or successful EU market development efforts.

2.4. Export market concentration intensified, increasing dependence on fewer partners

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for EU exports rose from 3,321 to 3,461 (+4.2 %) over the decade, indicating moderately increased concentration. This is largely attributable to the growing dominance of Switzerland, which now accounts for more than half of all export value. Import-side concentration also edged up slightly (HHI from 2,217 to 2,313, +4.3 %), though it remained lower than on the export side.

Higher concentration on both sides of the market increases vulnerability to partner-specific shocks—a dynamic explored further in the next section.

3. Volatility, shocks, and the internal production landscape

3.1. Several trading relationships showed high price volatility

The coefficient of variation (CV) of annual values provides a measure of how volatile each bilateral trade relationship has been. On the export side, the most volatile partners were:

On the import side, volatility was generally lower, but South Africa (CV 0.99) and Chile (CV 0.82) stood out as highly unstable suppliers.

The most stable relationships were Switzerland for exports (CV 0.10) and New Zealand for imports (CV 0.24), consistent with their roles as long-standing, structural trade partners.

3.2. Notable price shocks were detected in 2019 and 2022

The supply shock analysis identified three significant events:

The 2022 Norway shock (+57.7 % in export prices) and the 2022 Australia import shock (+25.8 %) are broadly consistent with the global supply chain disruptions and energy cost spikes experienced that year. The 2019 China export price shock, though dramatic in percentage terms (+266 %), involved a very small value share (0.5 %) and thus had limited macro impact. It likely reflects a shift from bulk to premium product in an already marginal trade flow.

3.3. EU domestic production held steady in value but declined in volume

EU production volumes for CN 0208 products fell from 196,000 tonnes to 171,000 tonnes (−12.8 %), while production value remained essentially flat (€920 million to €928 million, +0.8 %). This implies a significant increase in the domestic production unit price, in line with the general repricing observed in trade flows.

The most specialised EU producers of these niche meats in 2025, as measured by revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA), were:

Conversely, Ireland, Greece, Croatia, Finland, and Denmark showed strong negative RSCA values, indicating that they are net importers with negligible domestic specialisation in this product group (Specialisation).

3.4. The product mix is dominated by game and rabbit/hare segments

At the CN 6-digit level, two sub-products account for nearly all trade in CN 0208:

• CN 020890 (pigeons, game, reindeer, and other animals): the dominant category, accounting for roughly 67 % of import value and 80 % of export value in 2025.
• CN 020810 (rabbit and hare meat): the second-largest segment, with about 18 % of import value and 20 % of export value.

All other sub-categories (reptile meat CN 020850, camelid meat CN 020860, marine mammals CN 020840, and primates CN 020830) represent negligible trade volumes and values. For imports, the CN 020890 category saw volumes drop from 18,713 tonnes to 10,008 tonnes (−46.5 %), while CN 020810 declined from 8,000 tonnes to 4,922 tonnes (−38.5 %) (Product segment breakdown). The contraction was thus broad-based across the two main segments.

Conclusion

The EU market for CN 0208 products between 2015 and 2025 has been characterised by three converging trends: declining volumes, rising unit prices, and geographic reorientation. Import volumes fell by nearly 45 % and export volumes by 35 %, yet the EU's trade balance improved substantially as export prices grew almost three times faster than import prices. This points to a market that is becoming less about bulk trade and more about higher-value niche products.

The geographic landscape shifted significantly. Traditional suppliers such as Argentina, Indonesia, and Australia saw their market shares collapse, while Viet Nam emerged as a fast-growing new source. On the export side, the EU became more reliant on Switzerland, which now absorbs over half of all exports, while trade with the UK and Russia diminished dramatically. The growing importance of the US as an export destination is a notable positive development.

EU domestic production remained broadly stable in value terms despite a 13 % decline in volume, reflecting price appreciation across the sector. The concentration of both import and export trade increased slightly, and several price shocks in 2022 highlighted the vulnerability of this niche market to supply disruptions. Overall, the CN 0208 market appears to be consolidating around fewer but higher-value trade relationships, with the EU positioned as a relatively self-sufficient producer with a modest and shrinking import requirement.