Market evolution: Retail fungicides (CN 380892) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the trade evolution of retail fungicides (Customs code 380892) for the European Union over the period 2015–2025. The product encompasses fungicides put up in forms or packings for retail sale or as preparations, covering a range of chemical bases including copper compounds, dithiocarbamates, benzimidazoles, diazoles/triazoles, diazines/morpholines, and other formulations (Overview). Over the decade, the EU fungicide market has experienced notable structural shifts: a gradual contraction in trade volumes with the rest of the world, a dramatic expansion in domestic production, a reshuffling of key trading partners, and a significant recomposition of the product mix by chemical type. Despite declining trade flows, the EU has consolidated its position as a major net exporter of retail fungicides, with its trade surplus remaining above €1 billion throughout the period.

1. A Persistent but Narrowing Surplus as Trade Flows Contract

Overall trade volumes declined steadily over the decade

Between 2015 and 2025, both EU exports and imports of retail fungicides (CN 380892) to and from non-EU countries contracted. Export value fell from €1.955 billion to €1.717 billion (−12.2%), while export volume declined from 205,688 tonnes to 179,068 tonnes (−12.9%). The contraction was even more pronounced on the import side: import value dropped from €753 million to €580 million (−22.9%), and import volume fell from 91,646 tonnes to 84,012 tonnes (−8.3%) (General Overview).

The fact that the surplus declined less sharply (−5.5%) than either exports or imports individually reflects an asymmetric contraction: the EU's import bill shrank much faster than its export earnings.

Unit values diverged between exports and imports

Export unit prices remained broadly stable over the period, edging up from €9,504/t to €9,586/t (+0.9%). By contrast, import unit prices fell significantly from €8,212/t to €6,905/t (−15.9%). This divergence suggests that the EU has increasingly sourced fungicide preparations from lower-cost suppliers, while maintaining its pricing power on the export side — a pattern consistent with a shift in import sourcing toward emerging-market producers offering more competitively priced formulations.

The EU consolidated its position as a net exporter

The net import reliance indicator, which is negative when the EU is a net exporter, deepened from −30.0% in 2015 to −66.5% in 2025. This means that the EU's fungicide exports have increasingly exceeded what would be expected from its import levels, reinforcing the bloc's role as a global supplier rather than a dependent importer. Over the same period, export propensity (the share of domestic production that is exported) rose from 42.4% to 53.0%, and trade intensity increased from 51.7% to 58.4%.

2. A Reshuffling of Trading Partners and Greater Export Diversification

Brazil's collapse as an export destination was the single largest structural shift

The most dramatic change on the export side was the near-disappearance of Brazil as a destination for EU retail fungicides. Exports to Brazil fell from €503 million in 2015 to just €151 million in 2025 — a collapse of 70%. Brazil had been the EU's second-largest export market (after the United Kingdom) and accounted for a substantial share of extra-EU fungicide exports. This decline likely reflects Brazil's own expanding domestic agrochemical production capacity, combined with competitive pressure from Chinese and Indian suppliers in the Brazilian market (Partners).

Emerging markets partially offset Brazil's decline

Several markets absorbed the redirection of EU fungicide exports. Exports to Türkiye grew by 47.8% (from €70 million to €103 million), Ukraine by 27.8% (from €125 million to €160 million), and Russia by 28.0% (from €90 million to €115 million). These gains are consistent with growing agricultural sectors in Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where demand for crop protection products has risen in line with expanding grain, oilseed, and horticultural production.

The United Kingdom remained the largest single partner on both sides

On both the import and export sides, the United Kingdom was the EU's top partner throughout the period. However, UK–EU fungicide trade contracted on both flows: EU exports to the UK fell from €271 million to €223 million (−17.7%), and EU imports from the UK declined from €281 million to €227 million (−19.2%). This bilateral contraction reflects both the disruption of Brexit (effective from 2021) and the UK's own evolving regulatory and production landscape post-EU membership (Reporters).

China emerged as a rapidly growing import source

Among import partners, the most striking growth came from China. EU imports of retail fungicides from China surged from €20 million in 2015 to €61 million in 2025 — a gain of over 208%. This trend mirrors the broader pattern of China's expanding role in the global agrochemical supply chain, as Chinese firms have increased their capacity to produce and export both active ingredients and formulated products at competitive prices. The coefficient of variation for China-sourced imports was among the highest (0.515), indicating considerable year-to-year volatility alongside the upward trend (Volatility).

Export diversification increased substantially while import concentration edged up

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for exports fell sharply from 1,008 to 537 (−46.8%), reflecting a pronounced diversification of EU export destinations as the outsized role of Brazil diminished and smaller markets gained share. By contrast, the import HHI rose modestly from 2,232 to 2,391 (+7.1%), indicating that EU imports have become slightly more concentrated among a smaller number of suppliers — likely driven by the growing weight of the United Kingdom and China in the import basket.

3. A Domestic Production Boom Reshapes the Market's Foundations

EU fungicide production more than doubled in volume and tripled in value

Perhaps the most transformative dynamic of the decade was the explosive growth in EU domestic production of retail fungicides. Production volume (measured in kg of active substance) rose from 366 million kg in 2015 to 791 million kg in 2025 (+116.4%), while production value surged from €1.017 billion to €3.273 billion (+222%) (Production volumes). This expansion substantially outpaced the growth in either exports or imports, indicating that the additional production was oriented in part toward the EU's own internal market and in part toward strengthening the export base.

France, Spain, and Hungary drove the production and export surge

The specialisation data for 2025 identifies France as the most specialised EU Member State in retail fungicide production (RSCA of 0.61, RCA of 4.16), followed by Greece (RSCA 0.54) and Spain (RSCA 0.45). France alone accounted for 32.5% of EU production and 7.8% of total EU chemical output in this category. Among exporters, France's export value fell sharply from €936 million to €442 million (−52.8%), but Spain's exports surged from €213 million to €340 million (+59.4%) and Hungary's exports rocketed from €32 million to €108 million (+238%) — suggesting a geographical shift in EU export capacity away from France and toward Southern and Central Europe.

The product mix shifted notably across chemical segments

The segment breakdown reveals important recomposition within the fungicide category:

• Dithiocarbamate-based fungicides (38089230) saw the most dramatic import decline: volume fell from 16,912 tonnes to 4,815 tonnes (−72%), and import value dropped from €57 million to €15 million (−73%). This likely reflects tightening EU regulations on dithiocarbamates (such as mancozeb) and a shift toward alternative active ingredients.

• Diazines/morpholines (38089260) grew on the import side from 2,477 tonnes to 6,420 tonnes (+159%) and from €61 million to €111 million in value, suggesting rising demand for these chemical classes as replacements for older products.

• Diazole/triazole-based fungicides (38089250) remained the largest export segment by value (€756 million in 2025), though imports of this category fell sharply in volume from 12,538 tonnes to 6,177 tonnes (−51%), indicating the EU increasingly sources these products domestically.

• Copper-based fungicides (38089210) were relatively stable on both the import and export sides, with exports rising in value from €73 million to €121 million (+66%), consistent with continued demand for copper-based products in organic farming.

Price dynamics suggest value-added growth in the EU supply chain

The divergence between the 116% growth in production volume and the 222% growth in production value implies that the average unit value of EU-produced fungicides rose significantly over the period. This is consistent with a shift toward higher-value, more specialised formulations — including newer-generation triazole and diazine-based products — and away from commoditised, lower-margin products. On the import side, the decline in average import prices (from €8,212/t to €6,905/t) while volumes fell more modestly suggests that the EU has been replacing higher-cost imports with both domestic production and lower-cost sourcing (particularly from China).

Conclusion

Over the 2015–2025 period, the EU retail fungicide market (CN 380892) underwent a fundamental transformation. While headline trade flows with non-EU countries declined — exports by 12% and imports by 23% in value terms — these surface-level trends mask deeper structural changes. EU domestic production more than doubled, the product mix shifted decisively away from older chemical classes (dithiocarbamates, benzimidazoles) toward newer ones (diazines, morpholines), and the geographical footprint of trade was redrawn: Brazil's role as a major export destination collapsed, while Türkiye, Ukraine, and China emerged as increasingly important partners. The EU consolidated its position as a net exporter, with a trade surplus consistently exceeding €1 billion, rising export propensity (from 42% to 53% of production), and significantly more diversified export destinations. At the same time, the modest rise in import concentration and the rapid growth of China as a supplier highlight a growing dependence on a small number of non-EU sources for specific product categories — a vulnerability worth monitoring in the years ahead.