In the 2023/24 season, Egypt achieved a new milestone by setting a record for sweet potato exports to the EU, surpassing the USA in supply volumes, according to EastFruit. This marks a significant achievement for Egyptian exporters in the EU market, as the new export record seemed inevitable by the end of last year.
The increase in supplies from Egypt has been the primary driver of
sustained demand for imported sweet potatoes in the EU, as the
USA, Egypt’s main competitor, has significantly reduced its
presence in this market. From July 2023 to May 2024, EU countries
imported a record 219,000 tons of sweet potatoes, with Egypt
accounting for nearly half of these imports. Meanwhile, the USA
has exported only 78,000 tons of sweet potatoes to the EU market,
which is more than a third less than the previous season.
It is important to note that the arrival of June trade data in the
EU may somewhat narrow the gap between American and Egyptian
exports, as June is a month of active imports from the USA.
Nevertheless, these data will not fundamentally alter the
situation, and it can already be stated that Egypt has surpassed
the USA in sweet potato exports to the EU for the first time in
history.
