LONDON: UK’s imported fresh fruits and vegetables worth 7,172 million Euro from the European Union during January to September 2016. It makes UK the largest importer within the EU horticultural market, the European Statistical Office, Eurostat reported.
According to details, during the above said period, the United Kingdom imported 2.8 million tonnes of EU vegetables and 3.3 million tonnes of fruit worth 3,316 million Euro and 3,856 million Euro, respectively.
The UK imports a wide range of vegetables; it is the largest importer of EU tomatoes, with 568,042 tonnes worth 880.7 million Euro and the second largest importer of potatoes, with 447,178 tonnes worth 185 million Euro. Also noteworthy are the imports of pepper, with more than 400,000 tonnes; cucumber, with 346,159 tonnes; lettuce, with 208,157 tonnes; onion, with 208,772 tonnes, and cabbage, with 192,642 tonnes.
Exports of fresh fruit and vegetables from the United Kingdom to the EU during the period at hand amounted to 277,046 tonnes, of which 190,895 tonnes corresponded to vegetables and 86,192 tonnes to fruit, worth 204 million Euro, of which 111 million Euro corresponded to vegetables and 93 million Euro to fruits. These data reflect the United Kingdom’s strong deficit in its trade balance with the EU in the fruit and vegetable sector.
It is highly important for the United Kingdom to remain in the single market in the fruit and vegetable sector, given the volumes handled and the market interdependence.
