Egypt has significantly ramped up its garlic exports to Spain, marking a dramatic shift in the European market. According to analysts at EastFruit, Spain, Europe’s leading producer and exporter of garlic, has seen a sharp rise in Egyptian imports this year.
In the first eight months of 2025, Egypt exported over 3,000 tons of garlic to Spain, valued at nearly $6 million. This volume is five times higher than last year’s and exceeds the total garlic exports from Egypt to Spain over the past decade by 50%.
Despite its dominant position in Europe and ranking third globally behind China and Argentina, Spain’s garlic industry has faced mounting challenges in recent years. Droughts, labor shortages, and rising production costs have led to a 30% reduction in garlic cultivation over the past three years. Consequently, production and export volumes have declined, while imports have surged.
Also see: Egypt strengthens position in Indonesia’s dried onion market
In 2024, Spain imported 16,000 tons of garlic, an 85% increase year-over-year and double the volume of 2022. By August 2025, imports had already reached 14,000 tons, surpassing the same period last year by 5%.
One key factor driving this trend is price competitiveness. Imported garlic, particularly from Egypt, is significantly cheaper than locally produced alternatives. Spanish supermarket chains increasingly favor lower-cost imports to maintain affordable prices for consumers.
Typically, Spain’s garlic imports peak in winter and spring, when domestic supplies dwindle, and drop during the summer harvest. However, in 2025, import volumes remained high even during peak harvesting months.
Historically, China, Argentina, and the Netherlands have dominated Spain’s garlic import market, accounting for 80% of total imports last year. This year, Egypt joined their ranks, actively exporting garlic from May through July. During that period, Egyptian garlic captured 60-70% of the market share.
As a result, Egypt has overtaken Argentina and the Netherlands to become Spain’s second-largest garlic supplier. Whether it can maintain this position through year-end remains to be seen.
Notably, Egypt has also dramatically increased its sweet potato exports to Spain, with volumes growing nearly fourfold this season.
The use of the site materials is free if there is a direct and open for search engines hyperlink to a specific publication of the East-Fruit.com website.