EU wine exports fell 2% through August to 10.6 billion euros

European Union wine exports showed a modest improvement through August 2026, even as they remained below the level recorded a year earlier, according to the European Commission’s latest monitoring report on agri-food trade.

The report said EU wine exports reached 10.6 billion euros in the first eight months of 2026, down 2% from the same period in 2025. Wine remained the bloc’s fourth-largest agri-food export category. The decline was smaller than the 3% drop recorded through July, suggesting some stabilization after a weaker first half of the year.

The wine figures were part of a broader picture of relative steadiness in EU agricultural and food exports. Total agri-food exports from the bloc came to nearly 157.7 billion euros from January through August 2026, compared with about 158 billion euros in the same stretch of 2025. While that total was slightly lower than a year earlier, the overall trade balance improved.

The European Commission said the EU’s cumulative agri-food trade surplus reached 34.7 billion euros in the first eight months of 2026. That was 4.1 billion euros higher than in the same period of 2025, reflecting both stable exports and lower imports.

Within the export mix, some categories performed better than wine. Liqueurs and spirits were among the strongest gainers, with exports exceeding 6 billion euros, up 11% from January through August 2025. That increase helped offset softer performance in other segments and underlined the continued resilience of higher-value beverage exports from the bloc.

The United Kingdom remained the EU’s largest agri-food export market by a wide margin. Exports to the U.K. totaled 36 billion euros in the first eight months of 2026, down 2% from a year earlier. The United States was the second-largest market at 18.3 billion euros, a 6% decline from the same period in 2025. Even so, that was an improvement from the 9% drop recorded through July.

Despite that partial recovery, shipments to the U.S. were still 1.2 billion euros below their level in January through August 2025. Switzerland ranked third among export destinations at 8.9 billion euros, up 2%, while exports to China reached 8.3 billion euros, down 3%.

The report also pointed to stronger growth in some smaller markets. Exports to Turkey rose by 320 million euros, or 8%, mainly because of higher beef shipments. Exports to India increased by 253 million euros, or 29%, driven largely by sunflower oil. The Commission also said exports to Gulf countries returned to average levels in August 2026 after earlier disruptions.

On the import side, the EU bought 122.9 billion euros worth of agri-food products from abroad from January through August 2026. That was 4.5 billion euros lower than in the same period of 2025, a decline of 4%. The Commission said the drop was due in large part to a lower value of imports from major cocoa-producing countries, mainly because prices had fallen.

Brazil remained the EU’s largest source of agri-food imports, with total purchases reaching 12.7 billion euros through August 2026.

The data suggest that EU wine exports were still under pressure through much of 2026, but the pace of decline eased by August. In the wider agri-food sector, exports held close to the previous year’s level, while lower import costs helped lift the bloc’s trade surplus.