Standardized Greek olive oil exports increased by 225%, both towards the European Union markets, as well as towards third countries, during the period 2002-2020, according to a report based on data collected by the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission (DG TRADE) and published by the Association of Hellenic Industries for the Standardization of Olive Oil (SEVITEL).
The report showed that exports of branded Greek olive oil to EU countries totaled 31,655 tons in 2020 from 7,561 tons in 2002, i.e. up 319%, while exports to third countries rose a whooping 189% –from 7,290 tons in 2002, exports reached 21,080 tons in 2020. It is worth noting that in 2020, total olive oil exports reached 52,735 tons compared to the 14,851 tons in 2002.
In 2020, exports to EU countries rose 17.5% totaling 26,872 tons compared to 2019, while exports to third countries in 2019 amounted to 19,807 tons. Germany was the biggest importer of branded Greek olive oil, with 14,907 tons in 2020 (compared to 10,760 tons the previous year), followed by the UK (2,698 tons), Austria (2,578 tons), France (2,032 tons), Belgium (1,463 tons), Sweden (1,385 tons), and Cyprus (1,209 tons). Among the third countries importing Greek olive oil, the US ranked first with 9,143 tons, followed by Canada with 1,851 tons, Australia with 1,773 tons, and Russia with 1,218 tons.
