Spain is one of the important suppliers of sea fishing and aquaculture products for Greece, with a value of exports to Greece of 79.2 million euros in 2023. Concerning Greek fish exports, the Spanish market remains the 2nd most important in terms of absorption (value-wise) of Greek exports, with a value of 208.64 million euros in 2022, according to data from ELSTAT processed by the Greek Economic and Commercial Affairs Office in Madrid. The Greek ECA Office reports that based on 2023 data from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, from the Spanish side, Greek fish products are in 13th place in terms of Spain’s total imports from Greece and in 6th place in terms of European suppliers of Spain. On the other hand, Greece is the 8th largest market for Spanish fish and the 5th largest European customer of Spanish fish exports.
Greek exports mainly concern fresh fish
The bilateral trade balance is in favor of Greece, and for 2023, it amounted to 129.44 million euros. Greek exports to the Spanish market mainly concern fresh fish, which in 2023 constituted 93.8% of the total value of Greek exports. Crustaceans represented in 2023 2.8% and frozen fish 1.6% of Greek exports to Spain. Accordingly, Greek imports from Spain in 2023 mainly concerned molluscs (43.4%), fresh fish (15.5%), frozen fish (13.6%), crustaceans (9.5%) and fish fillets (7 %).
In the category of fresh fish, our country has a share of 16% in quantities, occupying the 3rd place behind France and Sweden and the 2nd place in values, with exports amounting to 180.93 million euros. In the category of frozen fish, Morocco (13%) and Portugal (11.2%) have the largest share in quantities. Greece in the category of frozen fish had in 2023 exports worth 5.33 million euros and a quantity of 1,321 tons, with a share of 0.51% of the Spanish market. In the category of shellfish, the largest share in quantities is held by Ecuador (34.8%). In the category of shellfish, Greece had in 2023 exports to Spain with a value of 5.05 million euros and a quantity of 1,036 tons, with a share of 0.53% of the Spanish market. In the category of molluscs, Greece had in 2023 exports to Spain worth 3.29 million euros and a quantity of 2,026 tons, with a market share of 0.52%. According to the OEY Office, the competitiveness of the Spanish fish sector is linked to investments in research and innovation, to create new differentiated products, improved production, packaging, distribution or consumption processes.
To stand and develop in the Spanish market, Greek fish products should be competitive, i.e. combining healthy nutritional characteristics, quality with high nutritional value and low cost, so that they can compete with imports from cheaper third countries.
