Browse Data and Analysis

Several Spain grain supply chain actors have released their first estimates for grain production for MY 2023/24 and concur with the poor crop prospects.

This report presents an overview of Spain’s soybean and products market. Imports of soybean and soybean products to Spain amount on average to nearly 6 million metric tons (MT) per year. The robust, dynamic, and export-oriented livestock sector drives the country’s feed ingredients demand.

Spanish cattle production may continue to decrease in 2023 due to high production costs, expected reduction of Spanish live cattle exports to non-EU markets, and the severe drought experienced in Spain since fall 2022 that has impacted cattle feed.

Spain is facing a second consecutive year of poor grains crops. While northernmost grain producing areas still hold production potential, yields in the country’s southeast are estimated to have declined significantly.

In 2021, Spain imported $1.7 billion of agricultural and related products from the United States. Outside the European Union Member States, the United States was the fifth largest origin of Spanish agricultural and related imports. After the deep recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain’s economy is starting to recover, supported by improving domestic demand and a strong rebound of the hotel and restaurant industry as tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels.

This report focuses on specific Spanish certification requirements that differ from or are in addition to EU-harmonized certification. Compared to 2021, this report contains new country-specific certificates as well as updated links to relevant information sources and contacts.

This report is an update of GAIN report SP2021-0032. It outlines the legislation applicable to the export of U.S. food products to Spain, particularly focusing on those rules that differ from EU legislation.

This report describes the agricultural biotechnology sector in Spain, covering production and trade, policy, and marketing aspects. It includes topics related to plant, animal, and microbial biotechnology. Spain is a powerhouse for agricultural biotechnology in the European Union, as the country remains the largest grower of biotech corn and a major consumer of feed ingredients.

Irrigation water limitations in the Guadalquivir basin resulted in lower area planted to cotton for MY 2022/23 and a significant drop in yields. Cotton production has also been negatively affected by pest incidence. Industry sources argue that Spanish farmers should be eligible for cotton specific support despite the reduction in yields.

Spanish tourism is rapidly recovering from the effects of the pandemic and reaching pre-pandemic levels due to a robust rebound in national tourism, partially compensating for the still lower number of foreign visitors. From January through August, 57.3 million tourists arrived in Spain, 10 percent higher than the previous year.

U.S. exporters can find ample opportunities in the Iberian Peninsula. Spain is the third-largest European Union (EU) destination for U.S. agricultural products, with Portugal ranking 11th. In 2021, the United States exported $1.6 billion of agricultural products to Spain, or 15 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the EU. The United States held a 4 percent market share of Spain’s agricultural imports and 2 percent market share in Portugal, behind other EU member states as a group and Brazil.

After an exceptional year in sales in 2020, the Spanish retail sector is becoming increasingly competitive, while trying to find a balance between high input costs and improved efficiency, during a period of high inflation that once again gives price the leading role in purchasing decisions.