Browse Data and Analysis

This report focuses on specific Spanish certification requirements that differ from or are in addition to EU-harmonized certification. Compared to 2023, 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 SP2023-0036. 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.

Effective October 1, 2024, authority for Spanish import controls of agricultural products for human consumption has been transferred from the Ministry of Health to the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA).

As tourists flock back to the Caribbean in larger numbers and island economies regain their footing after being challenged by global inflation, competition, and other headwinds, opportunities for U.S. suppliers are slowly emerging. While hurdles remain present on the horizon, U.S. suppliers are finding resilient Caribbean buyers to be excellent partners on the road to commercial success.

In 2023, Spain imported $2.2 billion of agricultural and related products from the United States. Outside the European Union Member States, the United States was the fourth largest origin of agricultural and related imports.

Demand for U.S. consumer-oriented products in the Caribbean region reached $1.5 billion in 2022, a 26 percent gain compared to the previous year.

This report focuses on specific Spanish certification requirements that differ from or are in addition to EU-harmonized certification.

This report is an update of GAIN report SP2022-0028. 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.

In 2022, Spain imported $2.2 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 agricultural and related imports.

As of January 1, 2023, Spain implemented a special tax on non-reusable plastic packaging that also applies to imported food products. For imports, payment of the tax is the responsibility of the importer, although third country manufacturers must provide their Spanish buyers with information regarding the amount of non-recyclable plastic packaging used in their products’ packaging.

The Caribbean’s rebound from the economic downturn induced by the COVID-19 pandemic has been slow. Anxious for better times, the region is looking ahead at 2023 and hoping for improved tourist arrivals that will spark a return to more robust economic growth.

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.