PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION
Cheese is a dairy product made by curdling milk and allowing it to ferment and age under controlled conditions; it has various forms that depends on factors such as the type of milk used, bacterial cultures and aging time.
It serves both nutritional and culinary purposes, because it’s rich in proteins, fats and minerals and it’s widely used around the world as a meal itself or as an essential ingredient in countless recipes.
Cheese is a part of Edible products of animal origin, n.e.s., a category that includes a wide range of products, for example Other Cheeses, Fresh Unfermented Cheese, Processed Cheese, Powdered Cheese, and Blue Cheese.
It also has a Product Complexity Index of -0.031, ranking 582 out of 1044 products in 2023.
This post will not consider the Cheese trade in general, but it will be focused on the French market, the fourth largest exporter and the second largest importer of this product in the world.
EXPORT
In 2023, France exported an amount of $4.07B worth of Cheese, becoming the 4th largest exporter of this category out of 176 countries in the world, with an estimated percentage of 9.57 of share in global exports; during the same year, Cheese was the 24th most exported product in France out of 1216.
The main destinations of the country’s exports were
- Germany - $919M:
- Belgium - $508M;
- Spain - $366M;
- United Kingdom - $332M;
- Luxembourg - $261M.
IMPORT
In 2023 it was estimated that France imported around $3.02B of Cheese, becoming the 2nd largest importer of the product in the world out of 225 countries, with a 7.09% of share in global imports; during the same year, Cheese was the 40th most imported product in the country out of 1214.
It was imported primarily from
- Italy - $1.03B;
- Netherlands - $578M;
- Germany - $520M;
- United Kingdom - $187M;
- Belgium - $162M.
GROWTH POTENTIAL
According to the source, the destinations with the highest export growth potential for Cheese from France are Germany, with an estimated +$186M, followed by Italy, with +$105M, and Spain, around +$64.9M.
On the other hand, between 2022 and 2023, the fastest growing markets for the category’s imports and exports in France were the following
MARKETS FOR CHEESE EXPORTS
- Germany - $89.6M;
- Spain - $71.6M;
- Netherlands - $37.8M.
MARKETS FOR CHEESE IMPORTS
- Italy - $133M;
- Germany - $56.3M;
- Netherlands - $49.6M.
CONCLUSIONS
In 2023, France ranked as the fourth largest exporter of the Cheese category globally, reaffirming its key role in the international dairy market.
This position highlights the country’s ability to combine the traditional cheese-making technique with a modern and efficient industrial system.
In conclusion, French Cheese still remains a global benchmark for quality and authenticity, appreciated across borders for its distinct character and craftmanship.
Source: https://oec.world/en
