PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION
Citrus are a group of flowering plants, known for their juice, versatility, refreshing taste, nutritional values and health benefits, because they’re rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. They include elements like oranges, lemons, mandarins and grapefruits, and are typically consumed fresh, juiced, or used as ingredients in cooking and baking.
They’re essential in global food cultures, from breakfast tables to gourmet recipes, and their cultivation support both small scale farms and large agricultural industries and realities, contributing to rural development and trade in many regions.
Citrus are a part of Edible fruits, nuts & fruit peels, a category of the Vegetable Product section that includes a wide range of related by-products like Oranges (Fresh/Dried), Mandarins, Clementines & Citrus Hybrids (Fresh/Dried), Lemons & Limes (Fresh/Dried), Grapefruit (Fresh/Dried), and Miscellaneous Citrus Fruits (Fresh/Dried).
They also have a Product Complexity Index of -1.09, ranking 874 out of 1044 products in 2023.
This post will not consider the Citrus trade in general, but it will be focused on the Egyptian market, the fifth largest exporter of this product in the world.
EXPORT
In 2023 Egypt exported an amount of $1.17B of Citrus, becoming the 5th largest exporter of this category out of 169 countries in the world, with an estimated percentage of 6.84 of share in global exports; during the same year, Citrus were the 7th most exported product in Egypt out of 1152.
The main destinations of the country’s exports were
- Netherlands - $133M;
- Saudi Arabia - $130M;
- Russia - $115M;
- Spain - $65.7M;
- United Arab Emirates - $62.7M.
IMPORT
In 2023 it was estimated that Egypt imported around $4M worth of Citrus, becoming the 108th largest importer of the product out of 217 countries, with a 0.023% of share in global imports; during the same year, Citrus were the 736th most imported product in the country out of 1178.
They were imported primarily from
- United Arab Emirates - $3.46M;
- Jordan - $288K;
- Saudi Arabia - $168K;
- Oman - $50.4K;
- Netherlands - $22.7K.
GROWTH POTENTIAL
According to the source, between 2022 and 2023 the fastest growing markets for the category’s imports and exports in Egypt were the following
MARKETS FOR CITRUS EXPORTS
- Spain - $65.7M;
- Netherlands - $62.8M;
- Italy - $14.3M.
MARKETS FOR CITRUS IMPORTS
- United Arab Emirates - $2.4M;
- Jordan - $274K;
- Saudi Arabia - $37K.
CONCLUSIONS
In 2023 Egypt’s Citrus trade continued to shape the country’s agricultural landscape and international reputation. With ideal growing conditions and a long tradition of farming this kind of product, the country established itself as a main character in the exportation scenario.
This success is the reflection of Egypt’s ability to connect global resources and demand, marking their ability to strengthen their position, which is useful for a future growth.
Source: https://oec.world/en
