Испанские производители чеснока планируют активировать защитные меры ЕС из-за роста импорта

Last July, the National Association of Garlic Producers and Traders (ANPCA) hosted a technical seminar where producers and traders examined progress in the 2026 season, changes in the European market, and key strategies to protect the sector's competitiveness amid rising imports from third countries. According to attendees, quality was very positive this season. The area under cultivation in Spain stood at just over 24,000 hectares this year, stable compared with the previous year, though it is far below the nearly 30,000 hectares cultivated in 2022. The harvested garlic is in excellent sanitary and commercial condition, ensuring the market will be supplied with a high-value, prestigious product. Spring garlic production has recovered the levels lost in previous seasons due to weather-related issues. Purple garlic quality is excellent, but yields were slightly lower than the high expectations at the start of the season. One of the key issues discussed was the situation in the European garlic market. Over the past decade, EU garlic imports from third countries have surged by 128.4%, reaching 111,812 tons, mainly from China (74,231 tons, +98.1%) and Egypt (19,555 tons, +390.3%). This rise has raised concerns among producers about market stability and farm profitability. Given this situation, the association agreed to take the necessary steps to request activation of the erga omnes safeguard clause for European garlic. This mechanism, outlined in EU trade rules, enables the assessment of import impacts and the correction of any imbalances. Consequently, a proposal was introduced for a survey targeting producers and sector organizations across various Member States. The goal is to collect economic, production, and trade data that national authorities and the European Commission need to substantiate the safeguard clause request. ANPCA highlighted the importance of sector-wide involvement to create a comprehensive, objective, and representative database, which will help demonstrate the damage that the increase in imports is causing to European production and to support the request before the EU institutions. The association reaffirms its dedication to collaborating with the national sector and European partners to protect the competitiveness of European garlic and ensure the viability of a crop that is strategic for many rural areas. For more information: ANPCA Email: [email protected] www.anpca.es