Browse Data and Analysis

With a gross domestic product of $548.6 billion and projected growth of 3.7 percent in 2025, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks as the second-largest economy in the Arab world, with substantial consumer spending driven by high per capita income.

The UAE's food processing sector is thriving, driven by robust economic growth and domestic consumption. The more than 570 predominantly small and medium-sized food and beverage processors cater primarily to local demand, while also aiming to meet regional and global needs.

The 2024 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2024 calendar year.

Continuing economic growth; increasing tourism; a healthy hotel, restaurant, and institutional sector; and a growing population will lead the UAE’s wheat and rice consumption to grow in the 2025-2026 marketing year (MY).

This report is an addendum to the GAIN report number E42024-0031 EU Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Report, November 01, 2024.

On December 23, 2024, the European Union published Regulation 2024/3234, which officially delayed the entry into application of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) until December 30, 2025.

Bisphenol A in food contact materials is banned in the European Unions as of January 20, 2025, with a phase-in period of one to three years depending on the product.

After taking a dip in 2022, the EU organic market began to recover in 2023 as consumers’ financial situations improved. France and Germany still have the largest organic markets in the EU and growth is expected in almost every Member State until 2025.

From a geographical and regulatory viewpoint, Iceland has a unique environment for marketing U.S. food products with, or without, any biotech content and/or conducting research on biotech applications.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.

The European Commission will allocate €132 million (approximately $138 million) towards promotion activities for EU agri-food products in 2025.

The United Arab Emirates, the Arab world's second-largest economy, will continue to offer growing and dynamic market opportunities for U.S. exporters in the food service--hotel, restaurant, and institutional sector through the end of 2024 and beyond.