Sales figures of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO in international markets are getting brighter and brighter. With 64,202 tons exported in 2022, the export share increased by two percentage points up to 47 percent. Among destination countries, the best-performing markets last year were Spain (+11.3% with 1,602 tons vs. 1,439 in 2021), the US, which is the first foreign market (+8.7% with 13,981 tons vs. 12,867), and France (+7.2% with 12,944 tons vs. 12,077).
Export sales grew also in Japan (+38.8%, for 1,010 tons vs. 728), Australia (+22.7%, or 713 tons vs. 581), and Canada (+6.3%, for 3,556 tons vs. 3,345). Among the core markets, the only jarring note is in Germany, where exports of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO dropped by -13.8% (9,234 tons).
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO exports – Destination countries
| COUNTRY | 2022 CLOSING (tons) | % VAR. 2022 vs 2021 |
| France | 12,944 | +7.2% |
| Germany | 9,234 | -13.8% |
| UK | 6,570 | -1% |
| Spain | 1,602 | +11.3% |
| US | 13,981 | +8.7% |
| Japan | 1,010 | +38.8% |
| Australia | 713 | +22.7% |
SUPPORTING A GLOBAL BRAND
With a total investment of 18.6 million euros in 2023, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is on its way to becoming a global brand, ready to face the challenges of the global market starting with Italian sounding. The Protection Consortium will continue to work assiduously to enhance the distinctiveness of this product by providing consumers with more information about its characteristics: maturation, origin, production process, and taste. All of these details offer an opportunity to differentiate from competitors.
“The policy that the Consortium has been pursuing for years now,” says Nicola Bertinelli, President of the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO protection Consortium “consists in communicating the values that link our product to the territory of production and make it unique: biodiversity, animal welfare, and sustainability. Developing the supply chain also involves internationalizing our brand. Especially in the US, where authentic Parmigiano Reggiano PDO accounts for just 5 percent of the whole ‘parmesan’ category. Which shows that the growth potential is still very high.”
