The export trajectory of Italian cheeses remains on a steady ascent, boasting a turnover of 4.1 billion euros in the initial ten months of 2023. These figures, signaling a global surge of 13.7% and a 15.8% uptick in the European market, are unveiled through analyses conducted by Confcooperative, the association of Italian cooperative producers, leveraging Istat data. Spearheading this flourishing sector are the likes of fresh cheeses, grated varieties, and the undeniable titans—Grana Padano PDO and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO—registering volume growths of +12.5%, +7.7%, and +5.5%, respectively.
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TARGET MARKETS
Within the EU market, discernible spikes in Italian cheeses exports are discerned toward Germany (+19.3%), Poland (+30.2%), and France (+15.6%). The latter solidified its status as the foremost destination for Italian dairy exports, commanding a value exceeding 880 million euros.
Assolatte, the Italian dairy producers’ association, attributes the positive export growth to buoyant sales in the USA, witnessing a robust increase of nearly 200 tons (+6.1%) during the specified period, and in China (+63.8%). Notably, 60% of US imports comprise Grana Padano PDO, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, and various Pecorino PDO varieties.
Encouraging developments also emanate from the Middle East, where Italian cheeses experience robust growth in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, posting gains of +47% and +23%, respectively. Even in Ukraine, defying expectations, Italian cheeses exports see a notable uptick with a growth rate of +35%.
The United Kingdom (+3.3%), importing over 3,300 tons, secures its position as the leading non-EU destination for Italian cheeses, closely trailed by the United States.
However, the overall buoyancy is tempered by less favorable outcomes in Japan and Australia (-15% and -16%, respectively), while Italian exports encounter challenges in South Korea, where a modest decline of -1.8% was noted.