Ice cream exports from Cyprus to outside the EU increased over the past four years, but in much lower quantities, while non-EU imports have reduced, according to Eurostat.
A total of 521 kg of ice cream was exported from Cyprus to non-EU countries in 2022 (worth €3,646).
Imports from non-EU countries to Cyprus in the same year were 9,467 kg (€53,758 in value).
Eurostat does not have data regarding the total production of ice cream in Cyprus because it is exempt from providing data along with Luxembourg and Malta due to the small size of the economy.
Luxembourg did export 219,595 kg of ice cream to non-EU countries in 2022 (€558,494) and imported 169 kg (€2,044).
Malta exported 250 kg of ice cream to third countries (€920) and imported 15,042 kg (€1,084).
Trends over the last four years (except 2020) show increased exports from Cyprus to non-EU countries and decreased imports from non-EU countries.
In 2019, only 97 kg of ice cream (€763) was exported from Cyprus to non-EU countries, while 46 kg (€173) were exported in 2020, 386 kg (€1,885) in 2021 and 521 kg were exported in 2022.
Exports from Cyprus outside the EU were significantly higher between 2010 and 2018, while quantities were inconsistent, starting from 18,746 kg in 2010, dropping to 3,484 kg in 2012, and decreasing gradually until 2016, when exports shot up to 17,252 kg before dropping again to 484 kg in 2017 and increasing in 2018 to 4,160 kg.
Regarding imports from non-EU countries, 2019 saw 72,245 kg of ice cream (€161,794) imported to Cyprus, dropping to 64,364 kg (€138,067) in 2020, 20,576 kg (€79,340) in 2021 and 9,467 kg (€53,758) in 2022.
France tops list
The member state with the largest share of exports of ice cream to non-EU countries was France, having exported 53 million kg of ice cream in 2022, accounting for 21% of total extra-EU ice cream exports.
France was followed by the Netherlands (42 million kg of ice cream; 17% of total extra-EU exports), Italy (31 million kg; 13%), Germany (28 million kg; 11%) and Belgium (23 million kg; 9%).
EU countries exported 250 million kg of ice cream to non-EU countries in 2022, worth €930 mln.
Imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 61 million kg, valued at €203 mln.
The quantity of extra-EU ice cream imports decreased by 14% in 2022, compared with 2021, while exports dropped by only 2%.
Germany
In 2022, the EU produced 3.2 billion litres of ice cream, marking a 5% increase from the previous year.
Among the EU countries, Germany was the main producer of ice cream, producing 620 million, followed by France (591 million litres) and Italy (571 million litres).
As well as being the largest ice cream producer in 2022, Germany produced, on average, the cheapest ice cream at €1.5 per litre.
France reported an average price of €1.9 per litre of ice cream, while Italy had an average price of €2.3.
The most expensive ice cream was produced in Austria, with an average price of €7 per litre, followed by Denmark (€4.4 per litre) and Finland (€2.8).
