The figures now available for Austria’s foreign trade in dairy products for the full year 2022 show a very positive development. “With its quality strategy, the Austrian dairy industry was able to make gains on the highly competitive export markets even in times of inflation,” explained Helmut Petschar, President of the Association of Austrian Milk Processors (VÖM).
Exports of dairy products reached an all-time high of €1.7bn (plus 26.2 %) with increases of €357m, while imports rose by €229mto €1.07bn (plus 27.2 %). This resulted in a positive trade balance of €643m, up 25 %. “With these high values, exports make a very significant contribution to safeguarding the domestic dairy industry,” says Petschar.
The most important foreign trade product is cheese. Here an export value of €901m (plus 24.5 %) was achieved with a volume of 181,000 t (plus 6.8 %), while the stagnating import volumes of 132,000 t were worth €634m (plus 19.7 %). Exports of liquid milk yielded €376m (plus 26.2 %), fermented products (yoghurt and co) €205m (plus 29.4 %). There was a clear import surplus for butter, where 4,600 tons of exports were offset by 19,700 tons of imports.
The most important export country with a share of 51 % is Germany, followed by Italy, the Netherlands and Greece. The main importing country is also Germany with a share of 59 %, followed by Italy, the Netherlands and Greece.
Photo: Vectorportal
