The imposition of 20% tariffs imposed horizontally by the Trump administration on all imported products from the European Union has dealt a severe blow to the loyalty of US consumers to iconic Greek food products such as olives, olive oil, feta cheese, compotes and wine.
Expectations for exceptions and more favorable treatment for the Greek brand name were not confirmed in yesterday’s announcements by the US president, who did not leave much room for such a scenario. On the contrary, in the field of food, Donald Trump defended the primary sector, emphasizing: “The US will defend farmers and ranchers.”
5 Greek products on the table of the Americans
The US market of 335 million consumers is an important destination for a multitude of Greek industries, while the five mentioned products have an export value exceeding 450 million euros. Based on Eurostat, the share of the United States in Greek exports in 2024 stood at 7.7% in food and 7.2% in olive oil, olives.
Olives
Greek table olives have the strongest presence on the US shelves, as Greece is the main country of origin of imported olives in the USA. According to data from the Panhellenic Association of Table Olive Processors – Formulators – Exporters (PEMETE), the value of exports amounted to 214 million euros in 2024, recording an increase of 39% compared to 2023.
As for the quantities sold, they amounted to 46 thousand tons, an increase of approximately 8%. As stated by the president of PEMETE, Kostas Zoukas, speaking to “N”, “the US market is the largest for Greek table olives, covering more than 30% of exports. There is an inverse linear relationship between the increase in tariffs and the decrease in consumption, even for Greek olives that have built a strong brand name. The ‘loss’ of the US market is irreplaceable for the sector, there is no complementary market to cover the ‘lost’ American demand.”
