Olive oil is among the European products that will benefit from the tariff reduction negotiated between the European Union and China during the trade meetings held on October 8 and 9 in Beijing. The agreement reached between both parties includes a reduction in the import duties applied to certain community goods, a measure that affects the foreign trade of the Andalusian olive oil sector and is related to the activity of the Port of Algeciras, the main maritime exit route for this product from Andalusia.
The European Commission has confirmed that the negotiations will improve market access conditions for various products in China, including olive oil, footwear, and automotive components. Altogether, the goods included represent European exports worth nearly 4 billion euros, while Brussels estimates that the reduction of taxes will result in savings of at least 225 million euros in customs duties.
The reduction of tariffs is articulated through the modification of certain types applied by China under the most-favored-nation principle. The European Commission has confirmed the inclusion of olive oil among the affected products, although it has not yet published the specific reduction percentages or the final implementation schedule.
The trade understanding coincides with a period of growth in trade relations between Andalusia and China. According to foreign trade statistics published by Andalucía TRADE, Andalusian exports to the Chinese market reached 1.029 billion euros during the first half of 2026, 43.6% more than in the same period of the previous year.
With these figures, China became the eighth destination for Andalusian exports, accounting for 4.6% of the total value of the goods marketed by the autonomous community overseas. These data correspond to the entire group of exporting sectors and are not exclusive to agri-food products.
Olive oil maintains a specific weight in the Andalusian export structure. Between January and June 2026, international sales of this product reached 1.769 billion euros, equivalent to 7.9% of the total exports of Andalusia. This figure represents a decrease of 10.5% compared to the same semester of 2025, which the Junta de Andalucía relates to the drop in prices following the increase in production recorded during the previous campaign.
In value terms, extra virgin olive oil was the main agri-food product exported by Andalusia during the first six months of the year, with operations exceeding 1.174 billion euros, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
The international activity of the olive oil sector has a direct link to the Port of Algeciras. The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) indicates that its terminals channel almost all of the Andalusian olive oil that is exported by sea, through regular container transport services that connect the dock with the main international markets.
The port data corresponding to the first half of 2025 reflected an increase of 21% in olive oil exports through Algeciras. During that period, the total traffic of filled export containers reached 104,860 equivalent twenty-foot units (TEUs), 6.8% more than in the first six months of the previous year.
The United States continued to be the main destination for olive oil shipped from the Algeciras terminals. Meanwhile, the APBA confirmed an increase in shipments to various Asian markets, including China, which recorded a growth of 89% in exports of goods channeled through the port during the first half of 2025. This percentage corresponds to the total of products sent to that market, without a public breakdown that allows attribution exclusively to olive oil.
In the balance for the entire year of 2025, the port authority also reported an increase of 5% in filled export containers, with olive oil remaining among the main goods internationally marketed through its facilities.
The understanding between Brussels and Beijing also includes measures aimed at facilitating Chinese authorizations to export rare earths and permanent magnets, as well as mechanisms related to bilateral trade in vehicles. Both parties have agreed to maintain ministerial contacts in January 2027 and hold a third consultation meeting on trade and investment in March of the same year.
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