Iran pistachio exports to EU rise 6%
Economy Desk
Iran’s pistachio exports to the European Union rose 6% in the first half of 2026 to €33.94 million, according to Eurostat data, while overall trade between Iran and the bloc fell 26% to €952 million.
Iran’s pistachio exports to the EU totaled 31.85 million euros in the first half of 2025.
Shipments of shelled pistachios rose 8% to €33.6 million in January-June 2026 from 31 million euros a year earlier, while exports of pistachios in shells fell 60% to 340,000 euros from 850,000 euros.
Germany remained the largest European market for Iranian pistachios, with imports of €24.38 million in the first half of 2026 – accounting for 70% of Iran’s total pistachio exports to the EU. German imports of Iranian pistachios fell 3% year-on-year.
The United States was the EU’s largest supplier overall, with pistachio exports rising 86% to €82 million. US shelled-pistachio shipments to the bloc were roughly on par with Iran’s, at about €34 million.
Iran-EU trade drops 26%
Total trade between Iran and the 27-member EU fell 26% year-on-year to €952 million in January-June 2026, from €1.287 billion in the same period of 2025, Eurostat data showed.
EU exports to Iran declined 26% to €754 million from €1.025 billion, while EU imports from Iran fell 24% to €198 million from €262 million.
Germany was Iran’s largest trading partner among EU members, accounting for 32% of total Iran-EU trade. Bilateral trade fell 36% to €304 million in the first half of 2026, with German exports to Iran dropping 41% to €212 million and German imports from Iran declining 18% to €92 million.
Trade between Iran and the EU fell 27% after the US-led military action against Iran in late February, reaching €574 million in March-June 2026, compared with €786 million a year earlier, according to Eurostat.
Bilateral trade had already declined about 24% in the first two months of 2026, before the conflict, suggesting that tensions in the Strait of Hormuz did not significantly alter the downward trend. A significant share of Iran-Europe trade is conducted via road and air routes.