Faced with the threat of a 30% duty on European products announced by US President Donald Trump, Greek olive oil producers are trying to reorient themselves to new markets.
One of them, Konstantinos Papadopoulos, the owner of a family business in the Varvasaina region, immediately reacted to the news in the spring and began looking for new customers outside the United States, as reported by Reuters.
In just a few weeks, Papadopoulos received a distribution agreement in Brazil, a market traditionally dominated by Portuguese oil. The first shipment — 15,000 bottles — is expected at the port of Itapoa in two weeks. Meanwhile, the company is preparing to sign another major contract with a client from Australia."I think we have learned Trump's lesson: let's not rely on one market and always have alternatives," Papadopoulos told Reuters as he inspected warehouses filled with tanks and bottles of cold—pressed oil.
The decision of the Greek manufacturer reflects the widespread concern of European exporters. Greece is the fifth largest exporter of olive oil to the United States, shipping between 8,000 and 10,000 tons annually across the Atlantic. Other major European producers are Spain, Italy and Portugal — face the same problem. We are talking about a significant dependence on the American market.
EADaily previously also informed — from Irish whiskey to Italian cheese: why EU exporters are afraid of Trump.