GCC food imports from US reached $1.8 billion in 2014

The Food Export Association of the Midwest has revealed that US exports of food products, including cheese, table condiments, baked snack foods, butter, chocolate, French fries and ice cream rose 7 per cent in 2014 to reach over $1.8 billion, reported Anadolu news agency.

The association said that the UAE’s share amounted to 40.5 per cent of the total US food imports in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, making it the second largest market in the region behind Saudi Arabia. Food products constitute as much as 80 to 90 per cent of all GCC imports.

According to the Associate Director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Monique Marez, “The UAE is quickly becoming a key market for organic products.” She pointed out that organic exports from the US to Abu Dhabi have increased by 346 per cent from 2011 to 2014 and sales for the first half of 2015 have already surpassed the total for 2014.

“Exports are expected to triple in the next few years with the strong growth fuelled by new implementation of domestic organic regulations,” she added.