EU chicken exports forecast to rise 2% in 2026
Lower feed, energy costs improve competitiveness
5 May 2026
1 minute read
By: Competition from lower-priced Ukrainian chicken meat and continuing highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease outbreaks in 2026 may continue to restrain EU chicken meat exports, according to the most recent USDA Foreign Agricultural Service poultry market report for the European Union.
On the other hand, lower production costs due to lower energy and feed costs will continue to improve EU chicken meat competitiveness. Thus, EU chicken meat exports are expected to grow slightly, by 2% in 2026, regaining the 2024 level.
EU chicken meat exports declined by 2% in 2025. The decline was driven by a 14% decrease in EU chicken meat exports to Vietnam (56,000 MT), and a 21% decline to Saudi Arabia (52,000 MT), which were not offset by higher exports to Ghana (158,000 MT, up 15%), Democratic Republic of Congo (117,000 MT, up 23%) and the Philippines (67,000 MT, up 65%).
Overall, EU chicken meat exports to sub-Saharan countries stagnated in 2025. There is hope that lower production costs in the EU in 2026, combined with the higher profitability of white meat cuts in EU domestic markets, could increase EU chicken meat export competitiveness (of mostly dark meat cuts) in those African markets.
The UK remained the largest market for EU chicken meat (down 0.5% in 2025), driven by strong Polish and German chicken meat exports and despite strong competition from Thai, Brazilian, Chinese and Ukrainian chicken meat. It is anticipated that it will remain the EU's largest market in 2026.
