Exports to 26 European destinations fall by 37pc in two years amid food-safety alerts
KARACHI: Repeated interceptions of Pakistani rice consignments over pesticide residues and other food-safety concerns in European markets are raising questions about the country’s ability to maintain access to lucrative destinations, as export data show a substantial decline in shipments to 26 European countries since 2024.
Data compiled for the period January 2023 to July 2026 show that Pakistan’s rice exports to the 26 European destinations fell from 492,239.26 tonnes in 2023 and 486,444.89 tonnes in 2024 to 309,703.93 tonnes in 2025 — a decline of about 36 per cent in one year.
The data further show exports of 231,674.77 tonnes during January-July 2026. As this covers only seven months, the figure cannot be compared directly with the full-year totals for 2023-25.
The decline in exports coincides with a series of food-safety notifications concerning Pakistani rice in European markets during 2026, including interceptions over pesticide residues involving substances such as clothianidin, chlorpyrifos, flutriafol, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid, as well as notifications concerning mineral-oil components.
The interceptions could have wider implications for exporters if repeated non-compliance leads to greater scrutiny, additional testing and higher compliance costs, potentially affecting the ease with which Pakistani consignments enter European markets.
The export data show particularly sharp declines in some of Pakistan’s major European destinations.
Rice exports to Belgium fell from 76,385.18 tonnes in 2024 to 38,736.26 tonnes in 2025, while exports to the Netherlands dropped from 88,743.77 tonnes to 29,718.10 tonnes over the same period.
Shipments to Spain declined from 47,212.09 tonnes in 2024 to 18,887.06 tonnes in 2025, while exports to France fell from 23,512.93 tonnes to 13,728.65 tonnes.
Italy remained one of the largest markets but also recorded a decline, with exports falling from 107,865.30 tonnes in 2024 to 78,666.70 tonnes in 2025. Exports to Germany declined from 19,052.75 tonnes to 17,680.66 tonnes during the same period.
The United Kingdom showed a different trend, with exports increasing from 38,864.24 tonnes in 2024 to 57,257.02 tonnes in 2025, while shipments during the first seven months of 2026 stood at 46,671.19 tonnes.
The food-safety notifications are significant because European buyers impose strict maximum residue limits on agricultural commodities. Consignments exceeding permissible levels can face rejection or other regulatory action, while repeated alerts involving a particular origin can result in greater scrutiny.
The available data, however, do not establish that the interceptions were the cause of the decline in Pakistan’s rice exports. The figures do underline the commercial importance of preventing further non-compliance, particularly in markets where Pakistan has built an established customer base.
The situation calls for closer coordination among rice exporters, growers, laboratories and regulatory authorities to strengthen residue monitoring, traceability and pre-export testing so that consignments comply with the requirements of importing countries before shipment.
With Europe accounting for a significant share of Pakistan’s premium rice trade, continued interceptions could pose a risk to the country’s reputation as a reliable supplier if food-safety concerns are not addressed systematically.
