Browse Data and Analysis

Bulgarian production of oilseed crops in marketing year (MY)2022/23 was at the same level as in MY2021/22 at 2.4 million metric tons (MMT), from 8 percent higher area harvested due to lower yields impacted by the summer heat and drought.

Bulgaria harvested a 26 percent lower grain crop in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 compared to MY2021/22, including reductions of 12 percent for wheat, 11 percent for barley, and 26 percent for corn.

Bulgaria’s hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) foodservice industry grew year-on-year by early 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic severely hit the industry and food service sales dropped significantly in 2020 and in early 2021. In 2021, despite some remaining anti-COVID measures, after a strong summer tourist season, the HRI sector started to rebound and registered up to 25 percent growth in certain categories over 2020.

The Bulgarian organic market continued to expand in 2022 with an estimated annual growth of 3.2 percent compared to 2021. The main driver behind the growth was the strong consumer focus on a healthier lifestyle and the perception that organic products are healthy and higher quality compared to conventional products.

Bulgaria is a small but growing market for U.S. food and agricultural products. In 2021, total Bulgarian food and agricultural imports were valued at $6.13 billion, up 18 percent from 2020, of which 1.3 percent, or $80.13 million, were sourced from the United States. During the first eight months of 2022, total food and agricultural imports increased by 45.3 percent compared to the same period in 2021.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulgaria was a growing market for food and beverages, with rising consumer confidence, declining unemployment, increasing incomes, and a stable number of foreign tourists driving expansion.

The tree nut market in Bulgaria had a slow, but stable recovery in marketing year (MY) 2021/22 due to reopening of the food service industry and an improved tourist and travel season. However, economic challenges, food inflation, and high energy prices have negatively affected the demand for higher-end nuts.

This report is intended to supplement the FAS U.S. Mission to the EU's Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report with Italy-specific information. Italy's FAIRS provides contact information for the competent authorities that are responsible for the import of animal, plant, fish, and food products into the Italian market.

This report is intended to supplement the FAS U.S. Mission to the EU's Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Certificate report with Italy-specific information. The U.S. export certification requirements for most products of animal and plant origin destined for the EU and Italy have been harmonized. The few products not yet harmonized are subject to Italian regulations which can be found in this report.

Bulgaria acceded to the European Union (EU) in 2007 and follows EU directives and regulations pertaining to food safety, quality, and standards. This report outlines legislation regarding U.S. food-product exports to Bulgaria, particularly those rules which differ from EU legislation.

As a European Union (EU) Member State, Bulgaria applies EU regulatory requirements for all animal- and plant-origin food and agricultural imports. Bulgarian regulatory authorities may be consulted, on a case-by-case basis, regarding import requirements for some categories of non-harmonized products.

In 2021 and 2022 to date, the Bulgarian livestock industry has successfully recovered following the 2019 African Swine Fever (ASF) crisis. The major challenges in 2021/2022 were related to sharply increasing feed grain and energy prices, skyrocketing inflation, and fluctuations in consumer demand related to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.