--- title: US Olive Oil Imports In Review and How It Affects You description: A review of the 2014 bulk olive oil import trends, including the most common countries of origin and the grades that are being imported. image: https://www.centrafoods.com/hubfs/images/Blog-Images/olive-oil-bottle-usda.jpg --- [![Centra Foods | Simply Authentic](https://www.centrafoods.com/hs-fs/file-339185492-png/images/centra-logo.png?width=487&height=64&name=centra-logo.png "Centra Foods | Simply Authentic")](https://www.centrafoods.com) [Bulk Oil Blog](http://centrafoods.com/blog) # [US Olive Oil Imports In Review and How It Affects You](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/us-olive-oil-imports-in-review-and-how-it-affects-you) Posted by [Hannah Broaddus](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/author/hannah-broaddus) April 13, 2015 at 5:00 AM ![olive-oil-bottle-usda](https://www.centrafoods.com/hubfs/images/Blog-Images/olive-oil-bottle-usda.jpg "olive-oil-bottle-usda")The following is a review of the 2014 trends in olive oil imports, including the most popular grades and where they’re coming from. As you’re reading, here’s what directly affects your manufacturing / distribution company: - Olive oil imports continue to grow, and - Most imported olive oil is coming from Spain or Italy ## Olive oil imports continue to grow The popularity of olive oil is still on the rise, and has been for over 25 years. With the growth of gourmet retail shops across the US and much more conversation about olive oil quality and origins, consumers are likely to have an increase in demand for olive oil in the future. Organizations like the North American Olive Oil Association and the Californian Olive Oil Association continue to work to increase the consumer demand for quality olive oil across the US. ## Most imported olive oil is coming from Spain or Italy Most of the olive oil produced in the world is coming from Spain. When imported to the US, it is typically coming from Spain or Italy. In times of plentiful production, these countries are where you will find the cheapest prices. In times of poor production, similar to what Spain has experienced in it’s most recent 2014/15 harvest, these countries hold such a monopoly on production that prices go up globally. If your goal is to maintain the lowest prices and consistent quality, it’s best to look to alternative countries of origin. If you need to maintain the same origin or taste profile, it’s best to ride out the highs and lows of the commodity market. ## Olive Oil Import Summary from the IOC ## US Imports of Olive Oil The import of olive oil in the US continues to grow. Since 1990, the amount of olive oil imported into the US has tripled, rising from 100,000 metric tons of imported olive oil to 300,000. This clearly shows the growing demand and popularity for olive oil within the United States. ## Common Countries of Origin Most of these imports are coming from Mediterranean countries. In the 2013/14 harvest, 86% of these US imports came from European countries. This is up from 71% the year before. In review of the 2014 year, the top EU importing countries are shown below in the order of greatest to least olive oil import volume: - Italy 44% - Spain 40% - Tunisia 5% - Argentina 2.8% - Greece 1.8% - Turkey - Chile As you can see from the numbers above, 44% of the imported olive oils that were brought to the US came from Italy. 40% of olive oil that was imported came from Spain. It’s interesting to note that depending on the year, Spain typically produces 50% of the worlds olive oil while Italy’s production is smaller, so it’s quite likely that much of the olive oil imported from Italy is packed and bottled there, but may not have been produced there or come from Italian olive trees. ## Common Imported Grades The most common grades being imported into the US are shown as follows: - Extra Virgin Olive Oil 49% - Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 11% - Virgin Olive Oil 4% - Organic Virgin Olive Oil 1% - Refined, Pure & Olive Pomace Oils ~35% ***Source:** IOC December 2014 Newsletter* [*Image Source*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/) Topics: [Harvest/Commodity Market](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/topic/harvestcommodity-market) ### Don't Forget to Share! [Share via Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.centrafoods.com%2Fblog%2Fus-olive-oil-imports-in-review-and-how-it-affects-you) [Share via Twitter ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.centrafoods.com%2Fblog%2Fus-olive-oil-imports-in-review-and-how-it-affects-you&text=US+Olive+Oil+Imports+In+Review+and+How+It+Affects+You) [Share via Email ](mailto:?subject=US+Olive+Oil+Imports+In+Review+and+How+It+Affects+You&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.centrafoods.com%2Fblog%2Fus-olive-oil-imports-in-review-and-how-it-affects-you) [Share via LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.centrafoods.com%2Fblog%2Fus-olive-oil-imports-in-review-and-how-it-affects-you&title=US+Olive+Oil+Imports+In+Review+and+How+It+Affects+You&summary=A+review+of+the+2014+bulk+olive+oil+import+trends%2C+including+the+most+common+countries+of+origin+and+the+grades+that+are+being+imported.)   #### Related Articles #### ↓ [Food Manufacturing](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/topic/food-manufacturing) [Prices & Saving Money](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/topic/prices-saving-money) The first question we get as a bulk oil supplier is... drum roll please... How much does your oil cost?  But of course!  You knew that already right? Price is one of the... [Extra Virgin Olive Oil](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/topic/extra-virgin-olive-oil) [Industry Trends](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/topic/industry-trends) [Harvest/Commodity Market](https://www.centrafoods.com/blog/topic/harvestcommodity-market) Imported olive oil versus its domestic counterpart seems to be an ever growing debate in the olive oil industry here in the US.   Many manufacturers wonder if they should... 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