• Piglet exports from the Netherlands in the first–third quarters of 2026 fell to 3 746 637 head, or 14,7 percent less than a year earlier
  • Spain and Germany remained key destinations for Dutch weaners, with their combined share of exports reaching 87,2 percent.
  • Shipments to Romania fell the most, while exports to Italy increased; quarterly data also show the decline slowing in 2026.

Data for the first nine months of 2026 show that the Netherlands exported exactly 3 746 637 piglets. The previous year, the figure was 4 393 373 piglets, representing a decrease of 14,7%.

Spain and Germany dominate imports

Spain remains the largest recipient of Dutch piglets, importing 1 640 217 during the period analyzed. This is 22,5 percent less than in the first three quarters of 2025, when imports totaled 2 117 014 piglets. Despite the decline, Spain accounted for 43,8 percent of all Dutch exports.

Germany ranked second, with 1 627 300 piglets, representing a year-on-year decrease of 5,6 percent. Together, the two countries received 87,2 percent of all piglets exported from the Netherlands.

Belgium remained the third-largest market. From January to September, 290 235 piglets were sent there, which is 4,1% less than the previous year. 

Sharp decline in exports to Romania, increase in exports to Italy

Among the other destinations, the sharp reduction in deliveries to Romania stands out in particular. Exports to this market fell by as much as 88,3 percent—from 94 086 to just 11 036 animals. A different trend was recorded in trade with Italy. Deliveries to this country increased by 83,1 percent, reaching 52 756 piglets.

Export decline gradually slows

Quarterly data indicate that the rate of decline in Dutch piglet exports is gradually slowing. In the first quarter of 2026 year, foreign sales were lower by 19,7 percent compared with the corresponding period of 2025 year. In the second quarter, the decline was 16,9 percent, while in the third it fell to 6,5 percent. This means that although Dutch piglet exports remain on a downward trend, the scale of this decline was increasingly smaller in the subsequent quarters of 2026 year.