Greek exports to the United States rose by 14.5% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching €839.6 million—up from €733.4 million in the same period of 2025, according to Eurostat data analyzed by the Greek Embassy in Washington. However, this overall growth was almost entirely attributable to petroleum products. Excluding them, Greek exports to the U.S. actually fell by 16.7%, highlighting mounting pressures on several core sectors of Greek industry.
Surge in Petroleum Exports
Petroleum products posted the strongest growth—exports soared by 249.6%, climbing to €300.5 million from €86 million a year earlier. This jump stemmed almost entirely from oils and preparations derived from petroleum or asphaltic minerals (excluding biodiesel), whose exports surged to €300.4 million from €79.4 million.
Sharp Declines in Steel and Cement
The steepest drops occurred in key industrial categories. Exports of iron and steel products plunged by 68.7%, falling to €8.5 million from €27.3 million. This decline affected all major subcategories subject to U.S. import duties ranging from 25% to 50%.
Portland cement exports dropped by 63.1% to €10 million, while copper product exports declined by 7.2%.
Pressure on Food and Agri-Food Exports
Processed and standardized food—Greece’s second-largest export category to the U.S.—fell by 3.7% to €100.8 million from €104.6 million.
Olive exports dipped by 6% to €55.6 million. Apricots saw a steep 23% drop, falling to €19.4 million. Other edible fruits and nuts declined by 4.6%, while edible oils—including olive oil—fell by 9.2%.
Significant losses were also recorded in cereal-based preparations and bakery products, down 30.4%, and in various food preparations—down 11.8%, largely driven by a sharp decline in sauce exports.
Resilience in Aluminum, Dairy, and Seafood
In contrast, aluminum product exports rose by 8.8% to €76.7 million—despite U.S. import duties of 50% on primary aluminum and 25% on its derivatives.
Exports of machinery, appliances, and electrical parts increased by 11.2% to €47.7 million.
Dairy exports remained positive, rising 2.1% to €22.6 million. Cheese exports grew by 1.8%, suggesting minimal impact from concerns linked to recent cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Greece.
Fish and seafood exports rose notably by 20.5%, reaching €11.7 million.
The data comes from a Eurostat report processed by the Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Greek Embassy in Washington.