The USDA office in The Hague forecast European Union live cattle exports to fall from 761,000 head in 2025 to 600,000 in 2026 and remain at that level in 2027.
Turkey, the leading destination for European cattle in 2023, virtually stopped purchasing from the EU in 2025 and 2026 due to stricter EU animal welfare requirements for transportation and changes in Turkey’s supply policy.
The main markets for European cattle are currently Israel, non-EU Balkan countries and the United Kingdom. In addition, the spread of diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, bluetongue and lumpy skin disease restricted shipments from several member states.
According to UN Comtrade data, the European Union exported 141,496 head of live cattle to Israel in 2025, worth US$ 259.4 million. This volume represented around 19% of the cattle exported by the bloc during the year.
