Global fry shipments sets new record

Global shipments of frozen potato products reached a new record of 834,560 tonnes in July of this year, trade figures show. That is 2.1% up year-on-year. Market focus recently has been on European players losing market share. This is the result of the emerging markets. China and India have captured larger chunks of the global market. China exported 139,000 tonnes of frozen fries in the first five months of 2025, which is almost two-thirds of its whole production for 2024. These fries are mainly sold to other Asian countries such as Japan, the Philippines and Thailand. Destinations that were previously dominated by the US and Europe. Middle East India is not far behind with a 12-month figure up to 182,000 tonnes. That is over three-quarters more compared to the previous period. Its not only Asia that Indian exporters are selling their fries to. The country has also taken a large market share in the Middle East. Egypt, the third emerging country, saw an export volume of 226,915 tonnes in the 12-month period up to August. This is almost 50% more compared to the same period before. Jordan and Brazil are its two biggest destinations. It is a totally different story for the European players: mainly Belgium and the Netherlands. In august 2025 the EU-27 shipments dropped by 6.8% to 200,090 tonnes. This is the lowest figure in five years time. Imposed US tariffs are taking their tole on the exports, which dropped by 5% to 14,899 tonnes to this destination. Annually there is still a small plus of 2.2% to be seen. Euro and tariffs A stronger euro is unfavourable for EU countries, making European fries 10% more expensive for the US. This is of course the case with all European goods. Total EU-US trade fell by 10% in July. If tariffs continue to be in force there could be a fallout in demand for frozen fries, halving export levels. Despite an agreement reached in August, capping tariffs at 15%, there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding Trumps tariff war. There are few destinations that are taking more fries from EU countries. South Africa being one of them. Another country that has seen hefty tariffs in recent years due to antidumping allegations. August sales were up almost quarter. Increased consumption As incomes continue to rise in middle-income countries there are further increases to be seen in food production, agricultural productivity and costumer demand. Consumption patterns also continue to shift, with a bigger portion aimed towards convenience foods. This is especially the case in cities. Its not just emerging markets that form possibilities for French fry producers. Earlier this year, McDonald’s made headlines when it announced plans to open 900 new stores in the US alone. The news arrived after quarterly sales of McDonald’s had dropped to their lowest point in five years time, when the Covid pandemic took place. McDonald’s currently has 13,500 stores across the US. Back in 2023 the world famous company said it had plans to increase its global restaurant count to over 50,000 in 2027. Back then it meant an additional 10,000 stores had to open. It is unclear if McDonald’s is on track to make this ambition happen. This year it is thought that the fast food chain is opening 1,500 new stores worldwide. China is the second biggest market for the company, with plans for 7,000 new facilities in the coming years. Increasing demand Its not just McDonald’s either that has big plans. KFC said it is investing €1.3 billion in opening new restaurants, many of them in Europe. This should result in at least 500 new outlets. Meanwhile it is also increasing store numbers in Africa and Japan. Canadian firm Burger King (which also includes Tim Hortons) beat quarterly sales and profit estimates on October 30th. Sales grew by 4% in the third quarter of this year, compared to 0.3% last year.