The increase in delivery times and the rising cost of freight transport are reducing the competitiveness of European apples, writes EastFruit with reference to FruitVeb. European apple exporters are facing increasingly serious logistical obstacles in supplying to the countries of the Persian Gulf. Increased transit times, rising transport costs, and disruptions in supply chains are significantly complicating planning. According to market participants, longer delivery times not only increase costs but also increase the risk of product quality deterioration, which has led some exporters to start looking for alternative markets. All this is happening against the backdrop of already high stocks in the European market. In February 2026, apple storage stocks in Poland amounted to 836 thousand tons, which is 13.1% more compared to the same period last year, while Italy recorded a stock level of 1.1 million tons. Total storage stocks in 15 European countries monitored by the World Apple ...