Italy is a traditional broad-bean market and a channel into the wider EU for Egyptian faba beans (dried broad beans, HS 0713.50). Faba features in classic Italian dishes — fave e cicoria, purees and soups — and supports both canning and a substantial North-African and Middle-Eastern diaspora. Egypt is a recognised top-five global exporter of dried broad beans, supplying EU-compliant, food-grade faba. This guide covers grades, logistics, EU requirements, crop calendar and pricing.

Quick Answer

Italy buys faba for traditional dishes, canning and diaspora retail. Egypt is a recognised top-five exporter of dried broad beans (HS 0713.50). Grades: large-seeded whole, small-seeded, split/decorticated. Ships in 25/50 kg bags (or big bags) in dry containers to Genoa/Gioia Tauro, ~9–13 days. Imports must meet EU MRLs and plant-health rules; buyers require HACCP/ISO 22000 or BRCGS and traceability.

Why Italy Imports Egyptian Faba Beans

Faba is woven into Italian regional cooking, especially in the south, and Italy also serves a large immigrant population that cooks ful and Maghreb dishes. Domestic faba supply is limited and variable, so importing stabilises availability for canners, packers and ethnic-food distributors. Egypt offers EU-compliant, consistently graded faba at competitive prices, shipped economically as a dry commodity into Italy’s main ports.

Market snapshotDetail
Use in marketTraditional dishes, canning, diaspora retail
HS code0713.50 (dried broad & horse beans)
Main entry portsGenoa, Gioia Tauro
Transit time9–13 days by sea (dry container)
Packaging25 / 50 kg bags; big bags for processors
GradesLarge whole, small-seeded, split/decorticated

Grades & Specifications

Large-seeded whole faba: for canning and whole-bean dishes. Small-seeded faba: for purees and soups (e.g. fave puree). Split/decorticated: for quick-cook and processed lines. Specifications cover moisture (≤13%), purity/admixture, sizing and defect tolerance. Italian processors specify size bands, low defects and clean colour; product is machine-cleaned, calibrated and colour-sorted.

Logistics & Route

Dried faba is shelf-stable and ships in standard dry containers — 25/50 kg bags for retail/canning or big bags for processors — from Alexandria/Damietta to Genoa or Gioia Tauro in roughly 9–13 days. No cold chain is needed. Product must be kept dry and ventilated to hold moisture spec; fumigation certificates are commonly required.

Import Requirements

EU imports require a phytosanitary certificate and compliance with EU plant-health entry rules. Pesticide residues must meet EU MRLs — among the strictest globally — verified by border and buyer testing. Italian importers require HACCP/ISO 22000 or BRCGS at the packing facility, EU-compliant labelling (product, origin, packer, net weight, lot) and full lot traceability. A fumigation certificate is commonly requested.

Crop Calendar & Availability

PeriodAvailability
April–JuneMain harvest — new-crop faba
July–DecemberPeak shipping from stored new crop
January–MarchContinuity supply from storage

As a dried pulse, faba stores well, so Egypt ships to Italy year-round from the spring harvest, letting processors and packers contract across the calendar.

Source & data: Egypt is recognised among the world’s top-five exporters of dried broad beans. Source: Tridge broad-bean trade overview, 2024. HS code 0713.50 (dried broad & horse beans, shelled). Per-market volumes vary seasonally and are confirmed at contracting; no per-market figure is asserted here.

PEI Trade — New Cairo, Egypt. Request a quote or faba bean spec sheet →