According to recent figures from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), British food and drink exports to the EU have fallen by more than a third since Brexit.
Overall food export volumes to the bloc fell to 6.37 billion kg in 2024, representing a 34% decline compared with 2019 levels. The FDF figures show that other European countries including the Netherlands, Germany and Italy have increased their export volumes since 2020.
Imports of food and drink were worth £63.1 billion in 2024, as imports from the EU rose by 3.3% compared with a year earlier, and increased by 7.4% from non-EU countries
The EU remains the UK’s most important trading partner in the food and drink sector, accounting for almost two-thirds (61.8%) of exports and three-quarters (75.6%) of imports, worth nearly £45 billion in 2024.
Global food export volumes increased by nearly 6% in 2024 compared with a year earlier, the FDF found, as the UK began to see the benefits of free trade agreements. In the first full year after the UK-Australia trade deal came into force, the value of UK exports to Australia increased by 9% to £429.5 million in 2024.