Reuters says that exports of food and drink from the United Kingdom to the European Union plunged by 75.5% in January. The Food and Drink Federation said on Monday much of the fall is due to post-Brexit barriers.
The lobby group said the worst hit trade route was to Ireland. In January 2020, Ireland was the UK’s biggest market, representing around 18% of total food and drink exported. A year on the figure had dropped to only 5%, it said.
While pre-Brexit stockpiling and weak hospitality demand during the pandemic will have been a factor, the Federation said “much of” the fall was likely to be due to new non-tariff barriers that have hit smaller producers particularly hard.
Further reading:
- UK food and drink exports to EU fall by almost half
- Post-Brexit UK exports could fall by $32 billion due to Non-Tariff Measures and tariffs: UN study
- Food body: Ireland is the UK’s top EU destination
- Consumers prefer UK and EU food to US-style produce currently banned
- Food traders say Brexit impact ‘could get worse’
